Of menstruation and lochia - a tmi question

[l39]

I could never bring myself to ask this of anyone face to face!
I have often read of other women losing clots when they menstruate. As far as I know, I never have - not that I'm complaining! But maybe I just don't know what clots are?
I think I have passed clots, very rarely, during postnatal bleeding. At least, the midwives kept asking about clots and I told them yes when I saw on the maternity pad (disgusting details follow!) one or two shiny soft objects looking like very small black slugs 1 to 2 cm long.

During menstruation, though, there were never any slugs. Aside from blood there were what I assumed to be shreds of womb lining because they looked like brown autumn leaves shredded and mixed with blood.

I'm 40 now and I should know this! I feel like an idiot. Are the shreds and the 'slugs' both different kinds of clots? Or are the 'slugs' not clots at all, so perhaps I should have described them to my midwife?

As far as I know my reproductive system is entirely standard and I am now expecting my fifth child.

Thanks to anyone who can enlighten me!

Hi, I can't give you a definitive medical answer, all I can say is that what you describe sounds completely normal in the two scenarios. No, the shreds you describe aren't really blood clots, they are more cellular lining as you surmise.

The bigger clumps, dark red in colour after giving birth are the actual blood clots.

It all sounds fine and perfectly normal. So long as what you're passing isn't any bigger than about the size of 10p and doesn't smell funky then chances are you are a ok.

Trust your instincts and if you are in doubt ask your midwife, she sees fanjos all day everyday and would rather you piped up about something you thought was bit dodgy than you kept quiet out of embarrassment and then became ill.

I passed a humungous clot after I hadd dd2. I was so shocked I nearly drove myself back to the hospital. It looked like a piece of the placenta about the size of TWO 10pence pieces - I kid you not. I rang up the maternity ward in the end and the woman there seemed to think it was all very normal and not to worry. I never had another one thank God!

, OP!

Clots are just blood that has "sat" somewhere, maybe even inside you , long enough for the blood to "set". Sometimes describes as "raw liver", I never heard "slugs", LOL. It can be a sign of heavy bleeding, so more common in heavy periods, or as you say, post-natally when lochia in full flow. Other than that, it doesn't really mean v much at all.

Midwives ask about clots to establish if there are any bits of placenta or membranes left in the womb after delivery which may cause infection or prblems with the womb contracting properly. As a previous poster said, no problem if small as you describe and do not smell unpleasant. If you have been sat or lay down for a while postnatally you may find a clot in your pad once you get up but that is most likely just blood that has 'pooled' in the vagina while you have been immobile. No problem if it does not continue. Please don't feel embarrassed talking to your mw about it, she isn't I can assure you!

Thank you all for not calling me a moron!

I didn't worry at the time (it's not recent - several years since my youngest was born) because I assumed all was normal (as indeed I am sure it was now). I was just curious and thought I could make sure I'd not got things wrong before I was asked about clots again (I'm due in October). My mind is at rest now!

This is what MN does best: answering moronic questions we would not dare to ask in RL !
Good luck for October.