After Pains

This is my thrid pregnancy and I have realised I am actually more worried about the after pains than the actual labour!!

With DD1 I only had some mild period type cramps, mainly when breastfeeding that didn't cause me any problems. With DD2 I only found out the after pains would be worse when the midwife let me know just after I had birthed the placenta and wow was that an understatement. For the first few days every time I breastfed I would have cramps that were as bad as my worst labour pains, and as I was trying to bf moving through them wasn't an option. I found heat packs and paracetamol helped. The contractions did their job as m uterus shrank back to normal very quickly according to everyone that checked.

So Im wondering for those that have had more than 2 babies did you after pains get worse post each birth or were they about the same? Any other suggestions to manage after pains? Im hoping being aware this time that they may be fairly painful may help me as the shock of how bad they were last time probably made it harder for me to cope.

Thanks

This is technically my third baby and I have been told to prepare for some pretty full on after pains. I found the pains pretty awful last time and I took panadol and Ibufen (sp?) ... that is my plan of attack this time round long with hot water bottles and keeping my bowels as regular as possible (sorry TMI).

I thinkif you know what they have been like int he past then you know what plan of attack you'll need this time round ITMS?

I am not sure of what other options there are in regards to pain relief so I'll be watching this thread closely.

Nae x x

Hmmmmm...I wonder if the after-pains are still worse for 2nd pregnancy after a really long gap - like 9 years?

No real advice but interested in the responses on how to manage given that I'm heading that way too.

CK the afterpains with DS2 were shocking considering i don't even remember getting any with DS1 and i had a 6 yr age gap.

I've put some panadol rapid in my hospital bag for this reason so what do you just do take the medication when needed or go with the 6 hourly rule for a few days religiously??

With my 4th the after pains felt like I was giving birth again. I would take panadol and have a hot water bottle ready for breastfeeding.

Regards
Dianne

Danniim - always go with the dosage recommendations. You CAN mix Ibufen and regular panadol though so its worth getting both :)

I found the afterpains after number 3 to be unbearable - but they had me on a drip for that one, to make my uterus shrink back quicker. With number four, I have barely had any afterpains, and what I have had, are very mild.

My third after a 6 year gap the afterpains were worse then labour, but I think they were worse because I was trying to 'fight' them not relax through them like when I was in labour. I was curling my toes and holding on and was so so tense I couldn't get back to the space I was in when I was in labour as I had the baby in my arms, but once I started to look at it like that and try and relax through them it was "easier' to handle but they still hurt like h%^&.

Misty you have given me some hope about the 4th child, we are considering number 4 now and the afterpains put me off, so now I know it's possible I will focus on that... Thanks Misty!

I think mine got worse for the first three, and then got better. :) They weren't so bad after DD4 or DS. For DD3, I definitely remember the "this is worse than labour and I can't move!" feeling. Not fun. To manage them, I took extra strength acetaminophen and ibuprofen together. Apparently that's not recommended anymore, but at the time, my midwife said it was fine, and it WORKED. There's also something here called Aleve, (not sure what the medicinal ingredient is) that is supposed to be good, and last 12 hours. Perhaps google could help...? Also, a hot pack feels great.

Try not to stress about it too badly - they can really stink, but they do only last a few days, and then they're done.

Thanks girls for all the advice, Im glad Im not the only one a bit worried about it. I think Ill pack my wheat bag in my hospital bag and ask for ibuprofen as well as panadol

They were absolutely shocking after my third birth, but it was made worse by the fact that I'd had a manual placenta removal so my uterus was extremely sore from that. But yeah, after the fourth bub they were pretty good.

They do get worse with each one unfortunately. #6 and 7 have been the worst i have experienced. Ive not really done anything to help them except treat them like labour and try to let the 'wave' wash over me by breathing through it and trying to relax as much as i can.

Well I had dd3 2wks ago and the afterbirth pains nearly made me vomit! Ruined the entirety of my first feed experience as I had to do it in the nicu and got wheeled to postnatal and given a dose of endone!!!! At the end of day 3 ibuprofen, panadol and a hot wheat pack helped A LOT but needed the endone for the first 3 days! I didn't use drugs in any of my births either!!!! Lol


---------
Mummie to
Lucy Alys (July '06)
Minnie Audrey (July '09)
Pippi Violet (oct '11)

organic-girl your comments made me think. I didnt have any drugs during labour with either DD's but I did have the intamuscular injection of syntocin after birthing my daughters. I wonder if this may have contributed to how painful the post birth pains were or not? I know when it is used to induce or augment labour the contractions can be more painful. Might be a question to ask my midwife when I see her

I had bad after birth pains with #1 and #2 and so I was expecting them to be bad again for #3, definitely as bad as the beginning of active labour. And they were bad but my midwife did the most awesome job managing them. With #2 all the midwives did was knock me out on Panadeine Forte, it was awful, I was so out of it. I really didn’t want that to happen again. So with #3 I had a physiological third stage (no Syntocinon injection), best thing ever! Then I had three things popped up my bum (two panadol and a voltaren) and I took two ponstan. I would BF DS3 and when I felt a contraction coming I’d quickly hand him over to DH, get on all fours and use the gas. It really worked though. We stayed like that for a while, feeding, cuddling, then having contractions that gradually got less intense and further apart. Aggressive 4th stage pain management is the key. Good luck: :goodluck: