# why do some women shake after giving birth?



## polishprinsezz (Dec 31, 2006)

i had an unmedicated birth last year. i remember shaking so bad afterwards. was it because of the shock of pain or some other reason. i just kept thinking to myself, wow! did that hurt.







:


----------



## NatureMama3 (Feb 25, 2004)

I shook after both deliveries (epidural/pitocin and natural at home) and attributed it to being shearly exhausted. I would get the same way after a long race back in high school (cross country team).


----------



## cottonwood (Nov 20, 2001)

I'm not sure and would like to understand it better. I think it must have something to do with the hormones -- maybe the stress to the body of coming down off the huge amount of adrenaline? It does seem to be correlative -- the more normal my births (that is, the more adrenaline released in second stage) the more I shook afterwards.


----------



## bloobug (Nov 21, 2001)

I agree with the PP. Whenever I do a hard workout at the gym or run that extra mile(rarely mind you) I shake uncontrollably. There is no doubt in my mind, labor is a much harder workout so yeah, shaking's gonna happen.

Meg


----------



## channelofpeace (Jul 14, 2005)

I shook after both of my c-sections.

Hormones i would guess


----------



## lolar2 (Nov 8, 2005)

Also the body temperature resets-- I think that might have something to do with it.


----------



## Mama Poot (Jun 12, 2006)

I shook after ds1's high intervention, tons of meds hospital birth. Stadol really did me in, I still have memory problems because of it. And when I got home 48 hours later I laid in bed unable to sleep, shaking and sweating, my heart racing. They don't tell you about the withdrawals of narcotics when they give them to you







: After I had ds2, an unmedicated home birth, I didn't shake at all. In fact I was quite lethargic because my bp plummeted to 60/30 ( didn't drink enough water- my fault! ) and laid on the bed unable to move for several hours.


----------



## pianojazzgirl (Apr 6, 2006)

I shook after my c-section too. I thought maybe it was the effects of the general anaesthetic. I didn't realize it happened often in vaginal/non-medicated births too. Interesting.


----------



## cottonwood (Nov 20, 2001)

Perhaps there are different kinds of shaking with different causes.


----------



## Patchfire (Dec 11, 2001)

I think it must vary. I know that I didn't shake after dd until I stood up for more than a moment. Then with ds, I shook a bit in the shower but what both had in common was a temperature change. So I think for me a temperature change of some sort _triggers_ the shaking... but I don't know that it's actually the _cause_.


----------



## kerilynn (Sep 9, 2005)

My OB told me it was because of hormones

Of course, that was an OB, so ... with a grain of salt


----------



## intorainbowz (Aug 16, 2006)

.


----------



## marnie (Jul 13, 2004)

i shook like crazy after both births - both of them medication free, one hospital in stirrups on my back and one in a birth center. i assumed it was adrenaline.


----------



## attachedmamaof3 (Dec 2, 2006)

Weird! I never even thought about this until I read it!! I had 3 unmedicated births and didn't shake at all....strange...I wonder why?


----------



## cidercat (Oct 31, 2006)

I shook badly after both of my very quick, low-intervention births. I assumed it was adrenaline related.


----------



## xnwife (Jan 15, 2007)

Wow. I shook too. I had an unmedicated pitocin induced labor. It was quick and painful and I shook for an hour after. I forgot all about that until now.


----------



## frenchie (Mar 21, 2006)

I shook like mad after both c-sections, but I attribute that to the drugs. Not sure if I'm correct.


----------



## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

I don't think that it is known why we shiver-- one thing we loose quiet a bit of heated core-mass and all the organs shift.

there are also all sorts of hormones- and some think that just the shifting of force/energies from the uterus back to general circulation has a causual effect


----------



## Quindin (Aug 22, 2003)

My sister shook terribly after both of her c-sections. We always assumed it was a c-section related thing. It is interesting to hear about different experiences!


----------



## SublimeBirthGirl (Sep 9, 2005)

I don't remember with my 1st, but I shook after my 2nd was born, totally unmedicated homebirth. It's hormones, and probably whether/how much you shake has to do w/ how your body processes the hormones. 2nd stage involves a big rush of adrenaline.


----------



## AstridS (Mar 9, 2007)

I shook like crazy after my homebirth. My midwife told me it was low bloodsugar levels. It stopped after I had some juice and an apple, så I think she was right.


----------



## AuntG (Apr 2, 2007)

If I remember correctly from my college biology classes, it has to do with low sugars -- you use up all your "quick" sources of energy and your body starts to burn lactic acid which in turn causes muscle fatigue.

But, it was a while back and I did only make a B in the class!









However, it seems to makes sense. Low amounts of sugars for energy. It's not necessarily a bad thing though, not a condition or a disorder. Just the way the body works.


----------



## Slingin'Momto4 (Oct 1, 2003)

I shook after all my births. 3 hospital, all natural, no intervention and 2 home/water births.


----------



## DoomaYula (Aug 22, 2006)

I didn't shake after my last 2, but as a doula I see quite a few women shake. Most of them were epidural births, so I assumed it had to do with the epidural/body temp thing.


----------



## LilWin (Apr 25, 2007)

I shook terribly when my DD was born, it was unmedicated but I hadn't eaten so low blood sugar could be the answer to that. When DS was born (also no meds) I didn't shake, but I also had a normal diner and cookies (while watching Grey's Anatomy and breathing away contractions) before he was born, so I had a full stomach.


----------



## minkajane (Jun 5, 2005)

I actually shook BEFORE my birth. I had a C-section because DS was breech. I felt really excited at the time because I was about to have my baby, but I guess I was really nervous too, though I didn't realize it. I shook really hard until they wrapped me in warm blankets, which I guess calmed me down some.


----------



## Pynki (Aug 19, 2002)

I shook at my last birth, but mine was trauma induced. I was shaking from the pain, and everytime the L&D nurses would "massage" my uterus it would hurt REALLY badly and I would start shaking again. I'd finally get the shaking to stop and it was like they took that as a sign I needed to be tortured again, and they would do it again, and the shaking would start up again.

That said, I lost more blood with the last delivery than I remember losing with previous ones, so that could have something to do with it.


----------



## MonTana Mama (Jan 13, 2005)

I was really shaky w both natural births also. Esp. when I got out of bed to pee! My MW said it had to do w the change in blood pressure and volume and 02 reaching the brain. She said the dizziness and shaking went hand in hand.


----------



## momto l&a (Jul 31, 2002)

I have shaken after all 3 of our hb's.

Its just for because I was so hot while laboring and then cooled down way too quickly.

The mw's covered me in hot from the dryer towels


----------



## pinksprklybarefoot (Jan 18, 2007)

I didn't shake, but was shaky, kwim? No meds, except a pitocin shot at the end. I hemorrhaged, so I think the shakiness was due to blood loss.


----------



## sanguine_speed (May 25, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Pynki* 
I shook at my last birth, but mine was trauma induced. I was shaking from the pain, and everytime the L&D nurses would "massage" my uterus it would hurt REALLY badly and I would start shaking again. I'd finally get the shaking to stop and it was like they took that as a sign I needed to be tortured again, and they would do it again, and the shaking would start up again.

That said, I lost more blood with the last delivery than I remember losing with previous ones, so that could have something to do with it.

It sounds like maybe the nurses were massaging your uterus so frequently because they were trying to slow your blood loss?


----------



## MommytoTwo (Jun 20, 2004)

I think its hormones. I shook after both c-sections


----------



## Kritto (Apr 30, 2006)

I was told that it was adrenaline related. Makes sense to me, going from pushing to just laying down post-birth, there's not much of an outlet for all that adrenaline so I shook like when I'm really freaked out or nervous, but much much more strongly.


----------



## wombjuice (Feb 22, 2007)

I agree with fourlittlebirds--I think our bodies shake for different reasons.

I have never given birth, but I can almost guarantee that I will shake after I do. I'm just a shaker--I shake when I'm overly upset or when I'm overly happy or when I'm overly nervous. Anytime I feel my face flush and my adrenaline rush, I know I'm about to start shaking. And they're not just little shivers either, they're whole body shakes.









On the other hand, I worked as a veterinary technician for a few years, and the surgery animals always shook while waking up from anesthesia.

So, if I had to guess, I'd say women shake after birth because of either an emotional (adrenaline) or physical (change in temperature/low blood sugar) body response. I'm just guessing here, though.


----------



## broodymama (May 3, 2004)

I shook after DS' natural hospital birth and after DD's homebirth. Both times I felt very cold and was shaking uncontrollably. After I was covered up with some warm blankets and had something to drink then I felt better.


----------



## Nicole77 (Oct 20, 2003)

I shook after both of my daughters' births but not my son's. I suspect hormones play a part because of that (different hormone rushes when delivering girls?). I also shook about twice as badly with my second daughter's homebirth, a very quick and intense delivery. If you are planning any future births I found that a combination of a warm towel draped over my head, Rescue Remedy cream rubbed on my forehead and pressure points, and accupressure done by my midwife settled me back down and helped me a lot.


----------



## yaM yaM (Nov 9, 2003)

I agree that it is adrenaline-related.
Marathon runners often shake in the same way after running a marathon.


----------



## Potty Diva (Jun 18, 2003)

I was freezing cold after all three of my births. I had a fever after each as well. I just couldn't control the shaking. I remember after the birth of the twins I had asked for orange juice and after drinking it I just started shaking and remember being so very cold. I had 4 blankets on me straight from the dryer and I still shook for a good while after they put those on me. It makes me tense just thinking about it.


----------



## mum2James&Bean (Dec 8, 2006)

I was shaking violently after my emergency c/s... I thought it was low blood pressure from the blood loss or the epidural or something. I had no idea it happened to vag. births too! Interesting


----------

