# How to deal with severe after pains?



## youngnhappymamma (Feb 3, 2002)

I know that after pains get worse the more children you have, but is there anything you can do about them? After my last birth the pain was as bad as it was right before my baby was born!! I even threw up again it hurt so much!! For this next birth I have even considered having an epidural put in but not have medication delievered until after the baby is born!!!! We are talking PAIN!! Please, someone, you must have a suggestion!!!!!!


----------



## Aura_Kitten (Aug 13, 2002)

warmth, massage, and drinking lots of water helped me a bit.







s

just remember, they pass.


----------



## homebirthing (Nov 10, 2002)

My third baby's birth came with a lot of afterpains. They lasted for almost two days and were as bad as the transistional contractions. I didn't take anything, but I can suggest to you Tylenol 3. That has codiene in it and is OK for breastfeeding mothers. I think that I will probably get my hands on some of that for #4!! Good luck!!


----------



## Artisan (Aug 24, 2002)

Oh lordy -- I had TERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIBLE afterpains with my second. They were much worse than labor. Much worse. The contractions lasted for MINUTES at a time. And then the uterine massage... oy vey.

Here is what I did. It helped. It didn't take the pain away completely, but it helped.
-- Empty your bladder OFTEN, even if you don't think you need to go. The uterus can't clamp down properly if your bladder is full.
-- Drink tons of water.
-- Heating pad.
-- For the first 24-48 hours, set up a schedule of taking 800 mg of Ibuprofen or 2 Aleve (Aleve used to be a prescription cramp medication before it went OTC) every four hours. Alternate that with prescription Tylenol 3 w/codeine. So you are taking something every two hours.
Like this: 8am ibuprofen
10am Tylenol 3
12pm ibuprofen
2pm Tylenol 3

The Tylenol 3 and ibuprofen are different sorts of meds and act on pain differently. The Tylenol 3 is must have, IMO. The Aleve by itself didn't touch the pain.


----------



## Quindin (Aug 22, 2003)

My afterpains are getting worse with each baby. I don't fear birth AT ALL, but I do fear the afterpains








I have never heard of this Tylenol 3. I was given a strong dosis of Motrin last time and it helped, though something stronger would have been nice. I am going to ask the MW about it today


----------



## KiwiZ (Apr 4, 2004)

In addition to the above excellent suggestions, remember they are for a purpose. Your uterus needs them to contract back to normal size and to get that blood out. My after pains were worst during nursing, that helped to know when


----------



## youngnhappymamma (Feb 3, 2002)

thanks for the great suggestions! I will remember that this time around. But I guess what I am scared of the most are not really the afterpains that come a few hours after birth and last for a few days, although those are super crappy and I hate them...I am so afraid of the ones right after delivery!!!! Ya think it's still a "natural" birth if I get a shot of demoral after the baby is born?


----------



## CarrieMF (Mar 7, 2004)

Talk to an herbalist. There is 1 lady in town who did a bunch of research online. She got her herbs from the US, I have no idea what she took. She had some for postpartum bleeding and supposedly she never bleed after the baby was born. She took some for afterpains and though it was her 5th baby she never had any afterpains.


----------



## CalgonMoment (Dec 4, 2004)

I had horrid afterpains after number 3. Labor was easier! They gave me Tylenol 3, never again! I don't seem to react well to codeine when I am tired. It makes me hallucinate, shake and have weird dreams. It also causes problems with my sleep. This time I will have ibuprofen with me, just in case they don't offer it at the hospital. Ibuprofen is safe for breastfeeding and works better for cramps (think Midol) than tylenol.


----------



## mimim (Nov 2, 2003)

Codeine makes me really loopy. I wouldn't trust myself to care for my baby if I was taking it.

I'm lurking here for any other good suggestions!


----------



## Aura_Kitten (Aug 13, 2002)

well, if i can come in with some Rx snobbery ~ i can't believe so many people are recommending codeine @ MDC.


----------



## homebirthing (Nov 10, 2002)

I did not use it myself, and actually will not use it again, but there is a part of me that wants it afterwards!! The absolute truth is that the afterpains on babies 3 and 4 are awful and really interfear with bonding time. If she wants something, give the woman something!!


----------



## stayinghome (Jul 4, 2002)

Maybe start taking red raspberry leaf tea now, before baby is born?


----------



## nikirj (Oct 1, 2002)

Oooh, I had AWFUL afterpains this last time (third baby). Lasted for weeks, were horrid when I nursed. They were worse than labor (really). They were bad enough that tylenol wouldn't have made a dent so I didn't bother. The only thing that helped was heat - I had DH keep a couple rice-packs hot. I also used some visualization (my uterus getting smaller) in the hopes that it would speed the process. Don't know if it worked or not. What definately DIDN'T help was my mom laughing as I breathed through afterpains (a full week after the birth), saying "just wait until after your fourth!"

If you've never had codeine, don't try it after labor. I didn't have it then (thank goodness) but several years earlier had used Tylenol-3 on the recommendation of my dentist - it made me faint and vomit blood. Never again. I don't take painkillers of any type now.


----------

