afterpains and herbal treatments (would especially like to hear from moms of many)

[icxcnika]

So with afterpains typically being more intense after subsequent births, I am a little nervous.  My afterpains were very intense after the birth of baby #3, even with a steady dose of ibuprofen.  With baby #4, I'd like to be more educated about ways to help manage them better.  Does anyone have a favorite remedy (such as crampbark) or a favorite combination tincture (such as this one: http://inhishands.com/Afterease.231)? Does RRL tea have any effect?  (I know it's a uterine toner and do typically drink it during pregnancy...I understand that it helps contractions during labor to be more efficient, but does it also help afterward?  And does "more efficient" just mean "more efficient, but not necessarily less painful," or does "more efficient" also mean "less painful?")  

Also, have any of you combined herbal medicines with pain relievers such as ibuprofen?  Thank you for any advice you may have!

[leigh2006]

I used the Afterease tincture after my second was born and am planning on using it again soon with #3.  It worked well for me, but it was only my second :)  I'm hoping it works as well this time around.  I noticed the pains in particular when I was nursing, so I made sure to take the tincture with some tea or water right before I started.  This seemed to help lessen the pain while nursing.

 My midwife also recommended RRL tea to help the uterus as it contracts and shrinks back to its normal size.  I don't think the RRL lessens the pain, but I'm not sure.  I did sup with ibuprofen for the first week.  I don't know of anything else to suggest, but would also love to hear from others with more experience.