Afterpains

[floiejo2]

So I tend to have horrible after pains with my deliveries. Like almost worse than being in labor and they lasted for 3 days with my first and 5 days with my second. They are unbearable and ibprofen does nothing to take the edge off. I know I read somewhere of some things that are supposed to help with them, but can't find that info. Anyone know of some things?? I'm doing RRL tea but that's it so far.

TIA!!!

[possum]

After Ease is an herbal concoction I used afterward.  I also used homeopathic arnica.  Heat and gentle pressure are also nice - rice bags heated in the microwave or a hot water bottle.

[Italiamom]

I took a dropper full of cramp bark under my tongue before each nursing session (nursing made them the worst).  It helped me tremendously.  I used the Herb Pharm brand, here's a link to it on Vitacost.  It's reasonably cheap, and totally safe with breastfeeding.

Or if you prefer, I think you can make tea out of the bulk stuff from Mountain Rose Herbs.

[CookAMH]

Originally Posted by Italiamom 

I took a dropper full of cramp bark under my tongue before each nursing session (nursing made them the worst).  It helped me tremendously.  I used the Herb Pharm brand, here's a link to it on Vitacost.  It's reasonably cheap, and totally safe with breastfeeding.

Or if you prefer, I think you can make tea out of the bulk stuff from Mountain Rose Herbs.

What does it taste like?
 

[Smokering]

I don't really know anything solid on this, so beware taking my advice, but... aren't there herbs used to cause uterine contractions, like Clary Sage? They're often used to induce labour. They wouldn't help the pain - they'd probably make it worse, in fact - but if they got your uterus to contract quickly back to its normal size, maybe the afterpains would stop more quickly? And a day of afterpains would be better than 5... Maybe ask your midwife about it?

Otherwise, I guess any way you like to treat labour pains and/or menstrual cramps would help. Hot baths, hot wheatie bags, Tylenol, breathing exercises, Hypnobabies, massage... even a TENS machine, if you happened to have one on hand.

[Italiamom]

Originally Posted by CookAMH 

What does it taste like?

It's been a few years since I tasted it!  I remember it not tasting as bad as some of the other tinctures that I used.  Very... earthy?  If the taste bothers you, you can dilute it in some water too instead of holding it under your tongue.

[mumofmak]

I'm the same way - it's totally worse than labour! I'm NOT looking forward to it this time either. Last time I had a new midwife and she suggested I try a cal/mag supplement - I used a spray vitamin brand called Vitamist so I could take it often and it did definitely help. It didn't take it away altogether though- I was also taking pain killers, used hot rice socks, used Afterease tincture (by wishegarden)....

This time I'm planning to try a different brand of the tincture as my midwife says some women get better effects from different brands and I've never felt like Afterease really did the trick for me. I'm going to try a brand called Mountain Meadows (because I happen to be ordering their Gentle Birth tincture too). BUT I've also already ordered my Vitamist Cal/Mag!!! It did really make a difference last time.

Best of luck to you!

[jillybeans]

I read on another board yesterday that a mama that just had her 6th discovered that aggressive uterine massage during latching helped...that it was usually a clot trying to pass.  Once she massaged the clot out, the afterpains went away. I plan on trying that combined with cramp bark and ibuprofen.  My afterpains are always way worse than labor.

[Katie8681]

Belly binding might help.  Make sure you're keeping your bladder empty, too.