After Pains for those going on their 2nd 3rd 4th plus birthing...

[stellabluz]

So...Are there any other ideas for dealing with after pains? I have the herbs to drink and Valerian tincture, but are there any other remedies I don;t know about?

AND please be honest with me...is the third birth worse than the second for these contractions? That was a bit shocking last time around, anyone with a third birthing experience to elaborate?

[Momofplenty]

I Just had #5. the after pains were brutal when nursing. they lasted for about 4-5 days. I was a big fan of percocet (spelling?) at the hospital... I took those until 30 hours after and then did motrin until day 5. Contractions and delivery have become easier with each birth, but not because they just "fall out"... maybe I just got used to experiencing the pain? I'd recommend getting a heating pad to put on your belly for after. that helped a lot...

[blessedmama59]

I read that motherwort is great for easing/eliminating them. I just had #2 and the afterpains were worse than labor contractions, IMO. The worst ones were while nursing and would last for 2-3 minutes or more..I had to breathe through some. I broke down and took some ibuprofen and had plans of getting some motherwort if they continued. Thankfully, they only went on for about two days or so.

[serenityjewell]

I also agree that the afterpains were pretty brutal with #3. I am awaiting #4 and am trying to remind myself, my DH, my mom, and my MIL that I will need to adhere to a pretty strict pain reliever schedule. I hate taking things, but this is a time when I feel like it really makes life do-able.

Sarah*

[greenmama66]

My afterpains were brutal with baby number 5- I did use Motherlove afterease tincture and Chinese herbs but I had to breathe through each nursing session for about 5 days- not looking forward to it this time but I plan to use cal/mag liquid as well as herbs and placenta medicine.

[NuzzleNudge]

Oh Dear. I am Dreading this. I seem to remember them being pretty bad with #2, wondering what I'm in for this time. I need to order some afterease....

[NuzzleNudge]

Should One even Bother with the Mother Wort or After-Ease, or just head straight for the pain relievers? Without a scrip from a doc, I guess the best I can hope for is Extra-Strength Tylenol. Yikes.

[mumofmak]

Oh how I hate these!!! Worse than labour IMO also. I'm expecting baby #4 very soon and dreading the afterpains. I do have a herbal tincture waiting for me and a cal/mag spray vitamin that helped (but not totally relieved) the pains after the last birth.  I've read that abdominal binding afterwards may help so I've got one of those velcro waist cinchers to try (got it at inhishands.com) this time around. A warm rice sock or heating pad also helps.  Sometimes lying on my stomach would help too but you can't really do that while nursing!  There is no way I can get through the afterpains without round the clock pain meds and I rarely take anything for pain. It still never did the trick 100%....Oh I don't even want to think about this right now.  Good luck mammas!!!!

[sarafi]

I do labor fine drug-free and my first two I didn't really mind the after pains, but I was begging for the drugs after #3. Totally plan on taking something this time also, will be birthing in the hospital.

Why is it so bad afterwards? Is it just a mental thing, or is there some reason it may actually hurt more than labor? I am leaning toward mental myself 

***good tip on the  binding, I could see how that might help.

[greenmama66]

Originally Posted by NuzzleNudge 

Should One even Bother with the Mother Wort or After-Ease, or just head straight for the pain relievers? Without a scrip from a doc, I guess the best I can hope for is Extra-Strength Tylenol. Yikes.

I don't want those in my system let alone a newborn's system via my milk but that's just me- I tough it out LOL as difficult as it is. Heat and bellybinding can also help.

[stellabluz]

I am looking for natural pain relief here as well. Would a Cal/Magnesium suppliment work or what is the tincture about?

[~Katie~]

I'm all for natural birth but I'll take pain relievers as well. Honestly for me, I've already done the hard work of labor and birth and I'd rather enjoy and relax during my post-partum time instead of being in pain. The afterpains were worse with #2 than #3, and while they still hurt every time I nursed they didn't last as long. Probably because I stayed in bed for so long. My pelvis and tailbone actually seemed to hurt worse.

[HidaShara]

Originally Posted by ~Katie~ 

I'm all for natural birth but I'll take pain relievers as well. Honestly for me, I've already done the hard work of labor and birth and I'd rather enjoy and relax during my post-partum time instead of being in pain. 

That's pretty much what I told my midwives - after the baby is OUT of my body, they can put whatever they like into me. >.<  I mean, with the obvious exception of things which will adversely effect breastfeeding...

[mamaw/two]

I just had #5 last week and used motherwort tincture.  I only used 3-4 doses and couldn't feel much more than normal menstral like cramping while nursing within 3-4 hrs after the birth.  I also took some extra cal/mag a few hrs after birth.

[mumofmak]

The cal/mag supplement def. helped me last time. It was actually my midwife's husband who thought of it as it was something they used to give to cows after they calved if they were having pains.  She recommended the spray formula by Vitamist because I could take it several times a day (or every time I sat down to nurse) but I'm sure a pill form would help too. The tincture I have is by Mountain Meadow Herbs http://www.mountainmeadowherbs.com/After_Pain_Relief_p/a1010.htm  I used the Afterease one before but never found it helped me much so I'm trying this one this time around.  

I'm happy for some of you that you could just tough it out but seriously that was not an option for me - it really is that bad for me... I hate taking pain meds and I understand especially not wanting to take things when nursing but for me I needed the pain meds to relax enough to let the milk out...  I'm really hoping the binding is as good as the web pages I've read say it is!

But in the end it does only last a few days - the part to remember that the sooner your full milk comes in, the sooner they stop so nurse, nurse, nurse even if it causes the cramping!!

[stellabluz]

Gotcha, everybody's gotta choose for themselves and their milk. And I have taken motrin for bruised tail bone and a mighty tear after first born...But regarding the after-pains I guess I should have clarified in my original post I was seeking non-pharmies.

Here's the kellymom link to all that~ http://kellymom.com/health/meds/pain-meds.html

Even though some of these are level 2 and 3, I can't even believe how some of these are rated and they do not flow with my own comfort levels or philosophies. Like Oxycodone is a L3 and considered "moderatley safe". Moderartely safe for milk, but how about the addictive qualities of some of these? I guess I just don't agree with some of these safety standards anyhow~

[firefly mama]

My afterpains were far worse with #2 than they were with #3.  Guess I'll find out in a few days how #4 goes. 

I just do Advil for a day or so and then I'm fine.  I'm not anti-herb, but I just can't see spending $20 for a bottle that I'll use for like 2 days when I can pop a few Advil and be done. 

[4 in 2005]

I never had any with #1-3 but #4 was horrible.  I took heavy pain meds and the side effects were worse than the after birth pains.   #5 I didn't have any issues with the pains at all.   So I am hopeful for no birth pains or manageable with Motrin this time.

[jillybeans]

popping in from August...

With #2 the afterpains were so much worse than labor. I tried to do pain relief as little as possible.

With #3, who was born early and I wanted to be in the NICU with her, I took more modern medicine (tylenol, etc) around the clock combined with crampbark and that helped a TON. It made life so much easier!

This time I'm planning the same thing.

[MarineWife]

Gosh. I'm about to have #4 and after pains hadn't even entered my mind. I can't remember if I had any with any of my other births. You guys have me worried, though. Maybe I need to stock up on some treatments jic.

I would try some natural treatments first. If those didn't work, I'd try ibuprofen or acetaminophen. I wouldn't want to take anything stronger than that, especially a narcotic, while breastfeeding.