Afterpains « Back to Group Discussions

[josie423]

What will you all be doing for afterpains? I get them terribly for 3-4 days after birth and I'm really dreading them this time. I've tried cramp bark and large doses of calcium but they don't really help. I don't want to use OTC meds, but after my 2nd, 3rd and 4th babies afterpains I may resort to medicine. Just curious what helps in everyone's experience. 

[odinsmama]

Ugh, I don't know. Last time I did resort to Tylenol.
Every morning when baby woke to nurse I'd wake up DH and request oatmeal, water and Tylenol. :-/
I guess it would be nice to have a better plan in place for that. They were significantly worse last time than after my first.

[Chloe'sMama]

I ended up using advil last time..... nothing else worked at all. I figure a few days wont be the end of the world. I almost never use anything and I was so uncomfortable that it was making bonding difficult.

[sweetestday]

I had them terribly for my middle three. This time it's not bad at all. The only things I'm doing differently is a good belly wrap since the night of his birth and a magnesium supplement. 

[loveandgarbage]

I'll admit that I'm scared! Last time I took ibuprofen, but that's not an option this time because I'm still healing from an ulcer. So I guess I'll do tylenol even though my MW basically told me it won't help. I do plan to bind/wrap my belly which supposedly helps. Last time I also used heating pads. This week I'm going to go to the local pharmacy and see what herbal stuff they recommend.

[etsdtm99]

I've never had them bad enough to want meds, but i have torn (badly with 2/3 births) and had loads of stitches and taken lots of advil for that after every birth so maybe the advil really worked ? i won't know unless i finaly have a birth without that type of recovery.. 
 

[odinsmama]

Originally Posted by loveandgarbage 

I'll admit that I'm scared! Last time I took ibuprofen, but that's not an option this time because I'm still healing from an ulcer. So I guess I'll do tylenol even though my MW basically told me it won't help. I do plan to bind/wrap my belly which supposedly helps. Last time I also used heating pads.

Tylenol helped me well enough. I also can't take ibuprofen or any other NSAID due to my IBD. I had forgotten that the wrapping may help some, bonus! And a heating pad sounds nice, too.

I'm going to keep checking back to see if any of you share what kind of herbal or homeopathic stuff may help.

[loveandgarbage]

That makes me feel better about tylenol odinsmama! Thanks :).

[typebug]

I have to admit this is my secret fear. I think the idea of labour is easier to navigate in my head because there's a goal and purpose to it but after pains sound just awful. I have tylenol here and I have a bottle of Advil which is a prescription drug so I smuggle it in ;) My french midwife is very nervous of Advil because in France too it's considered a prescription painkiller and Drs really don't dole it out often. I've always taken Advil for menstrual pain and find it's the only thing that works. Given that I'm going to be breast feeding I have no idea which one is "better" in that regard though I'm reading the basic conventional drug studies online and seeing that Ibuprofen often doesn't show up at a detectable level in the breast milk so I guess that's something! Will have to investigate further.  

[josie423]

I'll probably end up using some kind of pain relief medicine then. :/ They are just so bad for me.. 3-4 days of pains every 8-10 minutes, almost worse than labor.

[Brambleberry]

I didn't even notice them with my first birth, we'll see how this one goes (I know it's supposed to be worse with subsequent pregnancies).  According to LLL's medications book, Advil (Ibuprophen) is in one of the safest categories (I use it a lot for headaches - when not pregnant of course).  Of course that doesn't matter for those of you with stomach troubles.  Sorry.

[MaybeJ]

I had them with DD while breastfeeding for the first few days (which was around the clock anyway!) and while they were painful, they were manageable.  I think I was taking ibuprofen though.  I will likely do the same and add heating pads and hope they aren't worse this time!

[LadyCatherine185]

I barely had any after my first birth. After my second, I had 4 more hours of "labor" after he was born (pains coming every few minutes that were just as painful as labor).. and then a few days of random ones during nursing, etc. I alternated ibuprofin and tylenol, and even that didn't take the pain away. My MW gave me some "chinese herbs" and that really helped, but I don't know what they are/were. I never take medicine for anything, but for that kind of pain I am fine with taking tylenol/ibuprofin.

[rachieface]

All you third+ time moms are scaring me! Mine weren't bad at all after my son, and I hadn't thought much about it. I'd better have some pain killers on hand.

Those who wrapped or are wrapping their bellies, could you share more about that? Where did you get the wraps? What's the technique?

[HouseofPeace]

i didn't have ANY afterpains on my first birth.  

and totally didn't know to expect them on my 2nd.  

then i woke up and the nurse offered me a laxative and a painkiller, and i was like "no thanks" all cavalier and dandy.  5 minutes later i buzzed that nurse back in there and as like "Motrin NOW!"  and it would wear off just about 10 minutes before my next dose and i could tell.  it was terrible.  3-4 days, Motrin.  turned out i retained a piece of placenta, making that postpartum recovery far worse painwise internally than any other.  now i'm terrified that they didn't address this more at all, and i'm thankful that i was fine in the end, but it was a bad experience. 

i did ibuprofen w/ my next birth, but i'm not used to taking any medicine ever, so the medicine felt really bad in a different way.  i only took it for 2 days, then struggled through the pain.  same w/ number 4, but only for 1-2 days.  I really want a natural and better solution to this.  i picked up some herbs, magnesium, and need to learn more about the wrapping!

Sweetestday- what wrap are you using?  how?  how long?  if that can help, i will totally use it!!  

[sweetestday]

Okay, I spoke too soon. They came on pretty hard last night, but still not to the point of making me cling to my husband crying like the last three. I still think the wrap must be helping, and the tincture I'm using. I put links to both on here. Wow... the belly wrap makes me feels so much better in many ways! Wish I'd have tried it with the others!

http://inhishands.com/Contract-Easy.220

http://inhishands.com/Contract-Easy.220

[sweetestday]

Ooops... meant for the second link to be this one:

http://inhishands.com/Binder-Abdominal.4922

[Jenny01]

I've been thinking about getting this one  http://www.cheekymonkey.ca/BellyBandit.htm

I just hope its worth the money!

[Chloe'sMama]

I got a bamboo belly bandit this time.  It was 50% off, but was still around $25.  I am hoping i can use it.  I got a really crummy one from motherhood maternity last time and it was so itchy and uncomfortable that I couldn't use it.  It was Sept. and HOT though.  

[kellybeth]

Originally Posted by Chloe'sMama 

I got a bamboo belly bandit this time.  It was 50% off, but was still around $25.  I am hoping i can use it.  I got a really crummy one from motherhood maternity last time and it was so itchy and uncomfortable that I couldn't use it.  It was Sept. and HOT though.  

i have the same one!