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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Afterpains with third baby

55 replies

RosiePosie · 11/01/2006 17:10

Please tell all! I didn't get any with no. 1, quite painful for a couple of days with no. 2 - what shall I expect with no. 3, due in 7 weeks time? Do I need to stock up on extra strong painkillers?

OP posts:
littlerach · 11/01/2006 18:54

my MW told me that by your 5th birth, the afterpains are worse than delivery.

PennyLess · 11/01/2006 19:27

Mine were excruciating with #3. I also find co-codamol the best, and the one I really like is the effervescent tablets (two in a glass of water) as you just drink it down and it's straight into your system. Buy own brand ones from Boots or any other Chemist as they are much cheaper than branded ones.

agalch · 11/01/2006 19:57

Had no pain with ds1 bottle fed
Had some pain with ds2 breast fed
Really toe curling tears streaming down the face with dd she was breast fed
pg with no4 so dreadind this time

Original poster
RosiePosie · 11/01/2006 20:10

eek! Okay - more co-codamol questions - does it come in different strengths? If so, does the higher strenghth one need to be prescribed or bought over the counter?

OP posts:
KateF · 11/01/2006 20:23

Sorry have to agree-v.bad with dd3. I took paracetamol before each feed but it was still toe-curling .

fuzzywuzzy · 11/01/2006 20:26

With dd1 nothing.
With dd2 I felt like I was being stabbed with knitting needles, but I only got the afterpains, during b/f, and thankfully they stopped after about four days.....

poppiesinaline · 11/01/2006 20:33

I think there must be something wrong with me because I don't think I got afterpains! I have had 3 babies and dont remember this awful pain that everyone talks about. Bit uncomfortable yes, but not painful even after No 3. Or was I just ignoring it!??

milward · 11/01/2006 20:36

Had these for dd3. Bad but only whilst beginning of a bf so just gritted my teeth. Lasted for 3 days. With ds4 it was so bad the first few hours after birth when I bf that I thought I'd throw up. Paracetamol didn't touch it. Lasted for 3/4 days everytime I bf. Used visualization to get through the bit when ds4 latched on. If it's at the start of a bf try imagining you are somewhere else - only thing that worked for me. Best wishes

Clary · 11/01/2006 21:21

poppies, it's the pain when you are feeding (only with breast feeding, obv) that we all mean (or I mean anyway!)
It's because the suckling of the baby helps yr womb contract - a good thing, of course - and fo rsome reason (because the womb is bigger each time?) it hurts more with subsequent babies.

sweetkitty · 11/01/2006 21:31

Don't want to hear this (DD2 due on Sat) have got co-codamol on prescription already though!

rickman · 11/01/2006 21:32

Message withdrawn

poppiesinaline · 12/01/2006 09:49

Ah I see. Only BF 3 feeds with No 3 so that would probably explain it then!

Mummyvicky · 12/01/2006 10:17

very very painfull after my 3rd. Lasted about a week, but was as bad as labour and had to use breathing techniques to get through it when breastfeeding. My midwife told me your womb has to contract down even harder after every child, and mine was very stretched from polyhydramnios, so was agony.
I was given voltorol to take.
Good Luck !!

Original poster
RosiePosie · 12/01/2006 11:40

Okay, just done a bit of research online. Codeine CAN make the baby drowsy apparently ( that's in co-codamol ). Paracetamol and Ibroprufen up to 400mg (standard ones are 200mg )are fine to take whilst breastfeeding. For severe pain, according to the breastfeedingnetwork.org - taking paracetomal and ibroprofen alternately every two hours is fine. I think this is what I shall do. Thanks for your input everyone - I shall expect the worse and hopefully it won't be so bad!

OP posts:
Helen38 · 12/01/2006 12:34

Wish I hadn't read tis having no 3 next month, hadn't thought about this till i saw thread, don't remember getting any last time but maybe i've just blocked it out

carla · 12/01/2006 12:37

Message deleted

mrspitt · 12/01/2006 14:05

Was talking about this with dh last night after reading the thread. I completely forgot about afterpains! No. 3 is due in 4 days now i remember how they felt with no.2!!

Is it only when you bf that you get them then?

Only lasted 4-5 days with dd but i remember begging the midwifes in post natal ward for more painkillers, didnt get them tho

Piffle · 12/01/2006 14:09

I had really badduns aftr dd my 2nd child too, painkiller free labour and delivery was begging for paracetaol when the afterpains kicked in!
As I was breastfeeding I was allowed some co codamol but stuck to paracetamol after the first 24 hrs
If you do take cocodamol remember codeine can make you constipated so drink prune juice too!

cutekids · 12/01/2006 14:10

None with dd1
terrible after ds1
none with dd2!!!

Original poster
RosiePosie · 12/01/2006 14:30

Oooh, I can live in hope then, cutekids!

OP posts:
Aero · 12/01/2006 14:39

I took two nurofen pretty much straight after my shower following the arrival of ds2 (no 3), and kept them and paracetamol close at hand after that. Hardly noticed them and they were one of the things I dreaded.

4blue1pink · 12/01/2006 14:42

something else to cheer us alomg ...i never remember pain delivering placenta until last baby no 4.....sheeeesh...I was back on the gas and air big time!

Helen38 · 12/01/2006 15:01

Maybe i wasn't aware of them as had c/s so was full of pain killers for few days anyway. Hoping not to have c/s this time.

mymama · 12/01/2006 19:27

None with no.1
Some with no.2
Absolutely shocking with n.3.

Just to add something else -

No.1 labour 7 hours
No.2 labour 1 hour
No.3 labour 4 hours

So it may not get quicker. Each person in my family/circle of friends had a longer labour with their 3rd baby then their 2nd. Not bloody fair really.

mrsdarcy · 12/01/2006 19:41

not too bad with no.1

awful with no.2. I was in hospital for 5 days and when I told the midwife she said she'd get me something, and turned up with a couple of paracetamol hours later - useless

with no.3 - I put in my birthplan that I was more worried about after pains than the labour, and they gave me a suppository after stitching me up. I had co-codamol the next day too so the after pains didn't bother me.