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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

After pains - how bad were they

23 replies

wellsie · 06/04/2006 20:19

Baby no.2 is due at the end of June and I've had awful Braxton Hicks this past week, when I mentioned this to a friend she said "ohhh, yes, 2nd time round you'll feel them worse but you wait until after the labour and you get the after pains, it's like giving birth again!"

Please be honest, 2nd time round did you get afterpains and were they horrendous. I don't remember having Braxton Hicks with DS and I certainly don't remember any afterpains. This has got me slightly worried, although I know there isn't much I can do about it would just like to be prepared.

Many thanks

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DumbledoresGirl · 06/04/2006 20:21

I have had 4 children and I don't remember afterpains with the first two. They are supposed to get worse with each successive birth. I do remember having them with 3 and 4 but they weren't anything to dread. Just a bit like a period pain in waves whenever I fed the baby for a few days.

waterfalls · 06/04/2006 20:21

I remember having them with my first, but had an emegency Csection with dt, and was on morphine for the next 24hrs, so never felt a thing.

Spacecadet · 06/04/2006 20:22

yes i had afterpains with 3 of mine but they were not as bad as giving birth, they were more like very severe menstrual cramps,they tend to occur while you are breastfeeding as the womb contracts down, the midwives will give you painkillers and it helps to feed in a rocking chair as the rocking motion helps with the pain.
dont worry, they cant be that bad otherwise i wouldnt have had four!

Piffle · 06/04/2006 20:22

barely three with no 1
Had drug free labout with dd, but needed codeine for the afterpains - they were hideous...

lucy5 · 06/04/2006 20:23

Dont remember them with dd, didnt have Braxton Hicks either but I was 12 days early, so thats probably why.

morocco · 06/04/2006 20:25

god - that's just reminded me about them - I'd completely forgotten. yep, I remember being shocked at how much they hurt - it seemed somwhat unfair after all I'd already been through. I only remember it being for the first few hours though and not all the time

Original poster

wellsie · 06/04/2006 20:25

Thanks for the quick replies.
So how long do they last? A few days? Or just post birth. I do seem to remember having paracetamol after having DS because of tummyache when I breastfed, is this what they are?

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BettySpaghetti · 06/04/2006 20:25

I don't think I had after-pains with either of my two. I've heard people talk about how painful they are but certainly didn't experience anything like that.

Both labours were done on G&A/TENS and breastfed after but only mild twinges. In fact Braxton Hicks were much worse!

DumbledoresGirl · 06/04/2006 20:26

I would say they go on for a day or two - three at the very most. What you describe sounds like them. A hot water bottle (maybe not in June!) placed on your stomach would be enough to ease them I would have thought.

ButtonMoon · 06/04/2006 20:28

Minor with first and worst when I fed. Absolute agony with second, as soon as he was born (I couldnt sleep the first night!) they started and continued for most of the day and night for around 5 days sorry. My biggest tip since then for all mums to be to pack in their labour bag is a hot water bottle which was a god send for me. Hosp gave me paracetemol which helped a bit but the warmth was bliss. I too would compare them to severe period cramps.

blueteddy · 06/04/2006 20:32

I got after pains after the birth of both my boys.
I remember getting them really bad about 5 days after DS1 was born. I was in so much pain I didn't know what to do with myself.
With DS2 I got them again, but they were not as strong & were easily relieved with a few pain killers.

Original poster

wellsie · 06/04/2006 20:33

Am now not so worried about these afterpains as thinking about it I must've had them with DS. The way friend described them to me was like having to go through the labour again, so was a little concerned.
It's funny how after having a baby you soon forget all the lovely things that happen pre & post birth, I guess that's why we carry on having more and more children, Mother Natures trick I suppose!!

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Piffle · 06/04/2006 20:33

They were really bad straight after birth,, I managed witout pain relief (martyr) after 24 hrs, and it faded down gradually over the first 5-7 days I think. I only really remember the ones straight afterwards, as was feeling all smug and euphoric for quick, easy labour only to wimp out at afterpains!
I think if you have painkilling drugs in labour maybe they would help with the pain afterwards?

TuttiFrutti · 07/04/2006 09:32

I got really bad afterpains for about 2 weeks. For the first couple of days they were constant, and after that every time I breastfed. Apparently breastfeeding triggers a hormone to contract your uterus back into shape. I had an emergency c-section, but had been in labour for 23 hours before that - I don't think you get afterpains as such with an elective cs.

My mum says the afterpains were worse with each successive birth, and with her third child the afterpains were worse than the labour. There's a cheery thought!

marilla · 07/04/2006 13:45

I never had a single afterpain. This is all a mystery to me.

milward · 07/04/2006 13:50

Had afterpains with my second - when I breastfed it was awful - toe curling. Once dd had got going with bf it was ok - just the first minute or so. Pain stopped after a few days.

With my fourth was so bad that I thought I was going to throw up! I used visulaization to get through the pain, as paracetamol didn't touch it. The first few mins of bf were worse than giving birth for the first day (gave birth with no pain relief!) Again after 3 days was ok.

I decided to just go with it - used to think of being on a beach watching waves when ds4 got going with bf.

Bf, whilst makeing it worse, on the first few days actually helps the womb to go back to its non preg size faster then if not bf - so less bleeding afterwards.

good luck xxx

donnie · 07/04/2006 14:39

I had very strong after pains with dd2, as did a friend of mine with her 2nd child, yet with the 1st they weren't much of a problem. They were really strong and had me curled up in agony - esp when breastfeeding! but only for a few days.

Kelly1978 · 07/04/2006 14:43

I def wouldn't describe them as that strong! I had thenm for a couple of weeks, worse when bfeeding,a nd they were pretty uncomfortable. Breathing exercises for me through it and in 2-3 weeks they stopped altogether. They were worse second time, but not by much. Third time I don't really remember them, but that might have been because I had a section and so no time in labour.

expatinscotland · 07/04/2006 14:47

Didn't have any w/DD1. W/dd2, OUCH! Codeine to the rescue.

laundrylover · 07/04/2006 14:58

i'm still getting mild ones at 9 days but on the bright side i've not bled for two days! nothing like contractions though, more like period pains mostly when feeding and more at night.
have a happy birth and worry not - they won't last forever!

tallmummy · 07/04/2006 15:18

I made a point of mentioning after pains on my birth plan saying no intervention for birth but major pain killers for after pains.
With ds2 they were agonising with the pain running down my legs. With ds3 i had codeine every 4 hours for a few days and didn't feel them. Ds4 was a cs so I was on pain relief anyway.
They are like labour pains but harder to cope with because at least with labour pain you know they'll be a baba at the end of it!

NatalieJane · 07/04/2006 15:22

IME they occured whilst I was BF DS, and they would start and get worse and worse till I'd start to think something wasn't right and then they would go away. I wouldn't say they were as bad as labour - no where near IMO!

Cadmum · 07/04/2006 15:27

I didn't have them until after baby #4... Uncomfortable during BF for the most part. A few painful days in the second week that made me wonder if something was wrong but it only lasted two days and nothing since. Paracetamol helped. It looks as though the responses are varied so I would try not to worry too much. HTH

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