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Childbirth

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

Original poster

Afterpains - worse after each birth?

49 replies

BlinkAndMiss · 13/03/2015 20:43

Just that really. I had quite bad afterpains with my first baby and breastfeeding seemed to make them a lot worse. I remember the lady in the bed opposite having a very tough time with afterpains and she'd just had her fourth baby. Do the pains worsen with each baby and is there anything that might ease them should they be bad? I want to breastfeed but if they're worse than last time, and breastfeeding causes them to be worse I'm scared of giving in with the breastfeeding like I did last time.

OP posts:
Original poster
BlinkAndMiss · 13/03/2015 23:23

Thank you so much for your honest replies, I do appreciate them :) even the ones which make me want to cry! It's interesting to hear everyone's different experiences and I will certainly prepare myself for being in a bit of pain for a time afterwards. I think I'm panicking a bit because with my first I had an infection in my womb but couldn't tell - then it made me quite ill. Any sign of pain this time around and I'll be running screaming to A&E, obviously I won't ignore that now as such but I'll know that some pain is normal and will try not to think the worse.

It's hard to tell what's normal and what isn't when your only experience was a bad one (and not all that common).

I'm reminded of them now at 27 weeks because I'm having very strong and constant Braxton hicks - they are reminding me of all the things I don't want to think about concerning labour and afterwards.

Thanks again ladies :).

OP posts:
Cleanbean · 14/03/2015 00:11

I wonder if there's a correlation between Braxton Hicks and after pains? I've never had either.

Strokethefurrywall · 14/03/2015 00:20

Braxton hicks in first pregnancy from 32 weeks - dreadful after pains.

Braxton hicks in second pregnancy continual and every 5 -8 mins from 28 weeks - agony.
Hmm, perhaps there's something to that!!

5madthings · 14/03/2015 09:50

I had lots of Braxton hicks but no after pains. Just to contrary again! Grin

ginmakesitallok · 14/03/2015 09:52

Yes mine were worse with dd2. I remember speaking to mW about it and complaining that no one warns you about them. She just said "what's the point? Nothing you can do about it?"

passmethewineplease · 14/03/2015 09:53

I got them with all 3dc. Hurt like hell if I'm being honest.

I dosed up on paracetamol with codeine. Helped :)

Chunderella · 14/03/2015 10:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BellMcEnd · 14/03/2015 10:15

I've had 3 and the after pains did get worse for me - sorry! Paracetamol, ibuprofen and a hot water bottle really helped and they didn't last long. Shame you can't have gin when bf'ing as bet that would have helped Wink. Congratulations!

ISpidersmanYouMeanPirate · 14/03/2015 10:31

I got afterpains with DS1 which felt like labour contractions. He was early and Id forget Id had him and think that labour was starting Blush

Cant remember any afterpains with DS2, although I had a severe pain which turned out to be something very serious so maybe that pain blocked out the afterpains...

Penguinsaresmall · 14/03/2015 11:10

Ooh I'd forgotten about after pains until I saw this thread. Don't remember having any with dc1, but with no.2 they were quite bad for a few days after, only at the same time as bf though. Then with dc3 they were hideous - again only when bf, but very much like contractions. Another reason why I stopped at no.3....

Guyropes · 14/03/2015 11:52

Oh no! This thread is really worrying me.

Those of you whose pains got progressively worse, did you have any big (5 yr+) gaps? Or are your children evenly spaced? I am holding out hope that because I have a big gap, it might not be even worse this time!

Also have we decided if the injection makes it worse or not? I didn't have it with my second and it was excruciating.

Surfboredcat · 14/03/2015 12:01

Yes, after DC3 I felt like I was giving birth again each time.

Never had any BH with my 3 pregnancies.

Honeybear30 · 15/03/2015 08:56

I'd be interested to know if there is a correlation with the injection. I didn't have it and the after pains were horrendous with ds1. If the injection helps prevent that I will happily have it next time!!!

feministdog · 15/03/2015 09:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LongDayAlready · 15/03/2015 16:24

Are we talking about the injection to expel the placenta? Or have i totally forgotten about something? If the first, then I had it each time and as mentioned upthread, afterpains with DC1 were mild, DC2 very painful, DC3 hardly noticeable. Pretty much the same gap age-wise (26 months between DC1 & DC2; 27 months between DC2 & DC3) and breastfed all three from the off. This leaves me to deduce (hope...) that it's pot luck as so many pg/birth things seem to be.

LongDayAlready · 15/03/2015 16:26

Oh, and have never had any BH either. x

5madthings · 15/03/2015 16:33

I had the injection with 4 out of 5 births, no difference re after pains. Everyone told me they would get worse each time but they never did.

AugustRose · 15/03/2015 16:57

Mine got worse with each baby. They weren't too bad with DC! then when I had DC2 nobody told me they would be bad - they were actually worse that labour for me as I wasn't expecting them and I dreaded bf her for the first two days until they subsided. With DC 3/4 I was more prepared but they still hurt.

AugustRose · 15/03/2015 17:01

I had big gaps between children so maybe that did have something to do with it. Also I don't know what they are like if you don't BF, I just kept reminding myself that each pain meant everything was going back to normal more quickly!

weebairn · 15/03/2015 19:01

I found them equally painful with first and second baby.

I took regularly paracetamol and ibuprofen for a week with both which I think helped.

RandomMess · 15/03/2015 19:03

No pains after the 1st, absolutely horrific after the 2nd - left the hospital with voltarol with 3rd & 4th but they weren't as bad tbh.

PrintScreen · 15/03/2015 19:04

None with my first.
Agony for 48 hours after the birth of my second
V mild and manageable after my third.

ZombieZoo · 16/03/2015 10:07

I've just had my second DC and they are horrendous I even thought about whether you can get gas and air delivered to your house for them. So painful. I've been told they worsen each birth

HiawathaDidntBotherTooMuch · 16/03/2015 10:11

I had them very badly with DC1, I was crying with the pain in bed at home. I was dreading what they would be like after DC2. They were non existent.

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