Tell me about afterpains

[Harebellmeadow]

Am due with DD2 and whilst I appreciated the afterpains after DD1 (Vb) shrinking my womb back, have read and heard that afterpains after subsequent births is much more painful.
Just how painful are we talking about here?

Bad. Really really bad. I'm not going to lie it was horrendous. But now two years in it's a vague distant memory.

It’s a while back now but I don’t remember second time being any more painful than the first.
Just periody cramping really.

Not a problem for dc1 and 2 for me but after dc 3 they were horrendous, especially when feeding.

Honesty?!... pretty bad. Was nearly in tears, almost like early contractions.
BUT they don't last for too long and aren't constant. They do however get worse with breastfeeding, so it's a double whammy of sore boobs and belly.
Make sure your well stocked with painkillers as your probably going to want them (no codeine if bfing though )

Like contractions, which is what they are, essentially. They bloody hurt (more after each child- says the woman who is expecting number 4!! 😱) but luckily they don't last long and are easily forgotten!

Awful with first

Nothing at all with second

Honestly? Worse than labour. Absolutely awful. needed painkillers. Very shortlived though. Worse when feeding.

I had terrible after pains with dc2. It was genuinely as bad as labour and I just couldn’t move. Absolutely none at all with dc1 or dc3.

Worse than labour 😭 oh dear.
I remember the pains were staggering and came at the start of each breastfeed. But I am prepared for them to be worse this time round, even if some PP didn’t seem to have them after every birth.
Do you also have after pains with a c-section or does the womb act differently?

After each of my 2 births I had mild pains during feeding and one episode of absolute f#@king agony (comparable to labour) lasting about 45mins.

The first time I ended up at GP surgery (by which time it has passed), the second the midwife was there and completely bemused. (Didn't seem like she'd seen similar).

Obviously my uterus is one of a kind.

With DC3 definitely worse than labour for a few days. Bloody horrific.

😆there will probably be so many other pains and discomforts that one can hope to not notice the intensity. Oh well, better stock up On paracetamol (but only take small doses due to infertility risks it causes tonthe cguld). Drat!

*Infertility it could cause in the child

Really bad. I was doubled up, couldn’t breathe.

Didn't notice them with dc1, but heck I noticed them with dc2.

As others have said, BF intensifies them as it makes the womb contract back faster. Dc2 is 6 days old now - my womb/stomach have shrunk right back and the afterpains had gone by the fourth day and were manageable with para/ibu.

I must be really weird as I'd never even heard of afterpains until I read of them on here. And I had two DC by then!

Horrendous. The worst thing is nobody told me about after pains! I thought I was dying.

Pains after dc number 4 were worse than the actual labour.

When my DC3 took her first feed, the contraction was so bad it caused a flood of blood and my blood pressure dropped and I nearly passed out. I was almost hooked up to IV but my blood pressure recovered whilst they were vein hunting. So they checked the bleeding/pads and they said it was normal amount, just it passed with the contraction very quickly and was a bit overwhelming. I reckon my womb contracted almost back to normal in one go!

DC2 after pains were horrifically painful for a few weeks. But apart from the contraction on first feed with DC3 I never felt them again. So you never know it might not be so bad.

None with first, horrendous with second. Had c section both times, although second time around was ELCS so thought it was a nice twist of irony I was getting labour pains the other side of delivery! Should point out that I didn't have an ELCS to avoid labour pains

They came on with each feed, I remember them lasting for about 24 hours (not the whole 24 hours obviously! Just the feeds). Refused any more strong pain meds because I wanted to get out of hospital so coped with paracetamol and ibuprofen. Don't remember any more once I was home (around 10pm the day after my lunchtime birth) so in my experience they're pretty vile but short lived!

The paracetamol thing (which is not yet well researched or understood) is for babies in utero rather than breastfeeding. Remember too that once baby is out you can have NSAIDs like ibuprofen again (other contraindications notwithstanding).

struggs do you know more about this? Please tell. I am very interested, I had to take paracetamol a few times due to pains in the first trimester. And for a fever once or twice. Have avoided ibuprofen though. It’s so complicated and confusing and as you say, not even fully understood by the researchers.

I had DC2 2 weeks ago and was worried about the afterpains being worse, but I didn't find them too bad at all, just like moderate period pains. Wouldn't say they were any worse than with DC1, thankfully!

Neither time... didn't know it was a thing tbh

Does this only happen when breastfeeding? Because I didn't breastfeed at all and I have no recollection of any afterpains.