Afterpains only in second and subsequent pg's - true? and if so why?

[barbamama]

Have been meaning to ask this for ages - have always wondered and noone has ever given me a satisfactory answer.

By afterpains do they mean contraction like pain after the placenta has been delivered? If so do you only get them in second and subsequent pg's? Why is that if so? Are they bad?

mears - the midwife who helped deliver DS3 said the same, if I delivered the placenta without drugs (which I did with 1 and 2)the after pains would be less. I was still a complete coward and kept topped up with the codeine/paracetemol for a day or two.

wilkie

yes its a suppository

[thinks about afterpains with DS]

[realises that they were what it was like with a first baby and a Voltarol suppository]

[blenches and wonders if this baby #2 lark was such a hot idea after all]

Shit I'm worried now!!! had no idea they were so bad! I wanted a physiological delivery of placenta last time but couldn't as it turned into an emergency. I do remember getting some labour like twinges the next few days but nothing too bad - they were like my contractions i supposed but didn't last long enough to bother with pain relief or anything. Hopefully this time I will have a natural placenta delivery. If not what should I ask for - Voltarol suppository straight away? Can you take more the next day? Does it affect bf or the baby via the milk? And at home Codeine? Does this need to be prescribed?

yet another reason why I am trying to get my family to stay away fro a few days, thanks everyone for the info.

lol, as I posted thought 'humm, this thread isn't sounding comforting!'
fwiw, didn't have any afterpains with dd (my second) - and didn't have natural third stage

I didn't have voltarol.

I took paracetamol regularly for a couple of days and used the breathing techniques i used in labour. For me they only lasted a couple of days - painful but manageable. Warm baths helped too. Don't worry too much about them.

I have had two physiological third stages and totally drug-free births.

Still took paracetamol for the afterpains both times

Honestly, it hurts LESS with a physiological 3rd stage. Bloody hell what'd it be like if I'd have had the drugs!

I must be the one who bucks the trend - I never had any afterpains with either of my pregnancies (not even the second one which was a twin one).

good to hear - hopefully I will be too!

My afterpains were bloody awful after ds2 =- not a twinge after ds1, so it probably is only second and subsequent babies that leave you with them...

I found a combination of Ibuprofen and Paracetamol to work well

They were INTENSLY painful, just like early labour.

I also never had any afterpains with either prenancy. But am terrified that I'm going to have them this time! And 3 times as bad to make up for it! Do they come like labour pains? - frequently for a certain time?

I had them with a first baby, 10 days ago. Painful immediately after birth then I sort of forgot about them. Was in a fair bit of pain 3-5 days after. Plus side is uterus has gone down nicely and stomach is not looking too bad...

Message withdrawn

Just had ds2 last wk and terrible afterpains for about three days, agree with beautifulgirls, was desperate to have gas and air back, had me in tears when bfing.

Now ds2 is 6 days old they come on occasionally but nothing like before, which were really like 1st stage contractions.

With ds1 were like bad period cramps, obviously gets worse with each pregnancy, but I ain't gonna find out what it'll be like with a third!

Also got them with my first.

I have never heard of this before and never experianced them either, although I have had two dd's

I had terrible pains but it was about 3 days after the birth. I've only got 1 ds so can't comment on 2nd pg but they were worse than the contractions and nobody had told me to expect them!

i had them after my 3rd child, midwife warned me b prepared but it was worse than i expected.i did have injection to deliver placenta as i had retained placenta after 2nd child