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Childbirth

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

Original poster

afterpains is it true? calling all mums of three.

32 replies

benandoli · 04/10/2008 13:03

I am two weeks away from giving birth to my third baby. I have heard horror stories that these are far worse after baby number 3. Is it true and if so what will they give me for pain relief?

OP posts:
tots2ten · 04/10/2008 13:06

My after pains got worse after number 3, (dc's 4 & 5 were the worst) I had co-codamols for the after pains, but didnt last as long,

tots2ten · 04/10/2008 13:07

oops! forgot to say Good luck with everything

tortoise · 04/10/2008 13:07

Oh yes i remember the after pains. Not nice at all.
I took normal pain killers for it. Was always worse at the start of a BF.

geekgirl · 04/10/2008 13:10

they were pretty uncomfortable, yes. TBH though the ones after baby no.2 were worse for some reason, they were really horrendous and I don't know why that was so.
The afterpains following no. 3 were 'just' like severe period pains.

IIRC I just made sure I was permanently on paracetamol. I think you can take co-codamol, but I didn't fancy having to deal with possible constipation after having given birth....

SkirtingBored · 04/10/2008 14:58

I found they were bad too, esp at start of a feed. I found painkillers helped at bit, as did a heat pack on my tum whem I was feeding.
They were bad for about the first 3 days, but did go away quickly, and my fundus went down in record time. I took loads of raspberry leaf tea in the weeks before birth and wonder if my extra-toned uterus was the reason they hurt so much!
Good luck with it all. 3 is fun!

popsycal · 04/10/2008 15:01

ime yes
with ds2 i had them for a day and one diclofenac sorted it out
with ds3 i took more drugs for after pains than in labour! afterpains and lots of erm gushing while breastfeeding for close to a week

NorthernLurker · 04/10/2008 15:08

Mine weren't horrendous (not as bad as labour) but they're weren't a lot of fun either. I had co-codamol for pain relief and that was fine.

CherryChapstick · 04/10/2008 15:14

Who cares? You are having a baby. Pain will go out of the window when you see him/her for the first time.
Lots of luck.

Nemoandthefishes · 04/10/2008 15:16

My afterpains for dd2[no.3] were horrendous actually thought I was in labour again..was given good old co codamol and paracetamol..owever in the grand scheme it doenst matter..good luck

expatinscotland · 04/10/2008 15:17

'Who cares? You are having a baby. Pain will go out of the window when you see him/her for the first time.
Lots of luck. '

LOL!

That's not true for everyone!

I distinctly remember the afterbirth pains and that incredibly agonising pile after DD2's birth.

I've got the paracetamol and ibu packed in my bag, benandoli.

Try to stay off the co-codamol because it will constipate the hell out of you.

Last time they gave me the paracetamol+ibu at the same time.

chipsandtart · 04/10/2008 15:21

mine were defo worse with my third. to the point sometimes it hurt to much to hold my baby let alone breastfeed

good luck with everything!

Notreallycoping · 04/10/2008 15:21

I didn't find them too awful after my second, I mean they hurt but it was only for a few seconds really when I fed him.

It wasn't as bad as some people seem to have...I wouldn't have taken anything for them iyswim. Only for a few days as well.

Haven't had a third so can't say!

Cadbury · 04/10/2008 15:23

Yes, IME they are. Sorry. They are helped by painkillers.

4andnotout · 04/10/2008 15:31

My afterpains were as bad as the contractions after dd3 was born. I was given co codemol in hospital but nothing for them when i went home 24 hours later. Im due again in 3 weeks so will see if they are worse after baby 4!

popsycal · 05/10/2008 12:09

diclofenac/voltarol plus oaracetomol were best

i am no pain wuss - gave birth to ds2 and 3 without pain relief (not even gas and air for ds2) but the afterpains were, er, a pain

sb6699 · 05/10/2008 13:19

Sorry, mine were worse after dc3 too but painkillers seemed to do the trick.

CarGirl · 05/10/2008 13:26

Mine were worst after dc2 but she was the biggest and that was the birth after which they made be wait over 4 hours to have a wee afterwards which I don't think helped!!!!

Be prepared with painkillers and if you ask they will pescribe voltarol - I refused to leave hospital without them as I had been in agony the preious time. As it turned out after dc3 & 4 they were no where as bad.

northernjess · 05/10/2008 13:30

I agree with many, my afterpains were worse than my actual labour, sorry . I took regular painkillers and they went in 1-2 days, def worse when feeding so took painkillers in advance. LOL at comment about who cares you have a baby, I remember being curled up in a ball in pain afterwards! Good luck xx

ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween · 05/10/2008 13:30

I had none with my third. They were appalling with my second though.

ScareyBitchFeast · 05/10/2008 13:31

oh yes here. particularly with breastfeeding.
but only for a short while.

cupsoftea · 05/10/2008 13:37

Awful - paracetamol didn't touch the sides so just had to put up with them - tried to relax before bf & keep strong with the thought the more I bf the quicker they'd go away. Strangely enough with dd5 didn't have afterpains! just like when had dd1 but with the other three it was horrendous.

MrsWeasley · 05/10/2008 13:37

I didn't have any afterpains with all 4 of mine.

MerlinsBeard · 05/10/2008 13:39

mine were HORRIFIC(sorry but you did ask) have some co codamol in and make sure that you are topped up for at least the first week. i had to do deep breathing while feeding for a while They didn't last as long as they did with ds2 though

cupsoftea · 05/10/2008 13:40

was worse than labour - especially with dd3 & 4 - lasted about three/four days. These were the heaviest (& were big) so perhaps this could be something to do with it?

angrypixie · 05/10/2008 15:19

I had dreadful afterpains with dc 2 much worse than labour (though possibly because you are not in positive - I'm going to meet my baby mode) and I gave birth to 11lb baby at home with a whiff of gas and air

Had c section with dc 3 and had no afterpains though apparently you do still get them with a c section. Perhaps the post op drugs take care of them!