is this what a first period after pregnancy is like ?

[cockneydad]

My wife (who is sat next to me) is having a lot of abdominal pain - described it as 'like having a bowling ball in her uterus' and its been getting worse all day. Yesterday she had sore nipples(like she used to after ovulation) for the first time since our son was born 16 mmonths ago. She is still breastfeeding. There is a tiny possibility we might have conceived, but is too early to test. She had a negative test around mid December (carried out when she was ill and didn't breastfeed for about 5 days). I want to call the doctor, but she says mumsnetters will probably know more !!

Any ideas ?

sorry cant help but bumping for you

Abdo pain is not a good sign. Normally a first period will be heavy and crampy but not associated with tenderness or swollenness. Is her stomach distended.

I'm thinking it may be a good plan to call the out of hours service and get her checked out. Ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cysts or miscarriage would cause pain and in some cases swelling. Or it could be appendicitis - people experience all these things differently.

Get her to the doctor tonight and good luck :)

thanks who - but wouldn't it be to early for ectopic or miscarriage ? At most she would be about a week gone...no distention, paracetomol has eased it a bit....

ectopic would be very early, often before you know you are pregnant.

First periods post baby are truly, truly hideous IME but your description sounds quite different. First periods post baby are like standard periods x 10. But nothing else.

I think you should call NHS Direct or your out of hours GP service.

Hassled I agree, mine was hideous due to the amount of bleeding but no pain, or distended tummy.

just to clarify she says it's a heavy feeling not distention or swollen, more like a 'dragging' sensation - similar to periods but worse - she has called nHS direct - 8 hour call back time !

Well yes, I think then it probably is a standard first period - the dragging feeling fits. I sympathise - remember feeling like death.

Dragging feeling sounds more periody.

Keep an eye out for signs of shock or shoulder tip pain. I take it there is no vomiting or nausea associated.

Has she tried a hot water bottle on her tummy.

You are a good husband to try and help. :)

Most just grab the ohfuck sack and run to the shed.

Incidentally don't bother with NHS direct - call your GP surgery, and they will have your local out of hours service number. NHS direct will just redirect you to them anyway.

Hello! OP's wife here. I curled up with a hot water bottle most of the evening and between that and the paracetamol the pain/heavy feeling eased. It was back this morning but not as bad, and paracetamol helped again.

NHS Direct did actually phone back last night after only about an hour. The nurse said to watch out for pain being on either side, but since it wasn't 'severe' and it was down low in middle she just said to ring if it got worse or I started bleeding.

That was confusing because if I started bleeding I'd be relieved since I'd figure it was just my period coming back IYSWIM. She also suggested doing another pregnancy test sometime and gave me a mini-lecture about using BFing as birth control

Still nothing has happened, just 'heavy feeling' and sore nipples. Can I ask those of you that had this horrendous first period after childbirth, did the 'dragging' feeling go on for a while before you actually started bleeding? Should I be preparing for a flood?

I can't remember any pain or anything like that but it was a long time ago! I have never suffered with period pains.

But flood does not describe it.....it was like having just having a baby all over again. I remember tampon changes etc every couple of hours for days and days on end........

I guess I should get some stuff in then, I think I threw out all the tampons/pads as they were old/dusty and I was planning on getting a mooncup!

Still nothing happening down there btw, and heavy feeling is considerably lessened. What the hell is going on?

I will give it another week or so and buy a test if nothing happens.

Buy LOTS and LOTS of stuff. Sorry - TMI alert - but I left bloody footprints on the bedroom carpet first period after pregnancy...