V painful periods post-pregnancy??

[moominmama86]

Wondered if anyone could help with this one. Pre-ds, my periods were pretty light and the only pain I ever experienced was a bit of backache on the first day. Ds is now 9 months and I'm still breastfeeding 3 times a day, but my periods returned yesterday.

Thing is, the day before (monday) I had such excruciating pain in my stomach that I nearly fainted (in HMV of all places!) and promptly threw up in the car park on the way home. I felt absolutely rotten all day and it's only really gone away today. The only way I can describe the pain is to say it felt like the early stages of labour! Is it normal for this to happen post-pregnancy, or should I go and see my GP?

Not an expert by any means, but have always had really bad period pain. Sounds a little like your experience. It could be because your body's not had a period in so long? B/f also does funny things to your hormones.

The pain in itself sounds normal to me, but the fact that you've not had it before doesn't. Best to get checked out, even if it's just to get some pain relief. I think you can take ibuprofen now b/f is this far on - I found it works best for me.

If you'd had periods like that before then i'd say it was normal too, but as you don't usually suffer like that then i would get it checked out.
My periods have always been awful, very painful, vomiting and fainting e.t.c so they can be like that. Mine are usually fine if i'm on the pill, no pain and very light bleeding.

Mine became really bad, after my second child, I think, but it wasn't straight away. Since my teenage years, they hae always been painful, but these were making me feel really very unwell. Someone suggested something "OK" to me - is it Magnesium OK? I would definitely see your GP straight away, just because there may be a very simple supplement you can take, and it simply isn't possible to go through that every month. If you think about it, your body has had serious hormone overload in the past 18mths, so it's not all that surprising that they should be a bit all over the place now.
Incidentally, I now have 3 children and have finished my family so am on serious contraception, so not suffering in the same way.
HTH.

my first period after dd was so painful and so heavy I had to take to my bed for a day! Has settled since then, but still heavier and more painful than before pregnancy. Dr. suggested Mirena coil, but then couldn't get it in, so we're stuck with condoms while I decide if i want to bother with the pill again.

My periods have totoally changed since i had ds 20 months ago. I have just discovered magnesium-ok this month so will see how it goes.
I used to have long but light periods with no pain etc. Now they are shorter but heavier and I get cramps etc.

Seeing how the magnesium goes

Thanks everyone. I will see my gp and maybe give the magnesium a try. I am just a bit worried because my mum had to have a hysterectomy at about my age after her periods became too much to bear after having me and my brother! I was expecting it to get a bit worse but don't think I could cope with that every month.