Still having body pains after childbirth

[thatchick]

I am 3 months postpartum and still having body pains all over. My back and right leg being the worst. They were also the worst for me during pregnancy. My wrist has also been added to the equation. I don't think breastfeeding has helped either. Standing up in the kitchen for more than half an hour kills me. I didn't expect to still be feeling pains after 3 months, I still feel pregnant in this sense, but without the belly. When does it stop? How long did it take others to recover? I'm trying some yoga stretches at home. Any recommendations? Should I start properly exercising, like doing Pilates or small weights? Will these help?

Did you have an epidural? I've read and heard from friends who did that some of them had back and leg pain for quite awhile after. You could make an appointment with the GP or even call health visitor who came in the beginning and likely has more info on recovering from birth than the GP?

It takes something like 6 months after stopping breastfeeding for the hormones which relax your muscles for pregnancy to leave your body. So I don’t think unusual to not to back to “normal” at 3 months postpartum.

Personally, mine is just as bad as when pregnant, from the position I breastfeed in, carrying the baby in the car seat around, needing to build up muscle strength/tone again and being too stationary as I’ve spent too much time sat down with a baby! I also got wrist issues last pregnancy due to rocking the baby and also my hours awake at night on my phone when I couldn’t get back to sleep after feeding the baby.

I think you can self refer for physio? And yes any strengthening exercises/walking I imagine helps depending on the root cause.

Breastfeeding could definitely be the cause, but don’t forget as well your body underwent 9 months of dramatic change so it might take a while to readjust! Also as PP points out, you are doing things like lugging a car seat and rocking which is probably putting strain on your body too.

Have you had any sort of appointment with a women’s health physio? I had a mummy MOT after my second who is 4 months old and the physio did all kinds of assessments on my hips and back. Might be of some benefit for you to have one?

Have you checked your vit D levels? I had awful pains for months after having DD1 and it turns out I was extremely deficient in vitamin D, despite taking postnatal multivitamins. I added a high vit D on top of the multivitamins after talking to the GP and things got much better.

I had a huge bump and mild spd, post partum I felt wrecked. Just carrying the baby, holding the baby to feed etc. All my muscles were screaming in pain all the time. Make sure you are taking vitamins, make sure you are eating enough.....don't fret about weight if you are breastfeeding, mine fell off as soon as I stopped. Do use lots if supports when feeding the baby. Gentle yoga sounds like a great start. Don't expect miracles overnight. It takes time to get back to normal. Obviously there's always that one mum who bounces back tlnut for most it's a huge assault on the body.

Did you have spd/pgp?
I had to consciously work hard to strengthen my muscles again after pregnancy, but I was really quite incapacitated by my pregnancy.
I found lots of walking baby in the buggy helped, especially uphill.
(Obviously might not be relevant to you!)

Yes, I had epidural and I think it might have contributed to the pain tbh. I'll give my health visitor a call as my GP wasn't much help, she just said it's normal to feel this way after birth

No I didn't really have this, it was mainly back pain and leg pain. Walking actually seems to aggravate it, but I still do it cause that's pretty much the only exercise I get

I actually did a blood test a few weeks ago and apparently it came bk fine, I was shocked cause I was convinced I may be deficient. I'm also taking vitamins, the ones they give in the hospital. Do you have any other recommendations?

Back and leg pain actually sounds like pgp. You may have had si joint instability.

I found walking afterwards painful but essential to regain strength and stability. If you don't use it you lose it!

I was pretty sure what I was doing though. It sounds like you may benefit from seeing a physio.

Go back to the GP and ask for a postnatal physio referral. It's so common to have problems after giving birth and gentle exercises prescribed by the physio can definitely help.