linguistmama Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 The chills thread reminded me that I need suggestions for dealing with afterpains. I had none after dd1, but they were horrible after dd2. I would get chills that shook my whole body and had to lay down to avoid falling down. After the first day I took 800 mg of ibuprofen every 2 hours or I would hurt alot. All suggestions welcome whether they are conventional or hippyish :) My list so far includes homeopathic arnica, afterease tincture and ibuprofen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendybird Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 I kept a heating pad with me at all times for the first week. If I was nursing it was most important.I would put the heating pad on my abdomen, put a pillow on it (so the baby wouldn't get too hot), then baby. I also took 800 mg ibuprofin every three hours on the dot or I would be doubled over. I asked my midwife what else to do and she wasn't impressed with the homeopathic that my birth supply company had, so that was it. I think that red raspberry leaf during the last few weeks helped a bit too.I have had afterpains after all but my first that were far worse than labor so I am in total sympathy with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 THIS is what I'm afraid of with #3. I felt the after pains with #1, they were bad with #2. Now what? Are they going to be absolutely horrible after #3? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 The chills thread reminded me that I need suggestions for dealing with afterpains. I had none after dd1, but they were horrible after dd2. I would get chills that shook my whole body and had to lay down to avoid falling down. After the first day I took 800 mg of ibuprofen every 2 hours or I would hurt alot. All suggestions welcome whether they are conventional or hippyish :) My list so far includes homeopathic arnica, afterease tincture and ibuprofen. Hippyish....love it! My mom always says granola or crunchy! :D Trying to think.....I had them BAD with #4. Honestly, staying in bed I think is a major factor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 I don't have anything homeopathic to offer. After #5 and #6, the only thing that would touch the afterpains (I'm talking about the day of the birth) was percocet (sorry!) (I could not take ibuprofen due to starting coumadin). But percocet worked wonders - just one, about every six hours or so, for a day or two. Too much perc makes me dizzy, so I tried to keep it to a minimum. Ahhh....fond memories :D. Why didn't anyone tell me about perc after my c-section years before :glare:. IME, the afterpains DO get worse with each one. After #5, the first afterpains, when I started nursing right away, were very much like the unmedicated labor I had just had - shocking really - I had to stop nursing until I had some pain medication. So, for #6, I got the perc on board immediately after the birth, before the epidural wore off ;). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 Oooo! Afterpains! No one ever talks about those! I remember nursing my son, and the afterpains hit. I must have turned white as a ghost, because dh ran over to me saying, "Are you OK!?!" He thought I was about to pass out. And I wasn't trying to show off or anything! Actually, I was just sitting there quietly, nursing, (sweating from the pain), and trying to go limp, much the same way I did during actual labor. Those afterpains HURT. Sorry, I don't have any advice. Just sympathy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbalgirl Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 The only thing that helped me with those nasty things was to take the 800mg. ibuprofen, and keep retaking it as soon as I could take the next dose. Sometimes getting in the shower and letting the water hit my back and front would work, too. I'd imagine a heating pad would be better as it is constant heat. A nurse told me that ibuprofen works better than percocet, and, in my experience, this is true. If it helps any to know, I didn't have any really with #1, with #2 I had some, and it was horrible there on out with subsequent children, *but* it didn't get worse each time. It was just the same toe curling pain from #3-#6. Worse with nursing or pumping. Uuugh. Sending many :grouphug: your way that they do not last too long! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 I have your answer. This tincture is made by my midwife, and is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will never have another baby without it. I had horrible afterpains with my daughter...they were as bad or worse than the labor pains. I couldn't even hold her they were so bad. I was begging for drugs (after a totally drug free labor and delivery of a 9lb baby!!!), and she gave me this. It helped so so much! I had to have it right next to me, and would put a few drops under my tongue during the worst of the pains and it worked very well. http://stores.homestead.com/CoyotesNaturalMedicine/-strse-9/After-Pain-Tincture/Detail.bok Edited to add I also took 3 ibuprofen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linguistmama Posted August 20, 2011 Author Share Posted August 20, 2011 Thanks for the suggestions and sympathy! I'm not looking forward to this part of having a baby. DD1 was posterior and so painful, but no afterpains. DD2 was a quick, easy birth with hypnobabies. The afterpains tried to make up for it. DH asked me if he should take me to the hospital! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 Another plug for After-ease!! I think I still have some, actually.... After-ease, ibuprofen, and a heating pad were all I used with the Squishy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susancollins Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 My experience is they get worse with each child you have. My afterbirth pains after #4 felt like contractions. They would take my breath away. My midwife gave me some Tums and I dont know why but the cramps hurt less with the Tums. I would use a heating pad and have lots of Tylenol on hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 I took vicodin, and within 15 minutes those pains were gone. That was all that touched it for me, and it only happened with my second child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeetime Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 Oh, sweetie. It's called Hydrocodone and 800 mg Ibuprofen as often as you can take it. :P Get's worse every time. By the time I had #5 it was worse than labor. In all seriousness, though- I have learned that the most important thing is to stay ahead of the pain- don't not take pain meds because you are feeling fine- take it on time so you don't get behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meggie Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 do you know Richelle Jolley? Ask her what she uses because she gave me some stuff because I was hemorrhaging and the recovery was not bad at all. And that was with child #3, which was supposed to be the worst of all. With child #2, they were really bad so I expected child #3 to be worse. At my two day appointment she asked how they were and I said I barely noticed them. I think it was a tincture she gave me. I don't know, she kept telling me to open my mouth and kept putting nasty stuff in it. Whatever it was, I think it helped. ETA: And I didn't even take any OTC pain meds or anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 Y'all are totally freaking me out!! :ohmy: Is it crazy that I'm not worried about labor (I get an epi) but I'm freaked out about after pains? I don't do pain meds....I really dislike taking meds. Tylenol and Motrin are about the strongest pain meds I've ever taken. I'm hoping Motrin will suffice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusicMama Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 Yuck. I forgot about those somehow... With my second, the hospital refused to provide heating "pockets" because the patients might get burned and sue. They were the only things that truly relieved the extreme cramping when I nursed! So my husband would microwave a damp towel, and wrap it in some plastic a sympathetic nurse gave him and I would use it as a makeshift pad. (Because that is so much safer than one of those pop and go heat pockets...) They were very professional looking! I got a electric heating pad with my third. Glad I did, those pains were even worse! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 THIS is what I'm afraid of with #3. I felt the after pains with #1, they were bad with #2. Now what? Are they going to be absolutely horrible after #3? FWIW, my worst afterpains were after baby #1. Baby #4 brought me none that I recall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 do you know Richelle Jolley? Ask her what she uses because she gave me some stuff because I was hemorrhaging and the recovery was not bad at all. And that was with child #3, which was supposed to be the worst of all. With child #2, they were really bad so I expected child #3 to be worse. At my two day appointment she asked how they were and I said I barely noticed them. I think it was a tincture she gave me. I don't know, she kept telling me to open my mouth and kept putting nasty stuff in it. Whatever it was, I think it helped. ETA: And I didn't even take any OTC pain meds or anything. The After-ease is from her. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketgirl Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 4 kids, 0 epidurals, no drugs during or after (except tylenol) but such awful cramping after the 4th I asked for meds... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 FWIW, I don't think the afterpains are that bad after the first baby... but probably for the majority of women they get significantly worse with subsequent pregnancies -- but go away faster (if that helps). I can't do tinctures... they get my gag reflex going in a bad, bad way. I've only done the Ibuprofin. I was usually done with the afterpains in 3-4 days. I also did a lot of nursing on my side in our bed (especially with my winter babies... it was just too cold to be anywhere else! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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