Afterpains 🩸

We don’t talk about afterpains a lot.

Like many things postnatal, they are somewhat shrouded in mystery, something that gets talked about only ONCE THEY ARE HAPPENING 🙄 but once they ARE happening, EVERYONE and their dog can tell you about them in great detail 😂👀

Afterpains are contractions of the uterus that occur once the placenta has been born. They are often very mild or non existent after a first baby (goodness knows why 🤔), though not always, but increase in strength with every additional baby it seems. I have known women birth their baby without pain relief, easily, but then absolutely needed gas and air for the afterpains…..

They usually start right after the birth of the placenta and then last for the first 48 to 72 hours or so. They normally decrease in strength after the first two days. They are usually strongest around the time the baby is nursing as the oxytocin triggered by suckling sets off contractions of the uterus.

Technically afterpains are a brilliant way to keep the uterus well contracted and the placental wound as small as possible so postnatal bleeding can be minimised.

They make sure the blood from the place the placenta was attached to (and the uterus in general) is expelled efficiently.

They also ensure that the uterus shrinks back to its non pregnant size, and fits back into its space in the pelvic cavity.

A beautiful system of efficiency really ♥️

HOWEVER.

Having to deal with them on top of general recovery from birth seems a bit like a kick in the teeth…..we are usually pretty happy the strong surges of the uterus have finished once the baby is born, amiright?? They are not 🙄

So, what can be done to make them less bothersome?

First of all, and this is often not touched on, I can’t stress enough how important it is to empty your bladder regularly!

Occasionally, bladder sensation is a little dulled postnatally, and the bladder may get pretty full before it sends a signal for emptying after birth. And a full bladder takes up a lot of space in the pelvis and makes it harder for the uterus to contract efficiently, so it tries to do that extra hard, resulting in more cramping. So, keeping the bladder empty, and going to the loo regularly, perhaps every couple of hours, is a good way to regulate afterpains.

Secondly, heat can be wonderful. A hot water bottle or rice/wheat pack might feel really good, particularly during feeds when the afterpains are particularly strong.

Also, some pain relief is perfectly fine to take, even when breastfeeding. Paracetamol or ibuprofen can be helpful…..though hard to time for best efficiency.

If you have a TENS machine to hand, use it and see if it is helpful.

Relaxation and hypnobirthing breathing can also be REALLY effective in helping cope with afterpains.

Lots of people really rate aromatherapy, herbal medicines, homeopathy or other complementary therapies for relief. Experiment!

Occasionally, afterpains are excessive. Perhaps due to some placental remnants left in the uterus or a clot/some membranes stuck in the cervix. If you have excessive afterpains or feel unwell, it is worth talking to your midwife. If you experiencing severe afterpains coupled with excessive bloodloss, seek help immediately.

Hopefully this was helpful…..basically, while these ‘birthy aftershocks’ are generally normal, they are quite annoying and often really quite painful. It’s perfectly fine to feel like they are TOTALLY UNFAIR…..cos they are 🤯.

But they sort of are the body’s safety mechanism to ensure you stay well.