Procreation is a complex process associated with certain unpleasant sensations. However, it is a mistake to believe that after the birth of a child, all of them will end at once. The most common phenomenon for many mothers is pain after childbirth. What are they related to? What are they like? Why do they appear? And is it realistic to fight them?
What kind of pain can women in labor experience?
Most often, women in labor experience unpleasant sensations in the lumbar region and coccyx. Sometimes there may be a headache, discomfort in the chest, back or abdomen. At the same time, it is accompanied by unpleasant, pulsating or pulling, sharp or, conversely, blunted spasms that restrict movement. In addition, for example, back pain radiates to other parts of the body, which leads to certain problems when feeding a baby, walking, lifting objects of different weights, etc.
Should I be worried when my stomach hurts?
One of the most common problems faced by young mothers is discomfort in the lower abdomen. But is it worth it to be scared and even more so to panic when the stomach hurts afterchildbirth? To answer this question, it is worth considering the possible causes of this disease, which may be physiological or pathological.
Oxytocin is to blame
There are quite a few potential causes associated with pain in the lower abdomen. Moreover, each of them is characterized by different symptoms. For example, if there is cramping or pulling pain, this indicates the active production of a special hormone oxytocin in you. It is he who helps the uterus to open and increase in size to take its original form.
Sometimes, a woman in labor experiences unpleasant and undulating sensations that intensify during breastfeeding. In this case, the culprit is also oxytocin, which is released as a protective barrier against an external stimulus and again leads to involuntary contraction of the muscles of the uterus. As you can see, in both cases, the stomach hurts after childbirth for quite normal physiological reasons. As a rule, such pains do not have a protracted nature and disappear after 5-10 days.
When to sound the alarm?
When the pain in the abdomen becomes protracted (does not stop for more than a month), you should immediately consult a doctor. Its cause may be, for example, the presence of placental remains inside the uterus, which did not come out with the fetus, but, on the contrary, stuck to the walls and provoke inflammatory processes in the body.
In addition, postpartum pain in the abdomen canoccur when pathogenic bacteria and microbes enter the uterine mucosa. Most often this happens when basic hygiene rules are not observed during the surgical intervention of doctors (caesarean section).
In a word, if the pain does not go away for a long time, but is complicated by inflammation, purulent discharge, fever or any other unpleasant moments, consult a doctor immediately.
What causes postpartum headaches?
Some women in labor experience frequent migraines in the postpartum period. In most cases, they appear in those women who had headaches before pregnancy. Women who refuse traditional breastfeeding of babies become victims of migraine less often.
Among the causes of headaches are the most basic:
- excess in the body of progesterone and estrogen;
- use of oral contraceptives without prior approval from a doctor;
- stress;
- fatigue;
- lack of proper sleep.
Why does my chest hurt?
In the postpartum period, many mothers complain that their breasts hurt after childbirth. What is it connected with? As practice shows, often discomfort in the chest area occurs due to an increase in the mammary glands (during breastfeeding), during recovery processes in the uterus and abdomen, during stress.
In addition, pain in the chest and in the chest area may be associated with the restoration of the ribs, which open during pregnancy,making room for the unborn baby.
It also hurts and feels like it "pours", "turns to stone" during the flow of milk. At the same time, if you do not feed the baby in time, then milk stagnation will occur - as a result, mastitis will develop.
It is very important when you have chest pain after childbirth, to bring out the true cause of discomfort. To do this, you should exclude external stimuli and contact a specialist.
Why does my back hurt?
Acute or pulling pain in the back (lower back) - many mothers know firsthand about this unpleasant moment. It can be either constant or "wave-like", i.e., either stop or worsen.
Such back pain after childbirth is associated with a number of reasons, among which is the restoration of the position of the bone tissue. Recall that during pregnancy, the pelvic bones diverge and facilitate the passage of the newborn through the birth canal.
In the postpartum period, there is a systematic restoration of the original position of the bones. However, the normalization of bone tissue affects both muscles and nerve endings, which causes discomfort in the lower back.
Why do post-op stitches hurt?
Many women who have undergone surgery (caesarean section, suturing in the perineum with ruptures) have pain in the stitches after childbirth. Why is this happening? Most often, such pain is associated with certain actions of the woman in labor. For example, with stitches on the perineum, it occurs with too frequent bending, squatting andlifting weights.
Less soreness associated with frequent constipation. It can also appear during early sexual intercourse (it is not recommended to have an intimate relationship earlier than 2 months after the birth of the child).
If your stitches hurt after childbirth, redness, swelling and purulent discharge are observed, you should immediately go to the doctor.
What to do when in pain?
If you experience discomfort in your chest, back, abdomen, or head after giving birth, you first need to determine the cause. For this, it would be better to see a specialist. And then you just have to follow the advice of a doctor who prescribes individual treatment.
For example, for pain after childbirth in the perineal area (at the site of suturing), it is recommended to use the Rescuer wound healing cream. Also, women in labor with similar problems should not eat foods that can cause constipation.
In order to minimize pain after surgery, it is necessary to maintain personal hygiene and properly care for the sutures. Therefore, the seams on the perineum must be regularly washed with water, using extremely smooth movements. In case of inflammation, alternate washing with plain water and potassium permanganate.
If your chest hurts because of too much surging milk, you need to get a breast pump, pump and put the baby to the breast more often. For back pain, use cooling ointments to relieve discomfort. In these cases, manual therapy, light massage and therapeuticgymnastics. It is also recommended to perform the “cat” exercise more often. To do this, you need to get on all fours, raise your head up and at the same time arch your lower back, then lower your head down and round your back. Do this exercise three times a day for three sets.
If you have frequent headaches after childbirth, walk more often in the fresh air, do yoga, get enough sleep. Pain in the lower abdomen can be associated with problems in the gastrointestinal tract, so in this case, a sparing diet is usually prescribed.
In a word, for any pain and possible deviations from the norm, consult a doctor. And then you will be able to avoid complications.
