Most women are surprised to learn that sometimes the pain of childbirth does not stop once the baby is born. Postpartum abdominal pain is a common experience for many women. After all, your body has spent the last nine months stretching, and the entirety of your labor contracting hard enough to deliver a baby. Pain after a C-section can be worse than after a vaginal delivery. In fact, pain is usually part of the postpartum healing process. However, pain with other symptoms may be a signal that something is wrong.
Typical Afterpains
Your uterus will continue to contract even after your baby is born. These contractions are mild, and serve two purposes: they prevent excess blood loss, and help your uterus return to pre-pregnancy size. Breastfeeding women may find that the after pains are worse while they are nursing. This is because the nipple stimulation that occurs during breast feeding releases the hormone oxytocin, which causes the uterus to contract. This will usually go away within two weeks.
Cesarean Section Pain
Abdominal soreness can last up to six weeks after a c-section. You will experience pain at the site of the incision, pain in the muscles and tissues that were cut, as well as the typical pains experienced after surgery of any kind. Bending, sitting or standing can intensify this pain; this is perfectly normal. As long as you are properly caring for your incision, and taking all the medications prescribed to you, the pain will subside a bit more each day.
Medication
Take Tylenol with your doctor's permission to relieve after pains. This should make the pain tolerable. Your doctor may prescribe a stronger medication, such as Tylenol 3. However, if you are nursing,the codeine in Tylenol 3 may cause your baby to suffer the effects of central nervous system depression, such as difficulty breathing, and extreme lethargy.
Home Treatment
Breastfeeding is nature's best cure for abdominal pain. Although it may feel like it is making the pain worse, the act of breast feeding is encouraging your uterine muscles to contract and heal. A warm bath or shower may also help. Massaging the uterus will help push out any clotted residual blood that may be causing your pain.
When to Seek Emergency Treatment
If you experience abdominal pain accompanied by fever and your abdomen is tender to the touch, seek medical attention. If you have had a c-section and experience the above symptoms or have bleeding and redness at the c-section incision, contact your doctor right away. These are signs of infection.
If your abdominal pain is accompanied by vaginal bleeding that causes you to change your sanitary pad more than twice an hour, go to the emergency room. This is a sign of hemorrhage.
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