Childbearing is a complex process associated with certain unpleasant sensations. However, it is a mistake to believe that after the birth of a child they will all end at once. The most common phenomenon in many mothers is considered pain after childbirth. What are they connected with? What are they like? Why do they appear? And is it really possible to fight them?
What kind of pain can women have?
Most often, women in labor have unpleasant sensations in the lumbar region and tailbone. Sometimes headache, discomfort in the chest, back or abdomen may occur. At the same time, it is accompanied by unpleasant, pulsating or pulling, sharp or, conversely, blunt spasms that hamper the movement. In addition, for example, back pain also gives off to other parts of the body, which leads to certain problems when feeding a baby, walking, lifting objects of different weights, etc.
Should I worry when my stomach hurts?
One of the most common problems that young mothers face is unpleasant discomfort in the lower abdomen. But is it worth it to get scared and all the more panic when your stomach hurts after giving birth? To answer this question, it is worth considering the possible causes of this ailment, which may be physiological or pathological in nature.
Oxytocin is to blame
There are many potential causes associated with pain in the lower abdomen. Moreover, each of them is characterized by various symptoms. For example, if there is a cramping or pulling pain, this indicates the active production of your special hormone oxytocin. It is he who helps the uterus that has opened and increased in size to take its original form.
Sometimes a woman in labor experiences unpleasant and wave-like sensations, which intensify during breastfeeding. In this case, the cause of the trouble is also oxytocin, which is released as a protective barrier against an external stimulus and again leads to an involuntary contraction of the uterus muscles. As you can see, in both cases, the stomach hurts after childbirth for completely normal physiological reasons. As a rule, such pains are not of a protracted nature and pass through 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 must urgently consult a doctor. Its cause may be, for example, the presence of placental residues inside the uterus, which did not come out with the fetus, but, on the contrary, adhered to the walls and provoke inflammatory processes in the body.
In addition, pain after childbirth in the abdomen can occur when pathogenic bacteria and microbes enter the uterine mucosa. Most often this happens when elementary hygiene rules are not followed during surgery by physicians (cesarean section).
In short, 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 headaches after childbirth?
Some women in labor in the postpartum period have frequent migraines. In most cases, they appear in those women who have had headaches before pregnancy. Less commonly, ladies who refuse the traditional breast-feeding of babies become victims of migraine.
Among the causes of headaches are the most basic:
- excess in the body of progesterone and estrogen;
- the use of oral contraceptives without prior approval from a doctor;
- stress;
- fatigue;
- lack of proper sleep.
Why does the chest hurt?
In the postpartum period, many mothers complain that they have chest pain after childbirth. What is the reason for this? 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 can be associated with the restoration of the ribs, which open during pregnancy, making room for the unborn baby.
She also hurts and, according to her sensations, “pours”, “becomes stone” during a rush of milk. Moreover, if you do not feed the baby in time, then milk will stagnate - as a result, mastitis will develop.
It is very important, when you have chest pain after childbirth, to wring out the true cause of the discomfort. To do this, it is necessary to exclude external stimuli and consult a specialist.
What causes a back pain?
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,” that is, it either stops, or escalates.
Such back pain after childbirth is associated with a number of reasons, among which is the restoration of 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, a systematic restoration of the initial position of the bones occurs. However, normalization of bone tissue affects both muscles and nerve endings, which causes unpleasant sensations in the lower back.
Why do postoperative sutures hurt?
Many women who have undergone surgery (cesarean section, suturing the perineum during tears), sore joints after childbirth. Why is this happening? Most often, such pain is associated with certain actions of the woman in labor. For example, with seams on the perineum, it occurs with too frequent inclines, squats, and heavy lifting.
Less commonly, soreness is associated with frequent constipation. It can also appear during early sexual intercourse (it is not recommended to enter into an intimate relationship earlier than 2 months from the date of birth).
If the sutures after childbirth hurt , redness, swelling and purulent discharge are observed, you should immediately go to the doctor.
What to do with pain?
If after giving birth you have unpleasant sensations in the chest, back, abdomen or head, you must first determine the cause. For this, it would be better to seem to a specialist. And then you just have to follow the advice of the doctor prescribing individual treatment.
For example, in case of pain after childbirth in the perineum (at the place of suturing), it is recommended to use wound healing cream “Rescuer”. 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 observe personal hygiene and properly care for the seams. Therefore, the seams on the perineum must be regularly washed with water, using extremely smooth movements. In case of inflammation, rinsing should be alternated with plain water and potassium permanganate.
If the chest hurts due to excessively surging milk, it is necessary to purchase a breast pump, decant and often attach the baby to the chest. For back pain, use cooling ointments to relieve discomfort. Manual therapy, light massage and therapeutic exercises will help in these cases. It is also recommended to perform the exercise "cat" more often. To do this, you need to get on all fours, raise your head up and simultaneously bend in the lower back, then lower your head down and round your back. Perform this exercise three times a day in three sets.
If you have frequent headaches after giving birth, often walk in the fresh air, do yoga, get enough sleep. Pain in the lower abdomen can be associated with problems in the gastrointestinal tract, therefore, in this case, a sparing diet is usually prescribed.
In short, for any pain and possible deviations from the norm, consult a doctor. And then you will be able to avoid complications.