baaaad cramping

[@llli*pianosinger]

DS3 is two days old now and still in the NICU. Whenever I nurse or pump, I get really painful cramps that eventually get so bad I have to stop. I only last maybe ten minutes at a time. I even get crampy in my legs, which has me worried about blood clots. Anyway, I've always had oversupply issues in the past, so I'm not too worried about the very short nursing/pumping sessions. I'm just hoping it will be better once we can get Coby home and I can nurse laying down so there's not as much pressure on my abdomen. But for now, I have to be sitting because there are no beds in the NICU.

But in the meantime, do any of you ladies have any tricks for maybe easing the cramping somehow? I can't even hold Coby for very long at a time, because the pressure he puts on my middle eventually causes my legs to cramp up and I have to get up and take a walk.

[@llli*durhamgrrl]

This is a Susan question. She is the person that introduced me to this concept. I am sure she will be along in a bit, but let me search out her threads...

[@llli*aphimama]

Are they different from after pains that shrink your uterus? DD2 nursing after birth gave me horrendous cramps but it passed after about a week. Pain when she was first nursing was actually more intense than labor had been. I don't know if there are tricks to avoid this, but I'm eager to find out, because my mw mentioned that each delivery makes your uterus work harder to shrink so the after pains are more intense each time...

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

Yep. Horrid after pains. I wanted to die. It's a side effect of big babies.

Breath through them. Vicodin. Afterease tincture.

These are why I might not have any more kids. It's like having a baby 8-12 times a day.

They are good for your uterus. So don't stop. And the longer you draw it out, the more days you will have them.

Also, consider abdominal wrapping.

[@llli*scienceteachermommy]

I found them a lot worse with DS2 than with DS1 but they did pass within a few days.

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

They do pass. I think it was a week, longer maybe with Gav because nursing stimulates better contractions than the pump.

[@llli*durhamgrrl]

So, afterpains are worse after each pregnancy, but they are a good thing clamping down the uterus and preventing blood loss. Ibuprofen was enough for mine but i was only on baby 2. They only usually last 3-5 days. Susan uses a tincture called "Afterease".

There is some more info about afterpains here

ETA: I got distracted when I was posting and didn't hit post - so now I look like and idiot, but Oh Well - not the first time.

[@llli*pianosinger]

Great information, ladies. Thank you. Thanks Sarale for taking the time to do the research, even though Susan chimed in before you got to post

I will definitely try the abdominal wrapping. Maybe I can ask at the hospital tomorrow if they have a wrap I can use.

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

Get a sheet and have a midwife wrap you tightly, or send DH to the store for a Belly Bandit type thing.