5 months after giving birth, my lower abdomen hurts. How long does everything hurt after childbirth? What if the pain is not related to childbirth?

Back pain after childbirth, when there is pain and pulling in the lumbar region, requires examination by a specialist. A woman should consult an osteopath or neurologist if she has very severe pain in the lumbar or back area.

Timely treatment in this case is extremely necessary, because the woman will need to actively move due to the need to care for the child, so back pain, if it appears after childbirth, should be quickly eliminated.

To reduce the intensity of postpartum back pain, doctors recommend calm walks at a leisurely pace, swimming in the pool, and gymnastics aimed at restoring the entire body. Such pain in most cases occurs in those women who have experienced difficult or very difficult childbirth.

Doctors also note that the intensity of pain not only in the back, but also in the groin and other parts of the female body in the postpartum period directly depends on the emotional state of the woman. Depression, anxiety, severe emotional upheaval, stress, all this against the background of hormonal changes in the body after childbirth can significantly increase the intensity of pain.

If a woman experiences severe pain after childbirth, she must definitely seek help from a doctor in order to quickly identify the cause of the ailment and begin to relieve the pain and treat the existing problem.

Quite often, after childbirth, women complain of pain in the area of the coccyx and sacrum. This problem is provoked by injuries to the ligamentous apparatus of the pelvis and the muscles of the pelvic floor.

The pain usually intensifies when moving, walking, or trying to stand or sit. If the discomfort is strong enough and does not go away over time, you should seek help from a medical facility.

Treatment uses manual therapy, as well as painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs.

If the lower abdomen hurts after childbirth, then such discomfort is usually natural, unless it contributes to the formation of severe and unbearable pain. Therefore, the appearance of such a symptom as slight pain after childbirth in the lower abdomen can be considered absolutely normal.

During childbirth, infections and bacteria can enter the uterine cavity, causing endometritis. The mucous membrane of the uterus becomes inflamed and the new mother experiences a feeling of discomfort and pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth. There is a high probability that fungus and microbes will enter the body during a cesarean section. Endometritis is characterized by pain in the lower abdomen, high fever, and discharge of pus and blood.

The procedure of curettage of the uterine cavity can also cause pain. A couple of days after giving birth, a woman should be examined by a gynecologist to check for placental remnants or blood clots.

If you do not “clean” on time, a placental polyp may develop. If your lower abdomen hurts after childbirth, one of the reasons may be a placental polyp that has formed.

Pain in the left and right lower abdomen after childbirth appears in this case due to the fact that the remaining placenta accumulates on the walls of the uterus and can provoke the formation of blood lumps. The uterus, trying to get rid of the placenta, begins to contract.

This is the cause of abdominal pain after childbirth. If abdominal pain on the left or right after childbirth does not stop, but only becomes even stronger, you should urgently consult a doctor.

The doctor will help you avoid purulent formations in the uterus.

Abdominal pain after childbirth, similar in nature to menstruation, is a normal phenomenon that should not bother a woman. They are usually quite tolerant. In the first week after childbirth, everything unnecessary comes out of the uterus. And this process should under no circumstances be hindered. Bleeding of this nature is called lochia.

They can last more than one week. Their duration may vary depending on the specific case. The discharge is mucus with bright scarlet blood. Over time, there are fewer and fewer of them, and the color of the lochia gradually becomes lighter. In the absence of any pathologies, pain in the lower abdomen ends before the lochia stops. During this period, a woman should especially carefully monitor the hygiene of her genitals.

Some people experience abdominal pain when breastfeeding. The natural production of the hormone oxytocin makes itself felt.

Every time the baby feeds, the mother can feel the uterus contracting. This is a normal natural process.

In such cases, there is no reason to worry about pain in the lower abdomen. As a rule, it goes away within two weeks.

Breastfeeding thus benefits both the baby and the mother's body. The more often you feed, the sooner the process of uterine contraction will be completed.

Why does a woman have a stomach ache after childbirth? So, in order to find out the reasons for these unpleasant sensations, it is necessary to turn to the woman’s physiology. During the entire period of pregnancy, each woman produces an increased amount of hormones, which are mainly aimed at gradually stretching and relaxing the ligamentous apparatus and muscles. Why is this necessary?

In order for a child to be born unhindered and then develop normally, it is necessary to ensure the normal size of the delivery tract, that is, the uterus. in 9 months of bearing a child, a woman’s uterus should anatomically increase 25 times (in some women it can be either larger or smaller).

This size of the uterus allows a woman to give birth to a baby without any difficulties. After delivery, the uterus physiologically strives to return to its original position, which is an absolutely normal natural process.

During this period, a woman may feel pain of a different nature (from severe to barely noticeable) in the uterus and, accordingly, in the lower abdomen. This means that the uterus has begun to contract.

For some girls, this process occurs very quickly and therefore the pain may be stronger; for others, the uterus “shrinks” quite slowly, as evidenced by a complete or slight absence of pain.

Causes

The main reason why a woman experiences abdominal pain after childbirth is the active production of the hormone oxytocin in the body, which triggers the process of intense contraction of the uterus. During this period, the muscles of the uterus become toned, it returns to its former size and shape. This process causes pain, which can be either cramping or pulling.

Let's consider the causes of pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth in the context of types of obstetric care:

Natural childbirth. There are plenty of reasons why your stomach may hurt in this case. These include the restructuring of a woman’s body and reproductive organs in the last weeks before childbirth, the birth procedure itself, postpartum hormonal changes, postpartum injuries and surgical interventions by obstetricians or surgeons, diseases of the pelvic organs.
C-section. When a woman in labor gives birth to a child with the help of surgeons: the abdomen is cut from the navel down to the pubis, the uterus is cut, and the fetus is taken out. The procedure is carried out under local anesthesia, naturally, the birth canal is not injured. In this case, the lower abdomen begins to hurt after anesthesia at the site of sutures. The healing layers of living tissue hurt - the first cause of pain in the lower abdomen after “artificial” childbirth.
Hormonal renewal. When breastfeeding, a hormone is produced that causes the muscles of the uterus to contract. The pain in this case increases due to the stitches.
Infection and inflammatory process.

The passage of a child through the birth canal is accompanied by divergence of the pelvic bones, stretching or rupture of tissue.

In addition, a woman in labor often requires medical assistance, which involves cutting the perineum.

Discomfort in the lower abdomen should disappear by the end of the month after giving birth. This happens if the pain is natural.

If the discomfort does not go away, it may be caused by pathologies that are dangerous to the life and health of the mother.

You should consult a doctor if a month has passed after giving birth, but the lower abdomen still hurts, and the following symptoms appear:

the patient feels weak and gets tired quickly;
body temperature rises;
the intensity of the pain increases or they are of a pronounced cramping nature;
purulent discharge appeared in which blood can be seen.

The main reason for the discomfort of a woman who has given birth is physiological. When a child passes through the body, tissue stretching naturally occurs, microcracks, tears or episiotomy appear.

During a caesarean section, the suture hurts a lot. If the sensations are tolerable, without an increase in temperature, this is a normal recovery stage for the body.

If symptoms appear that are not normal, what is happening indicates an infection or other pathological processes in the body of the postpartum woman. It is necessary to distinguish natural physiological pain in the abdomen from pathological ones that are not the norm.

Standard options

Endometritis.
Salpingo-oophoritis.
Other inflammatory diseases.
Anal fissures.
Haemorrhoids.

Such pain is provoked by natural physiological processes occurring in a woman’s body.

The pain is especially noticeable in the first week, and then gradually goes away; it appears due to the fact that the genital organs return to normal, microcracks shrink. The pain is aching in nature, very strong at first, and then gradually weakens.

After a caesarean section, of course, your stomach will hurt. It is necessary to follow the rules of hygiene that the doctor prescribed to you, avoid stress, monitor the condition of the seam, after a while the seam will heal and the pain will go away.

Pain may also occur when the wife is breastfeeding. The reason for this is the hormone oxytocin, which affects the contractions of the uterus, and as a result of these contractions, the woman may feel pain in the first days, this will soon pass

Complications of childbirth as a provoking factor for abdominal pain

If a woman had an episiotomy during childbirth, and there were tears in the tissue that required surgical intervention, then, of course, the sutures will hurt (as after any operation). Most often, the pain, of course, is concentrated in the perineum, but it can also radiate to the abdomen, especially its lower part. The sutures gradually fuse together, and the pain goes away on its own.

After childbirth, remnants of the placenta may remain in the uterus, to check this, on the second day the woman undergoes an ultrasound examination, but if the placenta is found, then curettage is necessary. By its nature, the procedure itself resembles an abortion, so after it you may experience pain in the abdominal area for some time.

Gastrointestinal diseases often worsen in women after pregnancy. Therefore, pain may simply be a response to poor nutrition. A common complication of childbirth for a young mother is hemorrhoids.

If the pain is accompanied by an increase in body temperature and vaginal discharge, purulent or bloody, this may indicate endometritis, that is, inflammation of the lining of the uterus. During childbirth, there is a particularly high probability of developing the disease after a cesarean section, and harmful microorganisms can enter the uterus. You should immediately contact a gynecologist and start treatment, otherwise serious problems may occur.

If pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth is constant and intensifying, and it does not stop within three weeks or a month, this may indicate the presence of a serious illness and you should consult a doctor. One of these diseases may be endometritis.

This is a natural phenomenon, because at birth the child passes through the birth canal, stretches and even injures it. Pain after childbirth is inevitable, it is a normal and natural phenomenon that will pass in a week or two as the female reproductive system begins to return to normal and the microcracks caused by childbirth heal.

The entire maternity process consists of three periods:

smoothing and opening of the cervix;
birth of a child;
birth of a child's place.

During pregnancy, the reproductive organ increases in accordance with the growth of the fetus, the muscles stretch. During childbirth, they contract rhythmically, expelling the fetus and then the placenta from the uterine cavity.

After childbirth, the uterus reverses its development - it becomes smaller in size, the muscles contract, and their volume decreases several times. The most active muscle contraction occurs in the first hours and days. This process is accompanied by the presence of pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth of a pulling nature, but this should soon pass.

The process of reverse development occurs under the influence of the hormone oxytocin. It affects the muscles of the uterus, bladder, abdominal wall, and pelvis, promoting their contraction.

Under its influence, breast milk begins to be produced. The release of oxytocin increases when the baby is latched to the breast.

The nipple and the area around it are abundantly dotted with receptors, upon irritation of which a large amount of oxytocin is produced, the muscles of the uterus contract more strongly under its influence.

When a baby is born by caesarean section, recovery is more difficult and takes longer. The reason for this is the presence of a wound on the wall of the abdomen and uterus.

Pathological causes

Causes of pain in the lower abdomen:

Restoration of the body (in the first days after childbirth).
Gastrointestinal disorders.
Disorders in the genitourinary system.

Nagging pain in the lower abdomen in a nursing mother 6 months after childbirth indicates the appearance of the first menstruation in the coming days. The absence of menstruation in the first 6 months is due to high levels of the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for lactation and affects the menstrual cycle. This period may be shorter or longer. For women who are not breastfeeding, their first menstruation occurs after 6 to 8 weeks.

The causes of pain may be other. Since it is believed that pregnancy does not occur during breastfeeding, women are negligent about contraception.

The appearance of pain in a woman who has recently given birth can be caused by both physiological and pathological reasons. The most common ones are those listed below.

One of the main reasons for nagging or cramping pain in the lower abdomen in a woman who has recently given birth may be the active production of the hormone oxytocin. It is he who provokes muscle contraction. The uterus is in good shape during this period, because the organ strives to return to its former size and shape.

During the period of breastfeeding, the young mother's nipples become irritated, which provokes increased production of oxytocin, due to which uterine contractions increase, and this causes a rather unpleasant feeling in the lower abdomen.

If a month has passed after childbirth and the lower abdomen hurts, doctors do not rule out the development of endometritis in the woman’s body. This is a dangerous inflammatory process that affects the uterine cavity and is accompanied by high fever, acute pain and vaginal discharge. The pathology requires immediate hospitalization, otherwise death is possible for a patient who has recently given birth.

When your lower abdomen hurts 2 months after giving birth, it won’t hurt to consult a gastroenterologist. This is explained by the fact that the process of labor disrupts and even undermines general digestion, provokes chronic constipation, increased gas formation and flatulence.

A woman experiences difficulty defecating, and discomfort in the abdomen becomes an abnormal norm of life. Treatment is mandatory, otherwise doctors do not rule out intestinal obstruction followed by surgery.

If, a month after giving birth, the lower abdomen still hurts, then this may be complications of a planned or emergency cesarean section. In this case, a detailed diagnosis is required, and it is clearly impossible to do without a computer examination of the pelvic organs and consultation with a gynecologist.

So the question of whether the lower abdomen can hurt after childbirth is definitely in the affirmative; remember at least the unpleasant procedure of scraping the placenta after the baby is born. It is important to know how to behave correctly in the event of such alarming symptoms, when to respond to the problem and contact certified specialists.

If the lower abdomen hurts after childbirth, this phenomenon can be due to both physiological and pathological reasons. If you determine in a timely manner why this happens and what causes these pains, they can either be avoided altogether or reduced to a minimum. Among the most common causes, doctors name the following factors.

A large number of women who have given birth, even those who have not experienced ruptures, one way or another face such a problem when pain appears in the perineum after childbirth. The appearance of pain in the pubic area after a successful birth can be explained by the fact that a fetus or baby passed through the painful area, as a result of which the tissues in this area were subjected to very strong stretching.

Doctors note that, based on statistics, usually severe pain in the pubic area in women after childbirth goes away within 2-3, 3 days.

It’s another matter if a woman had ruptures during childbirth, tissue rupture in the perineal area. Such pain in the pubic area does not go away immediately and depends on how quickly the tissue can heal.

Pain in the lower abdomen in the groin is also caused by the fact that doctors applied stitches; pain in the area of the stitches bothers the woman especially strongly at the slightest movement. Moreover, pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth after sutures is usually felt both while standing, sitting, and lying down; as soon as you take an uncomfortable position, the lower abdomen immediately begins to hurt.

The time it takes for the stitches to heal is usually about a week, sometimes more. In particularly severe cases, doctors prescribe painkillers to patients to reduce the intensity of pain.

In such a situation, it is important for a woman to remember that if the pain in the lower abdomen does not stop 2 or 3 weeks after childbirth, then she should definitely come for a consultation with her doctor.

Finally, what you have been waiting for for nine months has finally happened. Your baby has been born.

However, you should not rejoice prematurely. The postpartum period very often turns out to be no less difficult than the pregnancy itself.

In most cases, a woman experiences postpartum pain in the lower abdomen, associated with a wide variety of reasons. A woman may have pain in her tailbone, perineum, pubis, back, lower back; abdominal pain after childbirth can appear in many places.

In the first weeks, and maybe even months, after childbirth, the process of healing and rehabilitation of the body occurs, which means that postpartum pain in the lower abdomen should go away completely. If the body has not recovered on its own within a couple of months, or pain appears in the lower abdomen after childbirth, which still has not gone away, you should seek help from a doctor.

The most common pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth is pain after a cesarean section. And this is not surprising - after all, such an operation involves surgical intervention and occurs by cutting the abdominal tissue. Pain in the lower abdomen after a caesarean section can remain in a woman for a long time until the tissues are completely restored and acquire the elasticity they need.

If the process of childbirth itself is quite painful, then you should not assume that the restoration of the body will take place without pain.

The cause of the nagging, cramping pain is the activity of oxytocin. This special hormone is produced more intensively after childbirth and provides a good service. After childbirth, the uterus opens and increases in size, and oxytocin helps it take on the desired shape.

When the uterus contracts, the pain often intensifies due to pressure from neighboring organs. It is important to ensure that the bladder does not overfill. Otherwise, it will put pressure on the uterus and aggravate the pain in the lower abdomen.

Some women need stitches if the tissue is torn. The presence of a foreign body in the body will cause discomfort for some time.

In order to understand what exactly provokes abdominal pain after childbirth, it is necessary to understand the type of such manifestations:

Nagging pain, reminiscent of weak contractions, is most often provoked by the active production of the hormone oxytocin. The body takes care to return the uterus to its previous, prenatal state and size. Oxytocin stimulates the contraction of the muscles of the uterus, which leads to some pain. This is a completely natural and normal condition that will pass as soon as the uterus returns to its previous state and size.
Lactation also causes the release of oxytocin, which can increase abdominal cramping. This is also a natural reason; the pain will go away after the “pre-pregnancy” size of the uterus is restored.

The rehabilitation period after the birth of a child lasts a month or two months. During this time, the mother's body gradually restores its functions, returning to its usual state.

During this period, many women complain to their doctors that they have pain in their left side, right side, stomach or lower back. The nature of these pains has been studied, all of them can be relieved.

If a month after the birth of the child has not yet passed, then most likely the cause of nagging, short-term and sharp pain is contractions of the uterus.

In the process of bearing a child, this organ was subjected to enormous stress. Other organs in the abdomen have also been under severe stress and require a long recovery period.

On average, the pain produced by uterine contractions can last a month or a little more. In the third month after pregnancy, a woman should forget about all unpleasant sensations.

The physiological causes of pain after childbirth cannot be treated with medication.

They can only be softened with the help of antispasmodics, but taking them during feeding is strongly not recommended.

If you are not breastfeeding your child, then you can safely take drugs such as “No-Shpa”, “Drotaverine”, “Bral” and so on.

How to smooth out discomfort in the stomach after childbirth? If you want to alleviate the pain, lie on your back or side and pull your knees towards your chest.

If you have severe pain not only in your stomach, but also in your lower back, then wrap it in a warm shawl or put a heating pad under your side.

Women who have had a caesarean section should carefully treat the external seams on the body with brilliant green or iodine.

You can get rid of uterine pain by carefully performing a specially designed set of exercises.

Remember: intense physical activity can cause internal sutures to separate, so do therapeutic exercises smoothly and slowly.

If the stomach hurts severely, for a long time and constantly, and the discomfort does not leave women even a month after giving birth, then we can talk about the presence of some pathological processes in their body.

Why does the lower abdomen hurt after childbirth and severe pain occur when urinating? In such a situation, we can talk about the presence of any infectious diseases affecting the genitourinary tract.

Often the cause of abdominal pain in young mothers is the remnants of the placenta that were not removed during childbirth.

The placenta attaches to the lining of the uterus and begins to decompose, poisoning the woman’s body with toxic substances.

If abdominal pain lasts a long time, almost without stopping, then the cause of this condition may be inflammation of the uterine mucosa caused by endometritis.

This disease is common in women who have had a caesarean section. Endometritis is an infectious disease that takes a long time to treat.

Additional symptoms of endometritis are bloody vaginal discharge, saturated with clots of pus.

If your left or right side hurts after childbirth, then you need to consult a doctor and ask him to check your body for the presence of inflammation of the appendages.

Light nagging, cramping pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth is usually observed in all women. You should pay attention to them only in cases where the pain does not decrease over time or its intensity increases.

It is not always the case that a woman has gynecological problems when her stomach hurts after childbirth. Often pain is caused by disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Postpartum constipation in women can develop for several reasons. This may be due to physiological changes in the body, including pulled abdominal muscles.

Doctors call the second reason a psychological condition caused by fear of sutures coming apart. In both the first and second cases, doctors do not advise resorting to self-medication, since not all drugs are approved for use during breastfeeding.

Also at this time, gastrointestinal diseases may worsen, especially if they existed before pregnancy.

There are other reasons why your stomach hurts after childbirth. It is necessary to distinguish when pain is caused by natural processes and when it is a dangerous symptom. Therefore, it is important to closely monitor your well-being and not delay if alarming signs appear, contacting a doctor for timely and competent treatment.

1. Pain in the lower abdomen of a pulling, cramping nature is caused by the active production of oxytocin after childbirth. After all, this hormone is the cause of active contractions in the uterus, the muscles of which are in a state of tone, returning to their former sizes and shapes. This is what causes pain.

2. Breastfeeding. So, during the baby's sucking, irritation of the female breast occurs, which causes increased production of oxytocin. It is not surprising that more active contractions of the uterus begin, accompanied by painful sensations.

3. If after a month the pain in the lower abdomen does not stop, then we can talk about a serious pathology and even a danger to the woman’s life. The most common reason is the presence of remnants of the placenta in the uterine cavity, if after the birth of the baby it was not completely removed. Particles remaining on the walls of the uterus cause rotting and the formation of blood clots.

4. Inflammation of the uterine mucosa or endometritis, which is more common in women who gave birth by cesarean section. After all, during the operation, microbes and infections can enter the uterus, which causes severe pain, increased temperature and the appearance of blood discharge containing purulent clots.

5. Postpartum inflammation of the appendages.

6. Peritonitis, which is accompanied by high fever and unbearable pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth.

Both physiological and pathological reasons can cause discomfort and make a young mother think about why her stomach hurts after childbirth. If you establish in time why this happens, you can minimize them or avoid pain altogether.

Therefore, the more often a woman breastfeeds her baby, the faster the uterus will recover. In the first time after the birth of the baby, uterine contractions during feeding are so strong that they resemble labor pains.

But their intensity decreases sharply in the interval between latching the newborn to the breast. Such cramping pains continue on average for 1.5–2 weeks after childbirth.

If delivery is carried out by cesarean section, then after it a scar remains on the uterus. Like any postoperative suture, it reminds itself for a long time: it tugs and causes aching pain. Typically, a cesarean section scar heals within a month to a month and a half after the operation. To prevent it from breaking apart and becoming inflamed, the young mother should carefully observe personal hygiene and follow the recommendations of doctors.

Nagging pain in the abdomen after childbirth can be a consequence of uterine curettage. In the maternity hospital, all women must undergo an ultrasound examination 2–3 days after birth. It allows you to determine whether there are pieces of the placenta, fertilized egg, or dead epithelium left in the uterine cavity.

An injury to the pubic bone during childbirth can cause abdominal pain. This pain goes away on its own after a certain period of time.

Alarming symptoms

Usually, when a woman has a stomach ache after childbirth, this is a completely natural and harmless process. But it should be understood that all pain should become less noticeable and short-lived over time.

Ideally, a month after giving birth, a woman in labor should not experience abdominal pain. Why does it happen that even after 1.5–2 months a woman is still bothered by unpleasant sensations? Perhaps the cause of the pain lies in the development of a hidden disease or in the exacerbation of a chronic problem. In any case, this symptom requires examination and appropriate medical correction.

Acute or nagging pain in the back (lower back) - many mothers know firsthand about this unpleasant moment. It can be either constant or “wavy”, that is, it either stops or worsens.

Such back pain after childbirth is associated with a number of reasons, including restoration of the position of bone tissue. Let us remember 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 original position of the bones occurs. However, normalization of bone tissue affects both muscles and nerve endings, which causes discomfort in the lower back.

We determine a possible disease by the type of pain

The pain experienced by women after childbirth can be divided into several types, taking into account certain provoking factors and diseases:

Drawing and aching pain in the lower abdomen is characteristic of contractions of the uterus due to the release of oxytocin, similar to menstrual pain.
Periodic pain during feeding is also provoked by the production of oxytocin; such pain, as a rule, subsides within a month, depending on the individual characteristics of the woman’s body, when the uterine cavity is restored.
Cutting pain - any sharp sensations should be alarming, but it is worth remembering the consequences of surgery (caesarean section), which is always accompanied by similar discomfort in the suture area, which subsides within 5-7 days.
Cramping pain is similar to pain during feeding due to contraction of the uterus.

Naturally, in order to determine the cause of pain, a woman needs not only to listen to the nature and intensity of pain, but also to take into account other parameters of her health: body temperature, the presence of discharge, the condition of the skin, etc.

Abdominal pain after childbirth when feeding a baby

When your baby nurses, the hormone oxytocin is released, which causes the uterus to contract. It is from these contractions that pain occurs. You shouldn't be afraid of this - it won't always be like this. After just a couple of weeks, breastfeeding will be completely painless.

Here you can give only one piece of advice: the more often you put your baby to your breast, the faster the uterus will contract. This is such a logical circle, thought out to the smallest detail by Mother Nature. By the way, the faster the uterus contracts, the sooner you can begin physical recovery after childbirth, in particular, remove the belly and/or stretch marks on it.

Reasons why a breastfeeding woman has a stomach ache

The joy of giving birth to a child always negates the excruciating suffering that a woman experiences during childbirth. And it seems that everything terrible is already behind us - all that remains is to enjoy a new life filled with meaning. But the joy that a woman experiences after the birth of her baby is overshadowed by postpartum pain in the perineum, back, tailbone and sacrum. However, most often pain accompanies a woman in labor in the lower abdomen.

Very often, after childbirth, a woman faces the problem of pain in the lower abdomen.

There may be several reasons for this phenomenon. Some of them are physiological in nature, some are associated with certain pathological conditions. Let's look at them in more detail and try to understand why the stomach hurts after childbirth, how it hurts and how long these pains can last.

Causes of abdominal pain after childbirth

Pain in the lower abdomen of a cramping nature is associated with the fact that after childbirth the uterus still continues to contract, and this is a completely natural process. Doctors perceive complaints about this kind of pain positively. This is explained by the fact that after the birth process, a large amount of oxytocin, the hormone responsible for uterine contractions, is released into the blood. This hormone regulates labor pains.

These pains continue until the uterus returns to its previous state. After all, from the size of a large ball it should decrease to the size of a fist.

These pains can become more severe when a woman begins to breastfeed her baby, since during this physiological process there is also increased production of oxytocin, which leads to increased uterine contractions.

Typically, such pain in the lower abdomen persists after childbirth for 4-7 days. To reduce pain, you can do special exercises. If after childbirth your stomach hurts very much, you should definitely consult with your doctor about prescribing painkillers.

The lower abdomen hurts after childbirth even after a cesarean section. This is also a variant of the norm. After all, after any surgical intervention, pain remains at the incision site for some time. In such a situation, a woman needs to monitor the condition of the seam and maintain hygiene. After a certain time, the pain will stop.

The lower abdomen also pulls after curettage, which is done if after childbirth a woman has traces of placenta. After this, the woman feels pain in the lower abdomen for quite a long time.

If a woman had ruptures during childbirth, the stitches may hurt. Moreover, pain from the perineum can move to the lower abdomen. In such a situation there is also no reason to worry, since such pain goes away as the sutures heal.

Another reason for abdominal pain of a physiological nature is that after childbirth you have to re-establish the process of urination. At first this is accompanied by a raw pain and burning sensation, but then everything returns to normal and the pain goes away.

All of the above-described causes of abdominal pain after childbirth are natural, and there is no point in worrying about them.

Pathological abdominal pain after childbirth

But it also happens that abdominal pain can be caused by certain pathological changes in the body, which are worth paying special attention to.

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Therefore, they practically do not pay attention to pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth, considering them to be a normal phenomenon. Usually this is true, but in some cases such pain can become symptoms of a dangerous disease.

During childbirth, tissue ruptures and ligament sprains often occur. In some cases, doctors have to stitch the woman in labor, which causes discomfort for a long time.

During the period when the uterus contracts, thereby causing pain, do not forget that the internal organs located next to it also affect this process. For example, a full bladder, putting pressure on the uterus, can increase pain in the lower abdomen, which is why doctors recommend going to the toilet at the first urge.

This procedure is quite unpleasant and painful, it is performed under local or general anesthesia (depending on the type of curettage), and for a long time it reminds you of abdominal pain.

Usually, when a woman has a stomach ache after childbirth, this is a completely natural and harmless process. But it should be understood that all pain should become less noticeable and short-lived over time.

The duration of pain is more than 1.5–2 weeks;

Increasing intensity of pain;

Increased body temperature;

Poor health, weakness.

As practice shows, all women experience pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth.

This is a natural process caused by physiological changes in the mother's body.

However, every mother should be attentive to her health and ensure that, against the background of minor pain, the development of hidden diseases does not begin. After all, a problem identified in time is much easier to cure than an advanced disease.

Treatment

If the lower abdomen hurts for more than a month after childbirth, it is necessary to find out why the discomfort does not go away.

Based on the data obtained as a result of laboratory and instrumental studies, the doctor must make a diagnosis and prescribe comprehensive treatment aimed at eliminating the cause and symptoms of the pathology.

It is important to remember that the course of therapy should take into account the patient’s condition after childbirth.

The postpartum mother's body temperature does not rise. The woman feels normal, does not feel weakness or loss of strength, and lives a full life.

If the pain syndrome is severe, associated with increased temperature, weakness, fever, you must immediately seek help from a gynecologist to determine the causes and timely treatment.

Treatment for inflammatory processes

In case of inflammatory processes in the uterine cavity or appendages, several comprehensive measures are required.

Antibacterial;
Infusion;
Detoxification;
Sedative;
Desensitizing.

Self-medication is contraindicated. Taking medications to contract the uterus is mandatory.

For residual effects in the uterine cavity. If there are remains of pieces of the placenta or umbilical cord, manual curettage is performed. After the procedure, antibiotics are required. The duration of the course is prescribed exclusively by the attending physician.
When the vertebrae are displaced. A set of manual therapy procedures is required.
With peritonitis. Surgical intervention. It is not advisable to delay your visit to the doctor. This is an extremely serious case, complications with a fatal outcome are possible.
For gastrointestinal diseases. A diet is prescribed. Diet variety with vegetables and dairy products. Consultation with a gastroenterologist.

In case of pathological manifestations of pain, consultation with a specialist is required. Subsequent treatment procedures are prescribed by a gynecologist in accordance with the recommendations. This will allow you to recover faster, stop the progression of pathological processes in the body, eliminate pain and return to normal life. To avoid complications, it is recommended to take preventive measures.

After discharge from the maternity hospital, in order to speed up recovery and prevent the development of severe pain, it is necessary to adhere to recommendations and preventive measures.

If back pain is caused by bone separation, then a simple massage may not only be useless, but in some cases even harmful. In this situation, qualified manual therapy is necessary.
If the new mother does not have serious injuries or injuries, then she is prescribed physical therapy.
For those women who experience pain in the lower back or any other part of the back after childbirth, a light exercise therapy course developed by a specialist will help.

Often, along with the back, the stomach hurts after childbirth. This is even more unpleasant.

If pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth is due to pathological causes and is not normal, the doctor will prescribe treatment. It will depend on what kind of disruptions occurred in the woman’s body after the birth of the baby.

Only a qualified gynecologist can make an objective and effective decision about the need and methods of treating postpartum pain. Self-medication of such pain is categorically unacceptable.

1 During the first few days after the baby is born, go to the toilet in a standing position.

2 In case of sutures, treat them only with the means specified by the attending physician.

3 Perform postpartum gymnastics exercises to restore the muscles of the abdomen and uterus.

4 Be sure to visit the antenatal clinic on the date recommended by the gynecologist after childbirth.

Only the attending physician, a specialist in his field, can provide complete and effective treatment for postpartum pain in the lower abdomen that appears on the left or right side of the abdomen. T.

because even the causes of such a symptom as abdominal pain cannot be determined by a pregnant woman on her own.

Based on this, self-medication is a categorically unacceptable method of recovery after childbirth. Each case is individual and therefore may have its own specific characteristics, which only a doctor can take into account in treatment.

Therefore, if you experience severe pain in the tummy after childbirth, consult a doctor and read below recommendations that will be useful if you experience mild pain in the lower abdomen.

3 Special postpartum gymnastics allows you to restore the muscles of the uterus and abdominal area.

4 In five days you should come to an antenatal consultation. Usually the doctor himself appoints a day for a visit to him after childbirth.

Therapeutic measures to eliminate pain are carried out depending on the causes of discomfort. Self-treatment is not recommended, as this can negatively affect the well-being of the woman and child.

Elimination of inflammation

If the painful sensations are caused by inflammation, then conservative complex treatment is used to eliminate it, which consists of the following types of therapies:

general strengthening;
antibacterial;
detoxification;
infusion;
desensitizing.

It is also mandatory to take medications to contract the uterus.

Treatment begins with taking antibiotics. In some cases, anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed.

The pain goes away after the inflammation is eliminated. It should be remembered that it is strictly forbidden to use antispasmodics for treatment.

Elimination of pain in multiparous women

1. If after childbirth the placenta remains in the uterus, then surgical treatment will be required, that is, curettage of blood clots followed by antibacterial therapy.

2. Endometritis requires conservative complex treatment with antibacterial, infusion, sedative, detoxification, restorative and desensitizing therapy. It is also possible to use drugs to enhance uterine contractions.

When talking about the pain a woman has to endure after childbirth, we cannot fail to mention the pubic joint. It is the pubic bone that often begins to hurt for many people during pregnancy. And these painful sensations do not leave some even after childbirth.

The symphysis is the connection of the pelvic bones in front. It consists of cartilage and ligaments. During pregnancy, the pubic joint withstands enormous loads. Sometimes the joint is very stretched. The process of childbirth itself contributes to this. Women with a narrow pelvis and a large fetus are especially susceptible to this. The ligaments of the symphysis are not very elastic, so the recovery process is extremely slow.

It is impossible to cure symphysiopathy. Recovery usually occurs over time.

A doctor can only help reduce symptoms and relieve severe pain syndromes. Sometimes symptoms of symphysiopathy appear after several years, for example, with increased physical activity.

Sometimes pain in the pubic joint occurs as a result of wearing high-heeled shoes, uncomfortable positions (for example, during yoga), injuries, or cycling. This can be quite unpleasant and painful, but it has virtually no effect on your overall health.

regular intake of medications with calcium, magnesium and vitamin D; consumption of foods containing calcium and magnesium; daily sunbathing or walking outdoors; changing body position every half hour; reducing physical activity; wearing special bandages (prenatal and postnatal); taking acupuncture courses; massage; electrophoresis; ultraviolet irradiation.

For very severe pain, the doctor may prescribe inpatient treatment with medications. Sometimes, in particularly severe cases, surgery is required.

If the cause of discomfort in the lower abdomen is endometritis, then treatment must be started without delay. A hospital stay is often required to complete the full course of antibiotic therapy, but this depends on the stage of the disease and its severity.

Antibacterial drugs are prescribed based on the sensitivity of the microflora (Gentamicin, Amoxicillin, Amoxiclav, Lincomycin). Often, the treatment regimen also includes Metronidazole to eliminate anaerobic pathogens, multivitamins, antihistamines, and immunomodulators.

How to get rid of pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth, what to do?

Pain in the lower abdomen after the birth of a child is a normal physiological reaction, since the woman’s muscles and internal organs have experienced a heavy load and the body is still under stress. But there are situations when the painful sensations are so intense that it is difficult to endure them. How to evaluate this symptom and what to do to reduce discomfort will be discussed below.

What to do if lower abdominal pain appears after childbirth?

In the first week after giving birth, a young mother may experience pain in the lower abdomen. The cause of this condition is most likely the untimely emptying of the bladder, which puts pressure on the uterus, preventing it from contracting.

This often happens because during labor a woman’s internal organs experience severe tension and for some time after childbirth she simply may not feel the natural urge to urinate. This condition does not require treatment, just visiting the toilet regularly is enough.

What to do if the perineum hurts after childbirth?

This condition is typical when there are stitches after an episiotomy or if the woman has torn naturally. In the first days after childbirth, the stitches on the perineum hurt very much.

In addition, they cause a certain discomfort to the woman - she cannot sit, it hurts to stand, and she can only lie in one position. It happens that the seams become inflamed, then the painful sensations are added to an increase in body temperature and chills.

You should not hide this from your doctor; the sooner you start using anti-inflammatory drugs, the faster you will return to a full life, and you will also be able to avoid suppuration of the sutures.

Once the stitches have healed, the pain will go away on its own, which usually takes about ten days. For speedy healing, the doctor may recommend that the young mother treat the injury site with Panthenol spray.

It has an anti-inflammatory, regenerating and reparative effect, due to which the skin is restored much faster. In addition, it is advisable for a new mother to use special postpartum pads with a sterile, breathable surface.

In this case, the top layer of the gasket will not stick to the healing seam and further injure it. If a woman gives birth without ruptures, she may also experience pain in the perineum.

This is due to the strong stretching of the perineal muscles as the baby passes through. This condition is not dangerous and does not require special treatment; in most cases, such pain goes away on its own within a few days.

What to do if your pubis hurts after childbirth?

1 calcium deficiency in the mother’s body;

2 excessive production of relaxin;

3 hereditary predisposition;

4 hormonal imbalance;

5 injuries and damage to the sacrum before pregnancy.

The pain is sharp and intensifies with any movement. In this case, the woman is recommended to remain at rest as much as possible, observe bed rest, and also constantly wear an elastic bandage belt that secures the pelvic bones. If necessary, the doctor also prescribes painkillers and necessary therapeutic procedures, including therapeutic exercises, electrophoresis, UV irradiation and UHF.

What to do if your back hurts after childbirth?

1 lactostasis - stagnation of milk in the ducts of the mammary glands;

2 fluid retention in the body;

Physiological pain, which was discussed in the first paragraph of this article, does not require specific treatment and goes away on its own, on average within a month after the birth of the child.

If the doctor you visit determines the pathological nature of the pain that is bothering you, he will prescribe specialized treatment.

It is unknown how long such treatment will last, but during the period of its completion you will have to strictly follow all the doctor’s recommendations.

Complications

Often, gastrointestinal diseases worsen in women after pregnancy, so pain may simply be a response to poor nutrition.

Why does my stomach hurt with endometritis after childbirth?

If a month has passed since the birth, and the pain in the abdominal area does not stop, then this can have serious consequences for the life and health of the young mother. One of the causes of these pains is the remains of the placenta in the uterus. If it is not completely removed after childbirth, then particles stuck to the wall of the uterus provoke purulent inflammation. What else causes pain after childbirth? Stitches after a caesarean section, for example, may itch and even burn.

The next cause of abdominal pain may well be an inflammatory process developing on the inner mucous membrane of the uterus (endometritis). Most often it is diagnosed in women who gave birth not naturally, but through surgery.

During the operation, microbes could easily enter the uterus, causing the further development of infection. This disease may be accompanied by bloody discharge, fever and pain in the lower abdomen.

In this case, serious treatment is required.

Another cause of pain in the abdominal area in a woman who has recently given birth to a baby is salpingoophoritis. Inflammation of the appendages is a very common disease. It is accompanied by abdominal pain that does not go away over time.

Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum that causes unbearable abdominal pain and is accompanied by fever. If present, immediate treatment will be required.

Prevention

Hygiene. After childbirth, especially if there are tissue tears and stitches, it is recommended to wash after each visit to the toilet. In some cases, treatment with antiseptic solutions is necessary.
If there are many seams, it is necessary to treat them with brilliant green or miramistin, chlorhexidine.
It is recommended to perform special exercises to speed up the recovery of muscles and joints.
Refusal of physical activity. In the first period after childbirth, it is not recommended to lift weights, perform heavy physical labor or strength exercises with weight lifting.
Refusal from intimacy until the birth canal, external and internal genital organs are completely restored. The duration depends on the severity of the damage, the mother’s well-being and the speed of the recovery period.
Timely examination by a gynecologist. It is recommended to go to the antenatal clinic one month after giving birth for an examination by a gynecologist in order to avoid the development of pathological processes and diseases.

Abdominal pain can occur both after natural delivery and after cesarean section. It is important to distinguish physiological sensations, which do not pose a danger to the health and life of a woman, from pathological ones.

Their character can change, it is important to monitor this and tell the doctor if there are unusual manifestations. If the pain does not go away for a month, even if it seems normal and physiological, you should seek advice from a specialist to exclude the development of complications.

To minimize postpartum consequences, any woman can take preventive measures independently or with the assistance of a qualified specialist.

How can you prevent or at least reduce the intensity of abdominal and lower back pain after childbirth?

monitor your general health - proper nutrition, sleep patterns, walks in the fresh air, avoiding any stressful situations;
don’t overwork, don’t lift heavy things, take care of yourself, minimize physical activity;
wear a postpartum bandage to support your back and lower back;
do a light abdominal massage to eliminate gases if necessary;
drink herbal teas (chamomile, mint, valerian), but do not overdo it, moderation is important in everything.

Remembering my postpartum period, I can say that it is very important to learn to relax the muscles of the lower abdomen during aching and cramping pain. It’s like during childbirth during marriage - the main thing is not to strain. Of course, this is not easy to implement in practice, but it is worth a try, since the effect is very effective.

Tips for preventing postpartum pain - video

Every woman who becomes a mother experiences great joy when her baby is born, but the postpartum consequences for her health can be different and not always pleasant. Pain in the abdomen and lower back in this case is a normal and inevitable phenomenon.

The key point in this situation, as in any other situation, remains the woman’s careful and calm observation of her body. Try not to worry and wait it out, taking appropriate preventive measures, but also do not miss the alarming symptoms that may indicate serious illnesses, and seek medical help from specialists in a timely manner.

In order to prevent situations where after childbirth a woman has severe abdominal pain, it is necessary to adhere to the doctor’s recommendations received upon discharge from the maternity hospital:

carefully monitor personal hygiene; during the period when the stitches have not yet healed, it is necessary to wash after each visit to the toilet;
if there are seams, treat them daily with brilliant green or other antiseptic;
starting from the early postpartum period, perform special exercises that allow you to recover faster;
do not lift heavy objects;
do not have sexual intercourse until the birth canal is completely restored;
At the appointed time, appear for a scheduled examination with a doctor at the antenatal clinic.

Regardless of the supposed reason why a mother’s stomach hurts severely after childbirth, she should consult a gynecologist for examination. Even if the pain is of a physiological nature, it is better to know about it than to be at a loss or miss the onset of a serious complication.

Diet after childbirth

A woman’s nutrition during lactation simultaneously pursues several different goals. The daily diet should not only help satiate the baby, stimulate a sufficient amount of milk in the woman, but also help the physical recovery of the female body after childbirth.

But still, the main distinguishing feature of the diet during lactation should be the complete safety of products for mother and baby. To do this, all dishes must be fresh and prepared from quality ingredients. This will help avoid digestive problems and constipation.

Childbirth - a difficult process that the female body endures steadfastly. Delivery is accompanied by pain, muscle strain, and ruptures and other complications often occur. Doctors warn - labor activity is unpredictable and it is almost impossible to predict events. But if there is pain during the birth of the baby - Although a completely natural condition, its appearance after childbirth can be dangerous. When should new moms worry?

Physiological norm of postpartum pain

Reduction - This is the main reason that some time after giving birth, a woman feels intense, sharp pain. As soon as the baby takes the breast, active production of oxytocin begins - the hormone responsible for this process, residual, waste materials leave the body.

Similar phenomenon - This is a normal response of the body to changes that have occurred and does not require additional interventions. But painful symptoms appear in the first hours and can be disturbing in the first 1-3 days, gradually decreasing.

If a woman has undergone a cesarean section, then this process is somewhat delayed, and the woman is given special medications that normalize contractile reflexes. However, if your stomach hurts after childbirth 2 weeks or more later, then we can talk about pathological processes.

After all, 2-3 months after delivery the female reproductive system is restored, and the risks of complications are high. In most cases, 3-4 weeks after the birth of a child, a woman forgets about the unpleasant sensations.

Pain syndrome may occur due to the following conditions:

fragments of the child's place remain in the fallopian tubes;
an inflammatory process localized in the uterine mucosa develops - there are many reasons, and if 2 weeks after childbirth the lower abdomen hurts, then perhaps this is a symptom of inflammation;
inflammation in the uterine appendages;
the inflammatory process has spread from the reproductive organs to the peritoneum - If you ignore the primary symptoms and attribute the unpleasant sensations to the postpartum condition, then you can expect similar complications.

If the pain is accompanied by additional symptoms: purulent discharge from the vagina or breasts, fever, swelling, etc., then most likely a serious infection has developed in the body. Any of the conditions requires contacting a gynecologist, and a woman should protect herself from possible infection.

In addition, some women are faced with such a pathological condition as discrepancy of the pubic bones. This phenomenon occurs during pregnancy, and during childbirth there is a risk of tissue rupture. After some time, inflammation may occur in the damaged area. The disease is called, which requires mandatory complex therapy.

What if the pain is not related to childbirth?

If your stomach hurts 2-3 weeks after childbirth, then you should rule out conditions not associated with it. Pain syndrome develops:

against the background of a pathological condition of the intestine;
due to disruption of the bladder;
due to kidney disease;
with inflammation of the appendix.

Most of the above ailments are extremely dangerous and require emergency hospitalization. It is not recommended to solve the problem on your own, much less relieve unpleasant symptoms with the help of painkillers and analgesic medications. Taking any medications blurs the overall clinical picture and makes it difficult to make a diagnosis.

If your lower abdomen hurts 3 weeks after giving birth, you should never ignore this phenomenon and think that this is the norm. A woman should take better care of her health by undergoing timely examination and adequate treatment.

If, after a month after giving birth, your stomach hurts like during menstruation, you need to exclude pathology. In this case, you need to consult a gynecologist.

Causes of postpartum pain

The entire maternity process consists of three periods:

smoothing and opening of the cervix;
birth of a child;
birth of a child's place.

Physiological reasons

After childbirth, the uterus reverses its development - it becomes smaller in size, the muscles contract, and their volume decreases several times. The most active muscle contraction occurs in the first hours and days. This process is accompanied by the presence of pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth of a pulling nature, but this should soon pass.

The process of reverse development occurs under the influence of the hormone oxytocin. It affects the muscles of the uterus, bladder, abdominal wall, and pelvis, promoting their contraction. Under its influence, breast milk begins to be produced. The release of oxytocin increases when the baby is latched to the breast. The nipple and the area around it are abundantly dotted with receptors, upon irritation of which a large amount of oxytocin is produced, the muscles of the uterus contract more strongly under its influence.

When a baby is born by caesarean section, recovery is more difficult and takes longer. The reason for this is the presence of a wound on the wall of the abdomen and uterus.

Pathological causes

Most often, a month after childbirth, the reproductive organ is restored, the painful sensations disappear. This process is delayed when complications arise:

the presence of pieces of the baby's place in the uterus;
inflammation of its mucous membrane;
inflammatory process of the appendages;
transition of inflammation to the abdominal cavity;
vertebral displacement;
divergence of the bones of the pubic symphysis;
intestinal pathology;
bladder dysfunction.

A number of reasons why the stomach hurts after childbirth go away on their own within a month and do not cause significant harm to the woman’s health. However, the occurrence of inflammatory complications can be dangerous to the health of the mother.

Symptoms

Pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth in all women. At first, nagging, unpleasant pain appears in the lower abdomen. Each time during breastfeeding, they intensify and may become cramping, but tolerable. At first they are more pronounced, later the above symptoms will go away on their own as the discharge disappears. If complications occur, the pain does not go away until 4 months.

Symptoms of endometritis and inflammation of the appendages

Blood is an excellent breeding ground for the growth of pathogenic microbes. If pieces of the placenta remain in the uterus, the uterus cannot fully contract; bacteria rise from the vagina into its cavity through the open pharynx. During a caesarean section, infection can enter through the surgical wound.

Symptoms of inflammatory complications:

constant aching pain;
Over time, it becomes cramp-like;
vaginal discharge becomes brown and greenish;
there are clots of pus, lumps of mucus in the discharge;
there is an unpleasant smell of discharge;
body temperature rises;
the general condition of the mother is deteriorating;
the mammary glands become painful;
the skin over the painful area turns red and is hot to the touch;
When expressing milk, pus may leak from the nipple.

If the child was born through surgery:

the seam and the skin around it turn red;
become hot;
mucus and pus begin to come out of it.

If a mother continues to breastfeed her baby, he becomes restless, constantly cries and kicks his legs. The baby's stool may become liquid with an unpleasant odor, and regurgitation or vomiting may occur.

Symptoms of mastitis

If the infection has entered the mammary glands of a nursing mother, she may experience lower abdominal pain and a change in the nature of the discharge. This often happens in a situation where 2 months have not passed since birth.

The patient will be bothered by pain and discharge of pus from the chest, aching pain in the lower abdomen, and a rise in temperature.

Symptoms of peritonitis

The transition of the inflammatory process to the abdominal cavity can occur from the source of inflammation in the uterus or its appendages when seeking medical help late. In this case, the patient’s condition worsens:

the whole stomach hurts;
intensifies when touched;
becomes unbearable the moment the hand is removed from the stomach;
body temperature jumps to the highest possible numbers;
pressure decreases;
pulse quickens.

If two months have passed since the birth of the child, there is no longer any discharge; when such a complication develops, it appears again and becomes greenish with an unpleasant odor.

Symptoms of vertebral displacement

If the pain does not subside after 4 months of the baby's birth, you need to think about vertebral displacement. It is typical for him:

the pain is acute;
localized in the lumbar area;
intensifies when turning to the sides, bending, trying to lift the child;
“jamming” may occur.

When “jammed,” a woman cannot straighten up after an unsuccessful bend or turn. In severe cases, the substance of the spinal cord is pinched. Then the woman will be bothered by numbness in one or both legs.

This complication will not go away on its own. The patient should consult a neurologist.

Symptoms of intestinal pathology

As the fetus grows, the uterus pushes the intestines upward. He is in a compressed position throughout the pregnancy. After childbirth, women often experience constipation. On average, up to 4-6 months are needed to normalize intestinal function.

In this case, the patient is worried about heaviness in the intestines and bloating. The stomach may hurt when you want to go to the toilet, the pain may go away after a bowel movement.

Diagnostics

When 2 or 3 months have passed after childbirth and the pain persists, the doctor conducts a series of studies:

examination on a chair;
examination of vaginal contents;
examination of discharge from a suture on the abdomen;
X-ray of the spine and pelvic bones;
urine and blood analysis.

Such studies help detect pieces of the placenta in the uterus. At the same time, the reproductive organ remains large in size, its wall will be loose. Pathogenic microbes are found in the discharge. A blood test shows inflammatory changes.

An X-ray of the spine and pelvic bones will detect displacement of the vertebrae or divergence of bones in the symphysis area.

Treatment

The treatment program depends on the cause of the pain. In case of inflammation, antibiotics are prescribed, solutions are dripped into a vein to reduce the manifestations of intoxication, and drugs are administered to contract the muscles of the uterus.

For intestinal diseases, a diet that includes fermented milk products and natural yoghurts is recommended. Vegetables and fruits are allowed depending on the child’s age and reaction to their consumption. If peritonitis occurs, surgery is performed. The patient also receives antibiotics.

In the first time after childbirth, at the first urge to go to the toilet, a woman should recover. Each restraint leads to the development of constipation.

Do not use synthetic pads or tampons. They must be made of natural fabric. Such pads need to be changed as they become saturated with secretions, but at least every two hours. You need to wash yourself using special products. At first, at least 4 times a day.

You need to put your baby to the breast at his request. The remaining milk needs to be expressed. The chest should be kept warm at all times.

If, a month after giving birth, the lower abdomen hurts, the patient should consult a gynecologist.

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After childbirth, a woman’s lower abdomen hurts and should she worry?

Childbirth is a very complex process, during and after which significant changes occur in the body. Unfortunately, many women in the early postpartum period are deprived of the opportunity to devote sufficient time to their health, since all their attention is focused on the newborn baby. Therefore, they practically do not pay attention to pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth, considering them to be a normal phenomenon. Usually this is true, but in some cases such pain can become symptoms of a dangerous disease.

Natural Causes of Abdominal Pain

During childbirth, tissue ruptures and ligament sprains often occur. In some cases, doctors have to stitch the woman in labor, which causes discomfort for a long time.

The main reason why a woman experiences pain in her lower abdomen after childbirth is contraction of the uterus. Spastic phenomena intensify when the baby is breastfed, since the oxytocin produced during this process causes intense contraction of the uterine muscles. Therefore, the more often a woman breastfeeds her baby, the faster the uterus will recover. In the first time after the birth of the baby, uterine contractions during feeding are so strong that they resemble labor pains. But their intensity decreases sharply in the interval between latching the newborn to the breast. Such cramping pains continue on average for 1.5–2 weeks after childbirth.

During the period when the uterus contracts, thereby causing pain, do not forget that the internal organs located next to it also affect this process. For example, a full bladder, putting pressure on the uterus, can increase pain in the lower abdomen, which is why doctors recommend going to the toilet at the first urge.

If the examination shows the presence of any clots in the uterus, the doctor prescribes a drip to the woman with drugs that increase contractions of the uterus and help “cleanse” it. When it turns out that these measures are not enough, a decision is made to perform aspiration. This procedure is quite unpleasant and painful, it is performed under local or general anesthesia (depending on the type of curettage), and for a long time it reminds you of abdominal pain.

An injury to the pubic bone during childbirth can cause abdominal pain. This pain goes away on its own after a certain period of time.

Alarming symptoms

Often the cause of abdominal pain is caused by disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract. Stress, lack of sleep, and changes in diet, especially during breastfeeding, cause intestinal problems. First of all, a young mother should adjust her diet, excluding from it foods that are difficult to digest, as well as everything that can cause bloating and indigestion. If there is no relief within a month, you will need to consult your doctor again.
A very dangerous symptom is an increase in body temperature and increased pain in the lower abdomen in combination with the appearance of bloody discharge, especially if this occurs a month after childbirth. Around this time, endometritis may develop in the uterine cavity, caused by a bacterial or fungal infection introduced during a cesarean section or cleaning.
Gradually increasing abdominal pain may indicate inflammatory processes in the tubes and cervix. Pieces of the placenta and amniotic membrane remaining in the uterus can trigger the process of decay, which will require mandatory hospital treatment under the supervision of a doctor.
Sharp pain radiating to the spine can be caused by injuries or pinched vertebrae. In this case, it is necessary to diagnose the spine to identify the cause of the pain. After which the doctor will prescribe a course of procedures and, if necessary, medication.

A woman should definitely seek help from a doctor if she has the following symptoms:

the duration of pain is more than 1.5–2 weeks;
increase in pain intensity;
increased body temperature;
poor health, weakness.

As practice shows, all women experience pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth.

This is a natural process caused by physiological changes in the mother's body.

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Mom needs to know

Causes of postpartum abdominal pain

Postpartum recovery is different for all women. According to gynecologists, if during the first month after childbirth the stomach hurts and the discomfort is moderate, this is normal, because over the course of nine months colossal transformations have occurred in the female body.

The internal organs and musculoskeletal system have been subjected to serious stress throughout pregnancy, so after the birth of the child the body begins to gradually recover, which causes some physical discomfort. But if even 2 months after childbirth the stomach hurts severely, then most often the cause should be sought in pathology.

Causes

The establishment of breastfeeding is accompanied by the release of the hormone oxytocin into the blood, which stimulates not only lactation together with prolactin, but also leads to uterine contractions. For this reason, during the first week after childbirth, the lower abdomen sometimes hurts.
Severe discomfort that does not subside 2-3 months after childbirth, when a woman often complains that her stomach hurts, spastic contractions occur, as during menstruation, and is also bothered by hyperthermia, often indicate the development of endometritis. Often such inflammation develops in women who gave birth by cesarean section. If during the operation a pathogenic microflora accidentally penetrates into the uterine cavity, it begins to multiply there, leading to pathological processes in which bloody clots mixed with pus begin to be released from the woman’s genital tract.
Another reason is birth trauma. If a woman has a fragile constitution, and her child is quite large, then when passing through the birth canal this leads to displacement of the vertebrae or pelvic bones, as well as excessive divergence of the pubic symphysis. At first, a young mother may not feel pain, since under the influence of relaxin, the ligaments and joints remain well mobile for some time. However, 4 months after birth, the stomach, hip joint, and pubis hurt, and the sensation intensifies when lying on the side or when sitting in an unphysiological position.
Discomfort in the abdominal cavity 2 months after birth can occur when the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted, the stomach hurts, and the sensations are spastic in nature. This happens if the mother adheres to a strict diet while breastfeeding and refuses dairy products and fiber, which are necessary for normal digestion.
Sutures placed on the perineum or lower abdomen can also provoke pain. With normal wound healing, this period does not exceed 5-7 days.

As can be seen for the reasons listed above, abdominal pain can have both a physiological and pathological nature. It is important to quickly determine the etiology of the discomfort, since if inflammation develops, even one or two days without adequate therapy can lead to serious complications that negatively affect a woman’s reproductive health.

When is pain normal?

The occurrence of unpleasant sensations after the birth of a child is not always associated with the development of any pathological process. The perineum and lower part of the abdominal cavity can often hurt as a result of the fact that the first few weeks after childbirth the uterus contracts intensely, which causes discomfort in the young mother and the feeling that she has a stomach ache.

Unpleasant sensations may appear due to the following physiological reasons:

excessive mobility of the hip joint, caused by the production of relaxin during pregnancy, leads to pain radiating to the pubic area and lower abdomen;
when the baby suckles, the mother releases oxytocin, which promotes rapid restoration of the birth canal and contraction of the uterus, which also causes discomfort;
an overfilled bladder puts pressure on the abdominal organs, and during urination a woman may feel a slight burning sensation due to microtrauma of the external genitalia.

If a young mother has a stomach ache during the first few weeks, then these pains are often of a physiological nature, but when discomfort occurs a month or more after birth, you should consult a doctor to find out the reasons.

Pathological pain

Unfortunately, the postpartum recovery period does not always pass without complications, so if you have pain in the perineum or lower abdomen after childbirth, it is better to visit a gynecologist for examination and consultation.

Various pathological processes can occur in the body of a woman who has recently given birth:

When manually separating the placenta, there is a possibility that part of the baby's place will remain in the uterine cavity - this can lead to the development of an inflammatory process.
Suppuration of sutures after cesarean section. At the same time, the woman’s stomach hurts, as if during menstruation, especially after the second birth, which took place in this way.
Inflammatory lesion of the appendages, affecting one or two ovaries.
Endometritis is a disease that affects the inner lining of the uterus. The disease can occur after childbirth: the stomach hurts like during menstruation, body temperature increases, and suppuration develops.
Discrepancy of joints and displacement of vertebrae during childbirth.
Peritonitis is a rare complication that occurs when the sutures on the uterus diverge and the peritoneum becomes infected.

Treatment

If the cause of discomfort in the lower abdomen is endometritis, then treatment must be started without delay. A hospital stay is often required to complete the full course of antibiotic therapy, but this depends on the stage of the disease and its severity. Antibacterial drugs are prescribed based on the sensitivity of the microflora (Gentamicin, Amoxicillin, Amoxiclav, Lincomycin). Often, the treatment regimen also includes Metronidazole to eliminate anaerobic pathogens, multivitamins, antihistamines, and immunomodulators.

When pain occurs due to birth injuries or bone discrepancies, treatment is carried out by a traumatologist. Often it is necessary to limit the mobility of the joint and wear special bandages. To relieve pain, Paracetamol or other NSAIDs are prescribed if the woman is not breastfeeding. You should also take calcium in a therapeutic dosage.

If you are constipated, the first thing you should do is improve your diet. If this does not help, you can start taking medications. When breastfeeding, you should consult your doctor about which medications are approved for use. Typically, nursing mothers are prescribed Duphalac based on lactulose.

Prevention

In order to prevent situations where a woman has severe stomach pain after childbirth, it is necessary to adhere to the doctor’s recommendations received upon discharge from the maternity hospital:

carefully monitor personal hygiene; during the period when the stitches have not yet healed, it is necessary to wash after each visit to the toilet;
if there are seams, treat them daily with brilliant green or other antiseptic;
starting from the early postpartum period, perform special exercises that allow you to recover faster;
do not lift heavy objects;
do not have sexual intercourse until the birth canal is completely restored;
At the appointed time, appear for a scheduled examination with a doctor at the antenatal clinic.

Pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth: strong, pulling, cramping

The rehabilitation period after the birth of a child is different for all women. Many people experience stomach pain after childbirth, and this frightens young mothers. In fact, if these sensations are short-lived and quite tolerable, they are considered normal.

The muscles and internal organs have been subjected to enormous stress, and the body has been in a state of stress for some time. This is what determines the pain during this period. However, if they do not go away for too long and cause unbearable discomfort to the woman, this cannot be tolerated. Therefore, it is so important to understand the causes of these painful and unpleasant sensations in the lower abdomen.

Possible reasons

Nagging, cramping pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth is caused by the body’s active production of oxytocin. This is a hormone that provokes active contractions of the uterus. During this period, her muscles are in good shape, as this organ returns to its former shape and size (read more about the restoration of the uterus here). This is the main cause of pain in the lower abdomen after the birth of a baby.
The second factor that explains why the stomach hurts after childbirth is breastfeeding. During lactation, a woman’s breast nipples become irritated, and this provokes even greater production of oxytocin. Accordingly, the uterus begins to contract even stronger and more actively, causing pain.
Severe abdominal pain after childbirth, which does not stop after a month, is already a serious pathology, the causes of which can pose a danger to the health and life of the young mother. And one of them is the remains of the placenta in the uterus. It simply might not have been completely removed from there after the birth of the child. In this case, its particles become stuck to the wall of the uterus. This provokes the formation of blood clots and the process of rotting.
The next reason is endometritis (inflammatory process of the uterine mucosa). It is most often diagnosed in women who gave birth not naturally, but by cesarean section. During this operation, infections and microbes often enter the uterus. As a result, after childbirth, the lower abdomen hurts greatly, the temperature rises, and there is bloody discharge with purulent clots.
Salpingo-oophoritis (postpartum inflammation of the appendages) is another cause of discomfort after the birth of a baby. If it is present, at first there are mild but nagging pains in the lower abdomen, which do not go away over time.
If the pain is unbearable and is accompanied by high fever, the cause may lie in peritonitis - a dangerous infectious disease that will require immediate treatment.
If the lower abdomen and lower back hurt, radiating to the spine, we may be talking about a postpartum injury, namely, a displacement of the vertebrae. As a rule, such sensations can be disturbing even six months after childbirth, and they usually manifest themselves during physical activity or when walking, when a large load is placed on the spine.
Sometimes a woman may find that her lower abdomen hurts a month after giving birth: the cause may be improper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Most often this happens due to a lack of dairy products and fiber in her diet. This leads to fermentation and gas formation processes, which create unpleasant painful sensations in the abdominal area.
If the pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth is characterized by burning and rawness, this is due to the process of urination, which returns to normal within 3-4 days after the birth of the child. Over time, these unpleasant sensations pass.
In some cases, the stomach may hurt due to severe divergence of the hip joint during labor. The process of its recovery can be quite long - up to 5 months, depending on the individual characteristics of the woman’s body.

This is why after childbirth the stomach hurts, just like during menstruation: everything is explained by normal or pathological physiological processes occurring in a woman’s body. If they are short-lived and pass quickly, there is no need to worry or panic. If a week has passed since giving birth and the pain still persists, you should definitely consult a doctor. You may need to undergo a course of treatment to avoid complications.

Treatment

If pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth is due to pathological causes and is not normal, the doctor will prescribe treatment. It will depend on what kind of disruptions occurred in the woman’s body after the birth of the baby.

If after childbirth your stomach hurts a lot due to the placenta remaining in the uterus, this problem can be solved with the help of surgical treatment. Blood clots and placenta particles are scraped out to avoid postpartum infection. After this, antibacterial therapy is prescribed.
If severe pain in the lower abdomen is caused by beginning and developing endometritis, complex conservative treatment will be required. It includes antibacterial, infusion, detoxification, sedative, desensitizing and restorative therapy, and the use of uterine contractions. To limit inflammation, a therapeutic and protective regimen is prescribed to normalize the central nervous system. You will also need good nutrition, which will contain a lot of proteins and vitamins.
If a lot of time has passed, and the pain in the lower abdomen, radiating to the spine, makes itself felt (this may be after 3, 4 months), you need to contact a specialist to check whether the vertebrae were displaced during childbirth). In this case, manual therapy will be required.
If peritonitis has been diagnosed, immediate surgery is required.
For problems with the gastrointestinal tract, doctors usually recommend a special diet. Since pain in the lower abdomen due to this reason can manifest itself 1 or even 2 months after childbirth, a woman needs to include more dairy products and those rich in fiber in her diet from the very beginning.

So the treatment of such painful sensations after childbirth is determined by the reasons that caused them. But what to do if unpleasant, cramping abdominal pain after childbirth is the norm (caused by natural contractions of the uterus), but prevents you from enjoying the birth of your baby in the first days after the long-awaited birth? A few helpful tips will help you deal with them.

To smooth out painful sensations in the lower abdomen after childbirth, try to follow simple recommendations:

try to determine their cause, and for this you need to know how long the stomach hurts after childbirth: no more than 5-7 days, if it is a natural contraction of the uterus, and the nature of the pain should be pulling, cramping, but tolerable;
if this continues for too long (1, 2, 3 months or even longer), this is not the norm, and you need to seek diagnosis and treatment from doctors as soon as possible;
the seams are treated daily with green paint to speed up their healing;
In order for the uterus to quickly acquire its previous shape, you need to perform special exercises;
On the 5th day after discharge from the maternity hospital, you must visit an antenatal clinic.

If you know why the lower abdomen hurts after childbirth and how long it can last within the normal range, this issue will not cause concern for the young mother and will allow her to enjoy communication with her baby. Timely measures taken will reduce pain and prevent the risk of unwanted complications and consequences that are dangerous to the health and life of a woman.

There are a number of conclusions about the dangers of washing cosmetics. Unfortunately, not all new mothers listen to them. 97% of shampoos use the dangerous substance Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or its analogues. Many articles have been written about the effects of this chemistry on the health of both children and adults. At the request of our readers, we tested the most popular brands.

The results were disappointing - the most advertised companies showed the presence of those very dangerous components in their composition. In order not to violate the legal rights of manufacturers, we cannot name specific brands. The Mulsan Cosmetics company, the only one that passed all the tests, successfully received 10 points out of 10 (check out). Each product is made from natural ingredients, completely safe and hypoallergenic.

If you doubt the naturalness of your cosmetics, check the expiration date; it should not exceed 10 months. Be careful when choosing cosmetics, this is important for you and your child.

Hello, I gave birth 8 years ago, already 1.5 meters lower abdomen hurts, I went to the ears, they said replenishment, I went to the gynecologist, he said there was nothing wrong, he prescribed denitol ichthyolone suppositories and spinning, but the pain does not go away, pain in the lower back is not yet clear

First you need to understand the reason why your stomach may hurt after childbirth. It might be worth seeing a doctor. For example, after giving birth, bloating and colic began to appear in my stomach. The doctor told me that this could be due to poor nutrition. And he prescribed the usual pills for bloating - trimedate.

Hello. My lower abdomen hurts, especially in the morning. Not like during menstruation, but as if my abs were pumping all night, it’s even difficult to get out of bed. I gave birth a week ago. After giving birth, severe hemorrhoids appeared. Since it was painful to sit down and stand up due to hemorrhoids, I had to pull myself up with my arms and strain my stomach. Now I’m wondering if these pains are dangerous.

Tell me, I am experiencing pain in the lower abdomen. I had a caesarean section and now I’m afraid to take medications in case it gets worse. Is it possible to take Trimedat in my case? And if possible, then maybe after a Caesarean section it should be taken differently?

Have you tried talking to a therapist? Have you taken any tests? This determines what to treat and how to treat it.

Hello, Elena. Try to change your eating style, reconsider your diet. A change of activity will be beneficial; you need to unwind and relax.

Virgo, the problem is not directly related to childbirth, because... More than eight months have passed, lactation had to be completed before a year. It happened that way. Now I am tormented by spasms and colic in the intestines, my stomach hurts quite a bit. What is it connected with? How to save yourself?

Any copying is prohibited without permission from the administration.

Often, women after childbirth have pain in the lower abdomen. There is nothing unusual in this state. The female body recovers, but it takes time.

Sometimes painful processes continue for a week, a month, or longer. There is no need to endure this condition - the pain will not go away on its own, you will still have to go to an appointment with a gynecologist.

What are the grounds?

Many years of medical practice show that the rehabilitation period after childbirth is different for every woman.

When a young mother often has pain in her lower abdomen, this is nothing unusual. The body is recovering from the stress caused by the birth of a child.

Internal organs, pelvic joints, muscles and ligaments experienced enormous stress.

Returning to a normal state requires both time and appropriate procedures to promote recovery.

The natural rehabilitation process should be completed in a week or two, maximum in a month.

Obstetricians and gynecologists know that after childbirth, the lower abdomen may hurt for several objective reasons.

The most common ones include the following:

hormonal imbalance;
remains of the placenta in the uterus;
inflammation of the uterine mucosa;
inflammation of the appendages.

When childbirth proceeds naturally, there is a separation of certain joints. This is a painful process.

If the lower back hurts during the period after childbirth, then the joints simply return to their original state.

If there is a strong discrepancy during gestation and childbirth, the joint sometimes does not have time to return to its normal position within a month.

If a caesarean section was performed, then after childbirth the lower abdomen hurts even more - the pain at the incision site is simply added. Even minor surgery is not without pain.

It is very important to monitor how the suture is healing, maintain hygiene and avoid excessive physical activity.

In a normal state of health, after a month the wound at the site of the suture will have healed securely, and the pain, as a rule, will stop.

You need to gradually accustom yourself and your entire body to everyday life. But when the pain in the lower abdomen does not stop, treatment should be started.

Hormonal imbalance, placental remnants and inflammation

During childbirth, the body produces a special hormone that stimulates uterine contractions. This is how the mechanism of the reproductive system works. The hormone is called oxytocin.

Pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth occurs because the production of this hormone continues. The uterus contracts, returning to its original shape, and this process is painful.

Obstetricians and gynecologists consider this to be the main cause of pain. After a short period of time everything passes. The main thing is not to speed up the recovery process and not to take random medications.

When the lower abdomen hurts severely and the pain remains a month after childbirth, this indicates the presence of a serious pathology.

In such a situation, it is necessary to determine the cause that causes acute discomfort, otherwise the health and even the life of the young mother may be at risk.

Most often, the pain is caused by the remnants of the placenta in the uterus. Inflammation and even decay of the remains occur because they were not removed in a timely manner after the birth of the child.

Particles of the placenta adhere to the walls of the uterus and contribute to the formation of foci of suppuration. If such a pathology is detected, the remnants of the placenta must be urgently removed.

Another reason that causes pain in the lower abdomen is called endometritis. To put it another way, it is an inflammation of the mucous membrane on the inner surface of the uterus.

Most often, this diagnosis is made to women who have had a Caesarean. During such an operation, various carriers of infection are able to penetrate into the uterus, resulting in severe pain in the lower abdomen and discharge with purulent and bloody inclusions.

With this development of the disease, you need to urgently contact the antenatal clinic and undergo an examination.

Practice shows that inflammation of the appendages during the postpartum period can cause pain in the lower abdomen.

The main symptom in this case is that not only the lower abdomen hurts, but also the lower back.

The inflammation develops gradually and in the first stages the woman does not pay due attention to the weak and nagging pain.

But if after a week the painful sensations do not go away, but intensify, it is necessary to urgently consult a supervising doctor, otherwise the disease will progress further.

Treatment of postpartum pain

Women with children confirm that after childbirth, almost everyone has pain in the lower abdomen. At this time, the body returns to its natural state, and this return is accompanied by pain.

Pain is caused either by normal physiological processes, as during menstruation, or by emerging pathology.

If the pain has not subsided within a month after the birth of the child, then it is imperative to find out why this did not happen.

When particles of placenta remain in the uterus, they are scraped out. In this way, the basis for the occurrence of inflammation and the development of other unpleasant and dangerous diseases on this basis is eliminated.

When a month has passed after the successful completion of childbirth, but the lower abdomen still hurts, a comprehensive examination of the body is required. When a young mother is diagnosed with endometritis, treatment is prescribed.

There are many items in the composition of drugs and procedures. To represent the content of the treatment process, it is enough to mention antibacterial, infusion and sedative therapy.

And this is not a complete list. Great importance is attached to a nutritious diet containing proteins and vitamins.

First of all, you need to be prepared for the fact that after childbirth your lower abdomen will hurt. When this period comes, it is necessary to determine why the pain occurred.

If it gradually fades, then no active actions should be performed. When after a week the pain has not decreased, this indicates the presence of a disease in the body and it is undesirable to wait longer - you should consult a doctor.

It is recommended to treat sutures that invariably remain after a cesarean section with regular brilliant green, then healing will go faster.

In the first time after the birth of a child, the mother may experience noticeable lower back pain. It is advisable to visit a surgeon to determine the true cause of this phenomenon.

Sometimes during childbirth, the nerve endings become pinched by the lower vertebrae. This pathology must be eliminated as soon as possible. The lower abdomen can hurt for various reasons.

Before starting self-treatment, you should definitely consult a gynecologist. This rule should be followed strictly.

If you want to know why your stomach hurts after childbirth, then check out this article.

It contains a lot of information about various physiological and pathological causes of pain after childbirth, as well as tips on how to get rid of pain and cramps in the abdomen.

Pathological causes of pain after childbirth

Often the cause of abdominal pain in young mothers is the remnants of the placenta that were not removed during childbirth.

The placenta attaches to the lining of the uterus and begins to decompose, poisoning the woman’s body with toxic substances.

If abdominal pain lasts a long time, almost without stopping, then the cause of this condition may be inflammation of the uterine mucosa caused by endometritis.

This disease is common in women who have had a caesarean section. Endometritis is an infectious disease that takes a long time to treat.

Additional symptoms of endometritis are bloody vaginal discharge, saturated with clots of pus.

If your left or right side hurts after childbirth, then you need to consult a doctor and ask him to check your body for the presence of inflammation of the appendages.

The symptoms of this disease are nagging pains that either disappear or reappear after a short time.

If the lower abdomen hurts after childbirth, then perhaps the cause of this problem lies in postpartum peritonitis. This disease belongs to the class of infectious and requires immediate treatment.

Abdominal pain after childbirth can also appear due to improper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Such pain can radiate to the left or right side, and sometimes spread higher, right up to the sternum. This state of affairs can be corrected by following a diet prescribed by a doctor.

If after childbirth both the stomach and lower back hurt, then probably the cause of these unpleasant sensations is postpartum displacement of the vertebrae.

Such pain will not go away a month after childbirth, or three months, or six months. You can minimize the consequences of injury by contacting an osteopathic doctor.

How to get rid of abdominal pain after childbirth?

Physiological pain, which was discussed in the first paragraph of this article, does not require specific treatment and goes away on its own, on average within a month after the birth of the child.

If the doctor you visit determines the pathological nature of the pain that is bothering you, he will prescribe specialized treatment.

It is unknown how long such treatment will last, but during the period of its completion you will have to strictly follow all the doctor’s recommendations.

Pain caused by the presence of placental remains in the uterus cannot be treated with medication. To get rid of this problem, you should agree to invasive surgery.

In addition, urgent surgical intervention is required when peritonitis is diagnosed. Delayed treatment or its absence can lead to sad problems: severe disability or death.

If the cause of abdominal pain after childbirth is gastrointestinal disorders, then you should completely reconsider your diet and create a diet that meets the needs of your body.

This can be done together with a general practitioner who monitors the condition of women who have recently given birth.

The diet should include a large amount of dairy products (especially cottage cheese) and fiber, which is rich in green vegetables.

In order not to provoke the appearance of gases, you need to avoid eating foods such as white bread, potatoes, cabbage, as well as legumes.

How many months does it take for a woman to fully recover after childbirth? The answer to this question may not be clear cut.

The body of any representative of the fair sex who has survived such a serious test cannot immediately return to its usual functioning.

Remember: after you have given birth to a beautiful baby, you must fight with all your might for your health, preventing the emergence and development of various pathological situations.

Any severe pain experienced after childbirth can be an important symptom. The sooner you visit the clinic and clarify the reasons that cause discomfort, the better.

After reading this article, you were able to find out why pain appears in the lower abdomen after childbirth.

There are a number of physiological and pathological reasons that can provoke them.

If you feel severe pain that is reflected in the left or right side or is localized in the lower abdomen and does not go away for a long time, then do not tolerate it, but consult a doctor.

First, you should visit a therapist or gynecologist who is supervising your pregnancy.

If they suspect the presence of any pathological processes in the body, they will refer you to highly specialized doctors who can help you get rid of pain after childbirth.

Abdominal pain is the companion of every woman who has given birth. Processes in the body associated with pregnancy and childbirth lead to discomfort and pain, especially in the first hours and days after the birth of the child. But unpleasant sensations can be both a manifestation of the norm and a developing pathology. How to understand the causes of abdominal pain after childbirth? How to distinguish physiological pain from pathological? What to do if your stomach hurts for a long period after childbirth? These issues are covered in the article.

Each woman goes through the postpartum recovery period individually. But every woman in labor experiences varying degrees of pain. Gynecologists say that moderate discomfort within a month after childbirth is a manifestation of the norm. During pregnancy and at the birth of a child, the mother’s organs underwent great changes and stress, which did not pass without a trace and ended with the birth of a child. The muscles and bones of a pregnant woman are gradually restored. This takes 1-1.5 months. If after this period the pain continues to appear and cause discomfort, you need to find out the cause.

Causes of postpartum abdominal pain

The main reason for the discomfort of a woman who has given birth is physiological. When a child passes through the body, tissue stretching naturally occurs, microcracks, tears or episiotomy appear. During a caesarean section, the suture hurts a lot. If the sensations are tolerable, without an increase in temperature, this is a normal recovery stage for the body. If symptoms appear that are not normal, what is happening indicates an infection or other pathological processes in the body of the postpartum woman. It is necessary to distinguish natural physiological pain in the abdomen from pathological ones that are not the norm.

Standard options

The above examples are disturbing immediately after childbirth; it takes a week or two for the unpleasant symptoms to disappear. The body is recovering.

But when the lower abdomen is tight, the discomfort intensifies or does not go away after 2 weeks and a month - this is considered a manifestation of ailments and requires contacting a gynecologist to find out the reasons.

Options for the development of pathology

Inflammatory processes in the uterine cavity. Sometimes the placenta has to be separated manually. The baby's place is not born on its own, this causes the risk that part remains in the uterus and is quite capable of causing inflammation.
Inflammation and suppuration of the sutures. If the sutures in the birth canal have not healed or an infection has occurred due to insufficient hygiene or physical activity, suppuration develops. This causes severe pain and requires immediate treatment, removal of old stitches and application of others.
Inflammation of the appendages. Inflammation of the ovaries, one or both, may occur. Typically occurs after a caesarean section.
Endometritis. After childbirth, the inner surface of the uterus is a continuous wound. If an infection occurs at this moment, a serious disease develops - endometritis. With this disease, the body temperature rises, the stomach hurts as during menstruation, and suppuration develops in the uterine cavity.
Divergence of the pelvic bones during childbirth. After childbirth, the situation disappears on its own within a week. If this does not happen, the pain intensifies and you need to contact a specialist.
Peritonitis. A serious disease that can occur after a cesarean section and rupture of the sutures on the uterus. The sutures may become inflamed, and the process of suppuration moves into the abdominal cavity.
Diseases of the digestive system. The intestines can be compressed as the baby passes through the birth canal. In addition, lack of sleep and changes in diet while breastfeeding can cause constipation, gas formation, and fermentation. Pain in the intestines radiates to the lower abdomen and is perceived as gynecological.

Treatment

As a rule, pain associated with natural childbirth and the normal course of the postpartum period disappears after a month. During the month after birth, physiological sensations are of moderate sensitivity, do not cause severe discomfort, and gradually appear less until they disappear completely. The postpartum mother's body temperature does not rise. The woman feels normal, does not feel weakness or loss of strength, and lives a full life.

If the pain syndrome is severe, associated with increased temperature, weakness, fever, you must immediately seek help from a gynecologist to determine the causes and timely treatment.

Treatment for inflammatory processes

In case of inflammatory processes in the uterine cavity or appendages, several comprehensive measures are required.

Antibacterial;
Infusion;
Detoxification;
Sedative;
Desensitizing.

Self-medication is contraindicated. Taking medications to contract the uterus is mandatory.

For residual effects in the uterine cavity. If there are remains of pieces of the placenta or umbilical cord, manual curettage is performed. After the procedure, antibiotics are required. The duration of the course is prescribed exclusively by the attending physician.
When the vertebrae are displaced. A set of manual therapy procedures is required.
With peritonitis. Surgical intervention. It is not advisable to delay your visit to the doctor. This is an extremely serious case, complications with a fatal outcome are possible.
For gastrointestinal diseases. A diet is prescribed. Diet variety with vegetables and dairy products. Consultation with a gastroenterologist.

In case of pathological manifestations of pain, consultation with a specialist is required. Subsequent treatment procedures are prescribed by a gynecologist in accordance with the recommendations. This will allow you to recover faster, stop the progression of pathological processes in the body, eliminate pain and return to normal life. To avoid complications, it is recommended to take preventive measures.

After discharge from the maternity hospital, in order to speed up recovery and prevent the development of severe pain, it is necessary to adhere to recommendations and preventive measures.

Preventive measures against abdominal pain

Hygiene. After childbirth, especially if there are tissue tears and stitches, it is recommended to wash after each visit to the toilet. In some cases, treatment with antiseptic solutions is necessary.
If there are many seams, it is necessary to treat them with brilliant green or miramistin, chlorhexidine.
It is recommended to perform special exercises to speed up the recovery of muscles and joints.
Refusal of physical activity. In the first period after childbirth, it is not recommended to lift weights, perform heavy physical labor or strength exercises with weight lifting.
Refusal from intimacy until the birth canal, external and internal genital organs are completely restored. The duration depends on the severity of the damage, the mother’s well-being and the speed of the recovery period.
Timely examination by a gynecologist. It is recommended to go to the antenatal clinic one month after giving birth for an examination by a gynecologist in order to avoid the development of pathological processes and diseases.

After the birth of a child, unpleasant sensations are inevitable. They are associated with the fact of the birth of the child, the state of the woman’s health, and the characteristics of the course of pregnancy and childbirth. Abdominal pain can occur both after natural delivery and after cesarean section. It is important to distinguish physiological sensations, which do not pose a danger to the health and life of a woman, from pathological ones. Their character can change, it is important to monitor this and tell the doctor if there are unusual manifestations. If the pain does not go away for a month, even if it seems normal and physiological, you should seek advice from a specialist to exclude the development of complications.

Childbirth 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 symptom for many mothers is pain after childbirth. What are they connected to? What are they? Why do they appear? And is it really possible to fight them?

What kind of pain can occur in women in labor?

Most often, women in labor experience unpleasant sensations in the lumbar and tailbone areas. Sometimes headaches and discomfort in the chest, back or abdomen may occur. At the same time, it is accompanied by unpleasant, pulsating or pulling, sharp or, conversely, dull spasms that hinder movement. In addition, for example, back pain radiates to other parts of the body, which leads to certain problems when feeding the baby, walking, lifting objects of different weights, etc.

Should you worry when your stomach hurts?

One of the most common problems faced by young mothers is unpleasant discomfort in the lower abdomen. But should you be scared, let alone panic, when your stomach hurts after childbirth? To answer this question, it is worth considering the possible causes of this disease, which may be physiological or pathological.

It's all due to oxytocin

There are many potential causes associated with lower abdominal pain. Moreover, each of them is characterized by different symptoms. For example, if there is a cramping or nagging pain, this indicates that you are actively producing a special hormone, oxytocin. It is he who helps the uterus, which has opened and increased in size, to take its original shape.

Sometimes a woman in labor experiences unpleasant and wave-like sensations, which intensify while breastfeeding the baby. In this case, the culprit of the trouble is also oxytocin, released as a protective barrier from external irritants and again leading to involuntary contraction of the muscles of the uterus. As you can see, in both cases the stomach hurts after childbirth for completely normal physiological reasons. As a rule, such pain is not protracted and goes away after 5-10 days.

When should you sound the alarm?

When the pain in the abdominal area becomes prolonged (does not stop for more than a month), you should urgently consult a doctor. Its cause may be, for example, the presence of placenta remnants 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, pain after childbirth in the abdominal area can occur when pathogenic bacteria and microbes come into contact with the uterine mucosa. Most often, this occurs when basic hygiene rules are not observed during surgical intervention by doctors (caesarean section).

In a word, if the pain does not go away for a long time, but is complicated by inflammation, purulent discharge, increased body temperature or any other unpleasant moments, consult a doctor immediately.

Why do headaches occur after childbirth?

Some women in labor experience frequent migraines during the postpartum period. In most cases, they appear in those women who had headaches before pregnancy. Less often, women who refuse traditional breastfeeding of babies become victims of migraine.

The most common causes of headaches include:

excess progesterone and estrogens in the body;
use of oral contraceptives without prior consultation with a doctor;
stress;
fatigue;
lack of proper sleep.

Why does my chest hurt?

Many mothers complain that their breasts hurt after childbirth. What is this connected with? As practice shows, discomfort in the chest area often occurs due to enlargement of the mammary glands during restoration processes in the uterus and abdomen, during times of stress.

In addition, pain in the chest and chest area may be associated with the recovery of the ribs, which open during pregnancy to make room for the unborn baby.

It also hurts and feels like it is “filling up”, “becoming like stone” during the flow of milk. Moreover, if you do not feed the baby on time, milk stagnation will occur and, as a result, mastitis will develop.

It is very important, when your chest hurts after childbirth, to identify the true cause of the discomfort. To do this, you should exclude external irritants and contact a specialist.

What is the reason for back pain?

Acute or nagging pain in the back (lower back) - many mothers know firsthand about this unpleasant moment. It can be either constant or “wavy”, that is, it either stops or worsens.

Such back pain after childbirth is associated with a number of reasons, including restoration of the position of bone tissue. Let us remember that during pregnancy the pelvic bones diverge and facilitate the passage of the newborn through the birth canal.

Why do postoperative sutures hurt?

Many women who have undergone surgery (caesarean section, suturing the perineum for ruptures) have pain in the sutures after childbirth. Why is this happening? Most often, such pain is associated with certain actions of the woman in labor. For example, it occurs when bending, squatting and lifting weights too often.

Less commonly, pain is associated with frequent constipation. It can also appear during early sexual intercourse (it is not recommended to have intimate relations earlier than 2 months after the birth of the child).

If you have pain, redness, swelling and purulent discharge, you should immediately go to the doctor.

What should you do if you have 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 all you have to do is follow the advice of the doctor who prescribes individual treatment.

For example, for pain after childbirth in the perineal area (at the site of sutures), 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 sutures. Therefore, the seams on the perineum must be washed regularly with water, using only smooth movements. In case of inflammation, you should alternate between washing with plain water and potassium permanganate.

If your breasts hurt due to too much milk flowing in, you need to purchase a breast pump, express and put your baby to the breast more often. For back pain, use cooling ointments to relieve discomfort. Manual therapy, light massage and therapeutic exercises will also help in these cases. 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 at the waist, then lower your head down and round your back. Perform this exercise three times a day for three sets.

If you are postpartum, walk outdoors more often, do yoga, and get enough sleep. may be associated with problems in the gastrointestinal tract, so in this case a gentle 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.