Pain in the abdomen after childbirth

The restoration of the normal functioning of the body's systems after childbirth can take more than a day or even one week. Many young mothers say that they have a lower abdomen after delivery.

There are several reasons that can provoke pain and some of them are considered the norm variants, but it is also possible to develop a serious disease that requires treatment, so it is important to understand why the belly aches after delivery.

Why does the stomach ache

Abdominal pain after delivery is triggered by natural or pathological processes. If you understand the reason, you can eliminate soreness or avoid unnecessary disturbances.

Gynecological Causes

Lower abdominal pain after childbirth, usually occurs as a result of contraction of the smooth muscles of the uterus. For a short time after the birth of the baby, the hormone oxytocin is synthesized. It is necessary to cause a contraction of the musculature of the uterus. When the organ is reduced, the woman feels a pain similar to the one that was during the fights, only less intense.

The stronger the pain, the faster the organ will return to its former size. How long it takes to recover depends on the individual characteristics of the body. One week after the natural delivery, pain is usually not disturbed.

The development of oxytocin is affected by breastfeeding. When lactation is synthesized the hormone prolactin, which accelerates the production of oxytocin, hence, the uterus shrinks more quickly, which causes cramping pain when feeding a newborn baby.

If a woman underwent a cesarean section, the uterus contracted much more slowly than after a natural birth, since the necessary hormones were not synthesized during the fights. To the uterus to restore its former size and take its place in the abdominal cavity, it may take two months.

Vessels, muscles, nerve endings are damaged in the operation, naturally, a scar is formed on the uterus, which can also hurt before healing.

After the birth, many muscles ache, including the legs, abdomen, waist, chest. This is natural, because they experience the strongest tension when pushing the baby. Muscular pains a young mother can confuse with pain in the stomach or intestines. Muscles cease to hurt after a couple of days after childbirth.

Severe pain in the lower abdomen after childbirth is due to a pathological process. For example, because of decay of the placenta, not released from the uterus. Perhaps the pain is the result of inflammation of the walls of the uterus or appendages due to the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms during the strip operation.

Pathology is accompanied by severe pain in the lower abdomen, febrile temperature, spotting with pus. If the integrity of the uterus is violated, pus flows into the abdominal cavity( peritonitis), which is fraught with serious consequences.

If post-partum girdle pain occurs that affects the back and bottom of the abdomen, it is possible that the reason for this is the displacement of the vertebrae. The pain intensifies after physical activity and may occur even months after childbirth.

Disturbance of the digestive function and pathology of the digestive tract

Lower abdominal pain after childbirth is caused by worsening of the functions of the gastrointestinal tract.

Discomfort is felt:

• with accumulation of gasses or stool in the intestine;
• in the inflammatory process;
• when moving stones.

The abdomen often hurts after childbirth due to changes in the ration of the nursing mother. If a woman consumes a little fiber and dairy products, then this contributes to a violation of the motor function of the intestine. As a result, food stagnates and provokes increased gas formation and formation of fecal stones, which leads to painful sensations.

During pregnancy, the digestive function is disrupted, as the growing uterus squeezes or displaces the organs, which worsens blood circulation in them. Often in pregnant women there is cystitis, cholecystitis, gastritis, pancreatitis. If the disease has passed into a chronic form, then it can recur during the stress caused by childbirth, as well as due to non-compliance with the prescribed diet.

In pregnancy, stones in the gallbladder, pancreas or kidneys are often formed, as the hormonal background changes, physical activity decreases and the water-salt balance is disturbed. The release of stones can trigger the intake of certain medicines, vibration, heavy physical exertion.

When the stone moves, there is a sharp cramping pain left or right( depending on where it was formed), which moves to the thigh.

If the stone has not passed the ureter, but stuck in it, then there is renal colic, which is accompanied by a digestive system.

After the birth of the baby, the uterus squeezing the intestines can not contract for another week, so the pains in the lower abdomen do not immediately subside. Restoration of normal bowel function will occur in a week or two after delivery.

As the tone of the musculature of the intestines is reduced after delivery, the ability to suck in gases decreases. Therefore, after consuming some products( potatoes, milk, black bread, fruits and vegetables), increased gas formation leads to abdominal pain, belching, a feeling of heaviness and bursting.

To restore the normal operation of the intestine, it is recommended to drink herbal decoctions of fennel, chamomile, dill or cumin. They help to accelerate the escape of gases.

Digestive function disorder can be provoked by hormonal disorders

If a woman gives birth with caesarean section, she is given spinal anesthesia, and she affects the digestive tract. Violations are neuralgic. The digestive function is restored without treatment after some time after delivery.

The work of the intestines is affected by the microflora that settles it. If dysbacteriosis develops after antimicrobial therapy, constipation and flatulence occur, which provokes abdominal pain. Natural bacterial flora of the intestine accelerates digestion, promotes the absorption of certain substances, prevents the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

Sometimes a long time after the delivery of the stomach hurts the stomach due to changes in its location. At the given pathology the woman feels a pain in a stomach at physical activity, run. If gastric emptying is significant, then it presses on the duodenum, which prevents the passage of food, as a result of the patient is disturbed by nausea, eructation, constipation.

There is gastroptosis due to diets, severe thinness, childbirth. This is due to the fact that when the child is pregnant, the muscles of the abdominal wall and the ligamentous apparatus are stretched and lose the ability to keep the stomach in place.

The onset of pain is due to the distension of the stomach and the mobility of the food masses along the gastrointestinal tract. The pain disappears if lying on your back raise your stomach up.

Often the change in the position of the stomach is accompanied by the omission of other organs, then the corresponding clinic

is added. Restoration of the sizes and location of the stomach is possible only with the help of proper diet, massage and maintaining a good physical shape. Gymnastics helps strengthen the press and muscles of the trunk, you need to do it daily.

What to do if you have abdominal pain

If the stomach is slightly sore after delivery due to the restoration of the size of the uterus or a decreased intestinal peristalsis, then you should not worry much. Restoration of the previous size of the uterus will occur within one or two weeks.

To accelerate this process, intramuscular administration of oxytocin is possible. Peristalsis of the intestine will return to normal after some time after contraction of the uterus. Help to restore the intestinal microflora and accelerate the evacuation of stools physical activity and a balanced diet. Postpartum abdominal pain, as a rule, is longer than 1-2 weeks are not present.

In case if after the delivery a lot of time has passed and the intensity of abdominal pain does not decrease, but, on the contrary, it increases, it is a sign of the disease. With an increase in body temperature, the appearance of bloody discharge from the vagina or the appearance of blood in vomit, feces or urine, you need to call an ambulance.

When a prolonged, pulling or cramping pain in the abdomen is necessary to undergo a complete examination to understand why the abdomen hurts after childbirth. In such a situation, it is better not to engage in self-medication, but to trust professionals. Only a specialist will be able to appoint the right treatment, which will cope with the pains in the shortest possible time and will not harm the baby, who is breastfed.