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All mothers prepare themselves mentally and seek every trick to alleviate the pain during labor, but one important thing that many mothers overlook and fail to research is how to reduce postpartum uterine pain.
What is postpartum uterine pain?
During pregnancy, the uterus expands as the fetus develops. After childbirth, the uterus contracts to return to its original size and expel fluids. Postpartum uterine pain is understood as pain caused by uterine contractions, resulting in abdominal pain for the mother. Additionally, after childbirth, mothers are in a weakened state, making them less tolerant to pain. Consequently, many women feel exhausted and painful, likened to experiencing labor pains for the second time.
Postpartum uterine pain is likened to being 'eight taels for one person, four taels for another', and sometimes even more terrifying than labor pain. Whether a mother experiences this second round of pain depends on her individual constitution, but those who have gone through it all agree that it is even more frightening than labor pain.
Part of the reason is that even after the baby is born, the uterus continues to contract to expel fluids and return to its original state. Another part is that the mother is already exhausted from giving birth, so her body is weakened, and her tolerance for pain is very low, making the pain even more 'numbing' when the uterus contracts. The pain intensifies even more when the mother breastfeeds because at this time the uterus contracts more, causing the pain to become more intense.
How long does postpartum uterine pain typically last?
Postpartum uterine pain usually lasts for 2 - 3 days or longer depending on each individual's constitution. The pain will be most intense in the first 2 days after childbirth and will gradually decrease on the third day. The stronger the pain, the faster the mother's uterus contracts and quickly disappears. The degree of pain varies depending on each person's constitution. Not all mothers have to experience this pain. To alleviate postpartum uterine pain, women can consider some highly effective folk remedies below.
Effective folk remedies for relieving postpartum uterine pain
1. Belly massage to alleviate postpartum uterine pain
One of the quick ways to alleviate postpartum uterine pain is belly massage. At this time, the postpartum uterine pain will quickly decrease, while also assisting in expelling fluids more quickly.
The massage method is quite simple. Mothers feel with their hands on their bellies to find areas that feel slightly stiff, indicating that the uterus is contracting. Use your hands to rub around the stiff area clockwise until it feels soft and the pain subsides. Women can ask family members to help massage their bellies to feel more comfortable.
Here is a method recommended by many obstetricians for treating post-cesarean section uterine pain that mothers should consider applying. Not only does it help the uterus contract better after childbirth, but massage also promotes blood circulation and stimulates better fluid secretion. Mothers who undergo cesarean sections often use massage to alleviate postpartum uterine pain. However, mothers need to pay attention to the surgical incision and avoid excessive pressure that may cause pain.
2. Eat turmeric chicken stir-fry
Turmeric is a 'magic' food that helps care for and protect mothers and babies from pregnancy to postpartum. Not only does it boost immunity and reduce inflammation, but it also enhances beauty. Especially noteworthy is turmeric ginger wine - the secret to a slim waist and postpartum beauty, so all pregnant women should prepare a bottle for themselves to use after giving birth.
Using fresh turmeric sliced and stir-fried with chicken every day will help mothers effectively reduce postpartum uterine pain. According to folklore, using small, crowing rooster meat to stir-fry with turmeric will yield even better results.
3. Eat stewed beef tendon with papaya
Stewed beef tendon with green papaya is not only nutritious to help mothers produce milk quickly but also
Also helps to greatly reduce postpartum uterine pain. Choose large, yellow beef tendons (not tendons extracted from meat) and stew them until tender with green papaya (choosing slightly immature fruit will help the beef tendons tenderize faster). For mothers who are compatible, eating this dish just once can bring comfort to breastfeeding and alleviate prolonged pain.
4. Eat grilled chicken gizzards
A folk remedy passed down to help mothers alleviate postpartum uterine pain is to eat grilled chicken gizzards. Take the gizzards from 2 young chickens, wash them thoroughly, leaving the yellow part intact, marinate them with salt, and grill them until well-done to eat immediately after giving birth will effectively reduce pain. However, because they are quite tough, they can cause mothers to have difficulty chewing.
5. Breastfeed
Mothers will feel more pain when breastfeeding. Because when breastfeeding, the uterus is stimulated to contract more, but it's better to 'endure the pain once' than to endure lingering, sometimes intense pain day after day. This is likened to 'taking poison to counteract poison'. This is why doctors advise mothers to breastfeed as much as possible after childbirth because the baby is full from breastfeeding, and the mother's pain subsides more quickly.
Some important notes when experiencing postpartum uterine pain
Postpartum uterine pain is very painful and uncomfortable, but mothers should not self-administer pain medication without the consent of a doctor because some types of medication are not recommended while breastfeeding as they may affect the quality or quantity of milk production.
Do not self-administer pain medication rectally, although it may quickly alleviate uterine contractions, it can easily cause severe hemorrhaging.
Do not self-administer hot compresses in this case because the uterus naturally contracts to envelop the baby and will naturally return to its original size. Therefore, let it happen naturally and do not intervene with any measures without the guidance of doctors.
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