Pregnancy And Baby Care
Postpartum Depression
Postpartum Cramping
Causes & Treatment For Postpartum Cramps
Postpartum cramping is something that 50 percent of mothers face, and can occur in the legs and in the uterine area. Cramping and postpartum uterine pain is a result of the after effects of delivering a child and is caused by the uterus coming back to its normal size after delivery.
There are a number of hormones that are responsible for postpartum cramps and this is a completely natural occurrence that should not be stopped. There are some interesting facts about cramping in that most women having their first child will hardly experience this pain and it is mostly second and third time mothers that have a problem with postpartum uterine cramps.
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This is because with subsequent deliveries, the uterine muscles, especially the pubic symphysis weakens.
The pubic symphysis is a cartilage that moves and pries apart the two uterine bones to expand the pelvis and is stimulated to do so by a hormone called relaxin. With successive deliveries, the pubic symphysis and the uterine tissue become weaker and cannot take the strains of continuous pregnancy and recovery. This is what results in the uterine cramps. Dealing with this pain requires that you lie face down and place a pillow over your stomach. You could also use some anti-inflammatory medicine that your doctor prescribes.
Postpartum Leg Cramps
Postpartum leg cramps are oddly a bit more mysterious than most other postpartum leg cramps that occur. The governing theory is that your leg muscles are simply tired from carrying all the weight during pregnancy and adequately resting them is all that is required.
Potassium deficiency is usually the main culprit in most muscle cramps and this can be a contender of causes in the postpartum period. This is because a breastfeeding mother will usually lose a lot of body electrolytes in breast milk and if this is not supplemented in the diet, cramping results inevitably.
Remedies for Postpartum Cramping
To deal with this problem, all that you require to do is to exercise your legs by stretching them and relaxing them whenever the cramps do occur. Also increase the amount of orange juice that you do have as this is a rich source of potassium. A cold compress can sometimes also be required when the cramps result in a lot of pain. A hot water bag should follow this. You can also increase the amount of ginger and feverfew that can be drunk as a tea. These are as effective as anti-inflammatories.
