Hello Mom's
I am asking this question for a friend of mine. This is something that has never happened to me or any Moms I know. My friend just had her 2nd child 4 weeks ago, her other child is 5. Since the birth her stomach is VERY sensitive if she just touchs it lightly it hurts. If she rubs against something it hurts. She went to the Dr. who said just give it time and that he didnt feel anything was wrong. She will be 40 this Dec. so wondering if it is just taking her body extra time to recover. She did not have a C-section. Thanks everyone.
It really depends on the type of pain. The "sensative to touch" pain you shared is not usual/normal post partum pain. If the pain has not change at all and there are other signs,(esp. if there is fever, swelling, warmth in the area) she needs to see a doc very soon.
Uterine tenderness could be a sign of endometritis (an infection inside the uterus). Although it is commonly associated with other symptoms such as fever, flu-like fatigue and achiness, and/or foul-smelling lochia (bleeding/discharge). Another possible symptom is an enlarged uterus, typically the top of the uterus can be felt near the bellybutton right after birth, by 4 weeks it should be lower, just above the pubic bone, and usually by 6 weeks it can no longer be felt by feeling from the outside. I know the uterus can be quite sensitive initially after birth, but 4 weeks seems like a long time. She may want to consider a second opinion.
Hi T.-did she have a c-section?? Regardless if she FEELS something is not right, it probably is not. I have 4 children and deal with many pregnant women and have not heard of this happening. We have intuition for a reason. I would tell her to go to another doctor as soon as possible.
After the birth of my 3rd child I had a lot more swelling than I did with my previous 2 and the uterus contracting during nursing was also incredibly painful and last a lot longer than it had with the first 2. At least a couple of weeks. Being so sensitive to touch though was not an issue. I would suggest a second opinion. An infection could cause serious complications if left untreated.
sometimes just from all the pushing your belly may be sore. Try and push and see your belly tightens up.
If she's not experiencing any other symptoms like fever, fatigue, or nausea then I would say she just needs to give it time.
If she's experiencing any flu like symptoms in addition to the pain, then she needs to get a second opinion right away.
I feel she needs to see another doctor. That is not normal. She may have an infection or some of the placenta is still there. I had my 8th child at 40 with no side effects. Please please find another doctor to check her.
Get an Ultra Sound.
After my first pregnancy I was very sore from my abs from pushing and from the nurses pushing on my stomach many times after delivery. It could be that, but if she feels it's something worse, have her get a second opinion. Good luck!
This happened to me. My abs were so shredded after pregnancy that they were still split exposing all that's underneath which is sensitive to the touch.
She's still in the window to help them come back together. She needs to wear an abdominal binder ASAP all day every day to force them back together. Apparently the window is 6-8 weeks post partum.
A good pelvic floor physical therapist can help diagnose and treat also. It's called Diastasis Recti. Expensive to fix surgically and not covered by insurance. Use ace bandages wrapped tightly around the mid section until you find a binder.
Good luck!
She's old for child bearing. It's going to be the same as when she was 20 or 30. She should realize this without your help. If the pain were excrutiating she should go to the hospital but if dr. says she's o.k., she's o.k.
Hi,
This just happens to be what I train women with. I am a personal trainer and "Diastasis Rehab" certified - the only one in the State. She defintely has diastasis - I see it in 99% of Postpartum women. The more children they have, the bigger the diastasis (split in the stomach muscles). You have to do exercises to bring it back together between each pregnancy or the split widens and widens. It can give you stomach sensitivity because literally the only thing between your stomach and intestines and the outside world is a super thing piece of connective tissue and your skin. You can literally feel their intestines pulsating when you put your hand on their belly.
I personally train women pg and pp and I also teach classes - Oswego, Orland Park and Naperville locations all start in the fall.
There is also a book "Lose Your Mummy Tummy" by Julie Tupler. This is the class I teach. It is much harder to grasp by book but a great option nonetheless.
By the way, this information is EXTREMELY hard to find. Drs. might be able to tell you that you have a diastasis, but they CANT tell you how to bring it back together. They literally study it in 1 page of a textbook in med school.
I just trained a girl who in 8 weeks, went from a 6.5 fingerwidth split (to which a surgeon said she must have surgery to correct it) to COMPLETELY CLOSED. Not just "clinically closed" but TOTALLY closed.
It also helps back pain and shrink and tone the abs as well.
Please have her give me a call!
B. Wayne
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4 weeks isn't really a very long time, but good thing she is checking with the Doctor. It really doesn't sound abnormal. But on top of hurting we moms tend to worry about everything.
She needs to ask for an ultrasound (demand). Happen to me and my placenta was not fully delivered and I was hemmoraging and had an emergency D&C. Took me 1 year to recover.
Oh I have the exact same thing & its been almost 3 months & my doctor said it may take time to completely heal.
