Many women worry about the pain of giving birth, and not many think about the pains and aches that come after. Although the pain of giving birth is the worst about the experience, and once you overcome that, you can overcome anything, pains and aches after birth can be annoying or even alarming to some.

Knowing what pains you might have after giving birth help you to know what to expect so that you can handle it better and not feel anxious or stressed. Most after birth pain is short-lived, usually lasting for about 10 days, but it may last a little longer than that.

The following are some pains and aches you should expect after you give birth.

General Body Aches

It is normal for mothers to feel all achy after birth. The process of giving birth can be really taxing on the body and lead to back pain, muscle pain and soreness in the abdomen and sides, and just feeling tired and sore in general.

Contractions

Contractions usually do not stop after birth. In fact, contractions can continue for a week or less after birth, and they happen as the uterus is contracting to its pre-pregnancy state.

Sore Breasts

It is common for women to suffer from swollen and sore breasts after birth. This happens because your breasts begin to produce milk after birth, usually 3 or 4 days after. If you are not breastfeeding, this tenderness and swelling will subside on its own over time.

Tearing

Vaginal birth is likely to cause vaginal or perineal tearing lacerations in the area between the vagina and anus. The tearing that occurs varies from person to person but is usually mild and the pain lasts only for a few days.

Painful Urination

Many women after birth feel pain or a burning sensation when they urinate. This can happen for many reasons, such as lacerations or tears around the opening of the urethra or develop a urinary tract infection. This may persist for several weeks in some women depending on the cause and treatment.

Leg Pain

Some pain in your legs or calves is to be expected after birth, but you should know that women after birth are susceptible to the formation of blood clots in the leg. If the pain you are feeling is accompanied by swelling or redness around the area, you see your doctor.