Coping With Postpartum Pain Without Pain Medication

Recovering from childbirth and postpartum can be more overwhelming than you initially anticipated. Depending on the situation, experiencing severe pain episodes can happen, and in those cases, your first instinct might be to resort to prescription meds. While painkillers do have their role, it’s always better to stick to a holistic approach, considering opioid pain relievers do come with worrying side effects.

Coping With Postpartum Pain Without Pain Medication

As severe as post-delivery aches can be, you can keep them under control without having to rely on oxycodone, hydrocodone or other popular painkillers found on the market. Whether this is your first time giving birth or not, here are some things you should consider trying, to better deal with postpartum pain:

Homeopathic Arnica

Naturopaths recommend the use of homeopathic arnica during postpartum recovery. Arnica is natural, doesn’t come with any side effects, is safe to use and can actually work wonders in terms of pain relief. Arnica functions as a natural oxytocin booster, helping you with your aches and speeding up the entire recovery process.

With a new baby to take care of, pain management can seem difficult, and that’s why many women choose the solution of using hydrocodone or other similar substances. The reason why you should avoid doing that yourself is the high risk of developing an addiction. Although treatable, a hydrocodone addiction will still affect your day-to-day life and motherhood experience, so a natural, holistic alternative, such as using arnica, is always preferred.

Coping With Postpartum Pain Without Pain Medication

Breathing and Muscle Relaxation Techniques

Entering a mindfulness zone can also have great results on pain episodes. Managing to obtain full relaxation, both physically and mentally, can help you relieve some of the symptoms. What you need to do here is learn some basic breathing and muscle relaxation techniques. You can find inspiring tutorials online, or go to organized yoga sessions if you want more guidance on the matter. Once you get into a state of mindfulness, possible through meditation and yoga, for example, it will seem easier to control postpartum pain more effectively instead of letting it overwhelm you.

Coping With Postpartum Pain Without Pain Medication
Read More: Relax, Rejuvenate & Revive With Akasha Meditation

Hypericum

Another homeopathic remedy worth trying is the use of hypericum. This herb is said to hold anti-inflammatory properties and is usually recommended for surgeries or injuries. If you’ve had a C-section, you can use hypericum to treat stitches pain, besides regular postpartum aches. The great thing about hypericum and other homeopathic remedies is that you won’t have to worry about potential negative effects if you’re breastfeeding. Breastfeeding mothers can safely use these natural treatments. 

Coping With Postpartum Pain Without Pain Medication

A Spray Bottle of Essential Oils

Vaginal birth is often accompanied by swelling, abrasions, and tears, all of which make postpartum urination and bowel movements highly unpleasant. A trick you can use is having a spray bottle with you, filled with lukewarm water, whenever you have to go to the bathroom. Spritz yourself while you pee to dilute the urine and reduce the sting. Add essential oils to the water, such as tea tree oil, which has antiseptic and analgesic properties to help you heal faster.

READ MORE:  5 Best Essential Oils For Cellulite And DIY Cream

Sitz Bath

Postpartum perineal pain can often feel unbearable, but a sitz bath can help you obtain some relief. Coming from the German word “sitzen”, which means to seat, a sitz bath refers to a pool of water in which you sit. The key here is to keep only your hips and bottom submerged in the water. You can get yourself a basin design for this type of bath, or you can simply fill your bathtub with a smaller amount of water to serve this purpose.

Coping With Postpartum Pain Without Pain Medication

Sitz baths are recommended after childbirth for several reasons. This type of bath has the role of improving blood flow to the perineal area, reducing inflammations and swelling, as well as promoting healing at the same time. A sitz bath will also relax the muscles in that area, combating episiotomy or tears pain. Any soreness you are experiencing at the moment can be soothed, and if you have any stitches accompanied by itching, the sensation will be ameliorated during and after the bath. Make sure to use warm water instead of hot. You should sit in the water from 5 to 10 minutes, and repeat the bath several times a day.

Dealing with pain after delivery can prevent you from enjoying your new role as a mother to the fullest. That is why you should be adopting the right practices in managing postpartum pain. However, prescription opioid painkillers aren’t the way to do so because of their wide variety of risks. As you can see, you have some effective alternatives available, which can work great. Give these ideas a try, and put aside any hydrocodone or oxycodone before developing an actual addiction to these pain relievers.

WANT TO READ MORE?
Check out this article on Getting Off The Pills: Pain Relief Without Taking Any Form Of Drugs.

Coping With Postpartum Pain Without Pain Medication

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Daily Mom
Daily Momhttps://dailymom.com
Daily Mom is a parent portal for women who are looking for information and education. It's a combination of your favorite blogs, Pinterest boards, parenting websites, how-to posts, product features and the best fashion magazines all packaged neatly into short easy to read posts with gorgeous photographs. We are a team of passionate writers and editors on a mission to educate, inspire and help women all over the world by providing informational articles on all aspects of womanhood.

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