Postpartum Pains

In Mexico, when women give birth they are to stay indoors for 40 days and 40 nights. If you think about it, it's the 6 week recovery period given in the states. But it is much more strict in Mexico. You cannot do anything! You are practically bed ridden. As hirrible as this sounded to me in the early days postpartum, it now sounds like heaven.

I have been plagued with many random pains since giving birth. The first of my aches were joint pain. Very painful joint pain that I had attributed to the cold A/C indoors and the hot weather outdoors. But ALL my joints hurt. So bad that I was beginning to think I had developed arthritis. I was to learn later this was part of this postpartum recovery period. Rare, but it happens to a few women. Of course, my mother, blamed the fact that I was not taking care of myself. Whatever that meant. Leaving the house too soon? Being up and about as soon as I got home? Sleeping with fans when the A/C wasn't on? This fan one was to come and bite me in the ass.

My worst ache came in the form of trapped air in my upper back. The first time I felt this I blogged about it. It happened after my first trip to L&D pre-baby. It was HORRIBLE. During my hospital stay postpartum I learned that this pain was related to trapped air in the body. When the nurse advised me not to hold in my farts she mentioned this back pain. It hits you between the shoulder blades and hurts like a mofo! The second time this hit I also blogged about it. It was about 2 weeks ago. That was the day I wanted to die. And then I remembered my beautiful baby and decided passing out and having G call an abulance would be enough. That's how much it hurt. G said I was speaking in tongues. I was in that much pain. I vocalized thru the pain and felt no relief.

That day I blamed the window fan. It was set up in the baby room to bring in air to the apartment. During the first night feeding I went in and adjusted the fan because it was blowing air toward the mobile. Of course, the air hit my straight on. Felt great! It was hot and I thought nothing of it. Until about 45 min later when I was crying in pain in my living room. A pain that even vicodin couldn't numb.

So this weekend it happened again. And for no damn good reason! We were waiting for Andres to wake up for his late feeding before heading to bed. I passed out on the couch. I woke up and realized Andres was still out, so I headed to bed. As soon as I hit the pillow I felt that familiar stab in my back. I immediately teared up at the thought of what was to come. Sure enough, within minutes I was in crying from the actual pain. Although it didn't hit as bad this time. Maybe because I didn't get out of bed. I don't know.

Instead of not getting super painful, it just didn't go away. It hit at 2am [always hits at 2am...weird...] and at 9am I called my mom in tears. She immediately called my godmother who knows all kinds of remedies. She like the curandera of the family....the medicine woman. she knows all about the herbs. So my mom convinces me to head to her house. By the time I arrive the special tea will be ready. It was chocolate [cocoa] and an herb mixture. Instresting but I'll tell you, that thing worked miracles!!! With 20 minutes I was no longer rocking myself in the fetal position. My mom also massaged my back with pure olive oil and eucalyptus oil. That also felt great. But it was that tea...miracle worker.

So what caused it this time? My mom says that the air is already there now. Trapped. And it'll flare up. Great....now I live in fear. I will be bringing this up to my doctor at my 6 week check-up, but really....what can she do? I don't want to live on pain killers that don't work. I know if I head to the hospital all they'll do is dope me up. No thanks.

So every night when I go to bed I pray to my lucky stars that I don't wake up at 2 am in pain.

As soon as my cousin posts the tea recipe I'll post it here. It works wonders!

So aside from this how am I feeling? Well my incision hurts more than it did the first few weeks. Its like a pinching stabbing pain. Not bad...not all the time...but it's there...and it bugs. I think the incision is healing good. I can't really see it since I still have the surgical strips on. We'll have to wait till my 6 week check up on the 9th.

Also, in the last few days I've been getting the epidural pains I've heard so much about. I've been feeling a pinching pain in my back where the epi was administered. It hurts. My back has also been very sore since the back pain on Saturday. One of my cousin was saying that she gets bad back pain when ever she does something that would make her back sore. ever since the epi. So I guess the soreness is setting off the epi pain.

Good times! But I still love being a mommy.

And because I know you are all picture whores...here's Andy getting some tummy time in this morning. He so didn't like it. But we'll work on it everyday until he does. Although he does like laying on his tummy in bed. For a little while. He really gets a good break from his back.




4w1d