Lower abdominal pain on the sixth day after delivery

A woman may experience lower abdominal pain on the sixth day after giving birth. This is mainly because the recovery of the body after childbirth promotes the contraction of the uterus. Uterine contraction will cause lower abdominal pain. This is a normal physiological phenomenon and there is no need to worry too much. After giving birth, you should eat more protein-rich foods, keep warm, etc., so that your body can recover as soon as possible. You should take good care of yourself during the confinement period to avoid the occurrence of postpartum diseases.

Postpartum abdominal pain (postpartum abdominal pain) is the name of a disease in Traditional Chinese Medicine. After giving birth, a pregnant woman will experience intermittent pain in the lower abdomen due to the contraction of the uterus. The pain will appear 1 to 2 days after delivery and will disappear naturally after 2 to 3 days. Western medicine calls it "uterine contraction pain" or "postpartum pain". It is a physiological phenomenon and generally does not require treatment. If the abdominal pain becomes severe and unbearable, or if it persists and affects the recovery of the mother, it is a pathological condition and should be treated.

Causes

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that postpartum abdominal pain is mostly caused by poor circulation of Qi and blood, which is usually divided into two types: blood stasis in the cell organs and deficiency of both Qi and blood. Postpartum abdominal pain, if the pain is caused by excessive blood loss, it is blood deficiency pain; if it is caused by insufficient lochia loss and blood stasis, it is excess pain; if the pain is caused by food, the patient will suffer from aversion to food and bloating; if the pain is caused by wind and cold entering the uterus, the patient will suffer from cold pain. 1. Stasis in the uterus is mostly caused by poor circulation of Qi and blood after childbirth. It may be due to postpartum blood loss, emptiness of all meridians, lack of blood and weak qi, resulting in poor blood flow and stagnation; it may also be due to postpartum weakness, which allows cold evil to enter the body, causing blood to coagulate due to cold, and blood stasis inside the body, which causes pain due to blood obstruction. 2. Deficiency of both Qi and blood may be caused by blood deficiency constitution, or excessive blood loss during delivery, emptiness of Chong and Ren meridians, malnutrition of the uterine vessels, or weak Qi and blood, inability to transport blood, poor blood flow, delayed and painful blood flow; it may also be caused by careless daily life after delivery, the invasion of cold evil, or eating raw and cold food, cold blood, or bad emotions after delivery, liver qi stagnation, qi stagnation and blood stasis, or poor excretion of lochia after delivery.

Clinical manifestations

Paroxysmal severe pain in the lower abdomen, or dull pain in the lower abdomen, occurs from the postpartum period to the puerperium, which does not go away for several days and is not accompanied by chills or fever. It is often accompanied by a small amount of lochia that is dark purple in color with lumps and is not discharged smoothly; or a small amount of lochia that is light red in color. 1. The symptoms of Qi and blood deficiency are lower abdominal pain after delivery, preference for warmth and pressure, small amount of light-colored lochia, dizziness, palpitations, insomnia, constipation, pale red tongue, thin tongue coating, and weak pulse. 2. Blood stasis syndrome is characterized by lower abdominal pain after delivery, refusal to press, obvious coldness in the abdomen, which is relieved by heat, small amount of lochia, dark purple color, and blood clots, distension and pain in the chest and flanks, cold limbs, pale face, dark purple tongue, thin white fur, and deep and tight pulse.

examine

Perform abdominal MRI examination, abdominal plain film examination, etc. as appropriate.

diagnosis

The diagnosis can be made based on the mother's physical weakness, excessive blood loss during and after delivery, or emotional frustration, or a history of catching a cold when exposed to the wind, as well as paroxysmal severe pain in the lower abdomen from the beginning of delivery to the postpartum period, or dull pain in the lower abdomen that does not go away for many days, without chills or fever, and is often accompanied by a small amount of lochia that is dark purple with lumps and difficult to discharge; or a small amount of lochia that is light red.

Differential diagnosis: If the abdominal pain is severe and accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever, diarrhea, or a history of abdominal masses, attention should be paid to whether there are other lesions.

Treating symptoms according to syndrome differentiation

When experiencing abdominal pain after childbirth, the first thing to do is to differentiate between deficiency and excess. Pain caused by blood stasis is real pain; pain caused by the absence of blood is false pain. Generally, the nature of the pain and the color, quality and amount of lochia can be used to determine whether the condition is real or not. The treatment is mainly to regulate Qi and blood, replenishing the deficiency and mobilizing the excess. Postpartum abdominal pain is mostly caused by blood stasis and cold, but there are also cases where excessive blood loss causes the uterus to lose nourishment, resulting in dull pain, emptiness, and light-colored lochia. This should be treated with tonic methods. Prevent postpartum hemorrhage during delivery, do not eat raw or cold food after delivery, pay attention to keeping warm, and keep your emotions in a good mood. Taking 3 to 5 doses of Shenghua Tang immediately after delivery can reduce or prevent the occurrence of this disease.

1. Qi and blood deficiency should be treated by replenishing qi and blood. The prescription can be Shengyu Decoction with modifications or Danggui Buxue Decoction.

2. The treatment for blood stasis blockage should be to promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, dispel cold and relieve pain. The prescription can be Shenghua Tang with modifications or Shixiao Powder.

3. The treatment for food poisoning should be to replenish Qi, tonify the middle, regulate Qi and strengthen the spleen. The prescription can be Yigongsan with hawthorn and Shenqu.

4. To treat uterine cold, it is necessary to warm the uterus and dispel the cold. The prescription used is Xianggui Powder, which is Foshou Powder with cinnamon heart.