Afterpains typically improve during the third day.

However, the review also found that active management increased the mother's blood pressure, afterpains, nausea, vomiting, and use of drugs for pain relief.

You may have sharp, painful contractions called afterpains for several days as your uterus shrinks in size.

You feel some labour-like pains in your uterus - breastfeeding, in particular, can stimulate 'afterpains' as your uterus contracts.

By 6 weeks after delivery, the uterus is nearly as small as it was before pregnancy.9 Contractions called afterpains shrink the uterus for several days after childbirth.