Staying on Top of Postpartum Pain

Maximizing nonopioid approaches to managing pain during the early postpartum period.

Sponsoring Organization: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)

Target Population: Obstetric and women's healthcare providers

Background and Objective

Approaches to managing postpartum pain vary widely throughout the world. With the goal of improving and standardizing management practices in the U.S., ACOG, the American College of Nurse Midwives, and the American Academy of Family Physicians jointly developed a guideline.

Key Recommendations

Follow an individualized, stepwise approach to postpartum pain management.
Whenever possible, encourage nonpharmacologic options first:
- Breast engorgement: cold packs, increased frequency of breast-feeding
- Nipple pain: apply breast milk to nipple; use breast shield
- Uterine cramps: heating pa…

Reviewing Author

Robert L. Barbieri, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health

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