Painful cramplike contractions of the uterus occurring after childbirth.
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pl. n.
pains caused by uterine contractions after childbirth, especially during breast feeding, due to release of the hormone oxytocin. The contractions help restore the uterus to its nonpregnant size and are more common in women who have given birth twice or more.
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af·ter·pains (afґtər-pānz) the cramplike pains felt after the birth of the child, due to the contractions of the uterus.Medical dictionary. 2011.