A year or so after my third was born I started getting cramps so bad they were worse than labour. I went to the dr and told him this was ridiculous and take it out. He gave me pain pills. Later I was complaining and my chiropractor ask a bunch of questions and figured out that I was low in calcium. Started taking calcium and the cramps went away. It was a few years after that that we found out I had hashimotos which effects the thyroid and that causes an inability to absorb calcium and low calcium can cause really bad cramping.