Is it normal for a varicose vein to be painful after giving birth?

Yes and "Caution": Varicose veins can be made worse during and after pregnancy. One would have to be careful that a deep vein thrombosis did not develop that mimics the pain. I wold get an urgent check by pcp, ob-gyn. Increased blood volume during pregnancy and obstruction of flow back to the heart by the large gravid uterus exacerbates the varicose veins. Make sure it is not a clot however!

Not really: Although varicose veins can hurt after giving birth, you need to be cautious, as dr. Proffitt said. Pregnancy is a hypercoagulable condition. That means that your risk of getting a blood clot when pregnant is higher than normal. That increased risk doesn't go back to normal until at least 6 weeks after delivery. If you have a painful vein, see your doctor to make sure you don't have a clot.

Varicose vein pain: Not necessarily. Varicose veins often get larger during pregnancy which can lead to more symptoms, but increasing pain in leg veins can also indicate more serious problems such as blood clots or phlebitis. I would recommend that you seek medical opinion from a vein specialist (vascular surgeon) and get an examination and possilbly an ultrasound of your legs to rule out a significant complicatoin.