Bfing and vaginal dryness (TMI!)

[Rosduk]

My DD is 12 weeks old born by forceps and she is ebf.. I have had on and off pains, aching and soreness in my ladybits since she was born. The pain has got alot worse the last 2 weeks and gp thought I could have an infection. Had 7 days on antibiotics but the pain is still there. I do have another appoint tomorrow but have heard that it can be vaginal dryness due to lack of oestrogen when breastfeeding. My bits are rather raw looking and have increased discoloured discharge. (lovely!)
Anyway, after 12 weeks I've had enough- I can't walk or sit without grazing psin and it's ruining my time with dd. I'm now considering stopping breastfeeding in hope that it helps as I am getting really quite miserable.

Has anyone experienced this and what did it turn out to be? I seem to be flogging a dead horse with the gp as they blame the forceps and won't refer me but I'll def stand my ground tomorrow!

Boohoo :(

[BuntyCollocks]

I'm in the same boat, and I had an emcs! I've read up on it, and it does seem to be because of a drop in oestrogen whilst bf'ing. I've resigned myself to it for now as the doctors are worse than useless, and have invested in femfresh and lots of lube. sorry, but at least you know you're not the only one suffering! If you have any luck tomorrow, do let us know.

[Rosduk]

Apparently they can give us a hormone cream or pessary so I'm going to ask about it! No offence but it does feel better knowing it's not just me!! Will update tomorrow!

[BuntyCollocks]

Ooh, will be waiting anxiously: anything to stop the sore fanjo!

[Haggisfish]

Yes, I have this, too. I was prescribed an oestrogen replacement cream to put up the old fanjo. it does help with the dryness, but not with the pain. The pain is less for me now than it was about four months after birth - I can sit down now without it killing, but sex is still not happening. Apparently the next step is to try a low dose of tri cyclic antidepressant (for me, anyway). We still haven't managed to do the deed yet and LO is 14 months old!! I also had an EMCS, but I am still BF and it is this that causes the low oestrogen levels. My periods still haven't come back either. It is good to know I'm not the only one, but sorry I can't be more helpful!

[Rosduk]

I have been given a pessary to try but its going to seriously hurt. Doc said as well as a main cut high up inside I have a large number of small graze like cuts just inside my lady bits. Great! She's also given me some cream but according to the doc if its going to work it will work within a few days but I am so swollen and raw that after 12 weeks its going to be difficult to heal.

Anyway, I think i'm going to stop breastfeeding as doc say it is def oestrogen levels that is causing the problem. I feel I have tried my best and would have carried on if I didnt have these problems- respect to you guys for carrying on through the pain but I have come to the end of my tether now and it's affecting my time with DD as I can't even walk, sit or lie now! Every position is agony!

Anyway, I feel I should be proud of what I have achieved through this pain but somehow I am feeling guilty. What an emotional minefield!

[Haggisfish]

Hmmm. I'm not sure the low oestrogen would cause cuts and grazes! Have you asked to be referred to a gynaecologist? I was referred and got the cream - do you want to give up bf or not? I didn't want to stop before six months, but obviously everyone is different.

[Haggisfish]

Isn't it more likely the cuts and bruises are from the forceps and just taking a long time to heal because of the damp nature of the vagina? In which case, stopping bf probably would not help? Sorry, not trying to interfere, just not wholly sure about advice from gp - I would ask to be referred if I were you.

[Rosduk]

I am being referred if the pessary doesn't work. Apparently the low oestrogen causes vaginal dryness which is then rubbing causing the cuts and grazes. I have been using jelly etc to try and remove the friction but it hasn't yet worked. I want to carry on bf if i can which is why I am trying the pots and potions prescribed- even if it's controlled pain it would help me push through but at the moment it's constant friction burn which is getting worse every day especially since I am moving around looking after DD etc. I will just need to see what happens. It's not something I take lightly but I can't even lay down now im in alot of discomfort. The main tear inside is def from the forceps but the others come and go with the rubbing!

[BuntyCollocks]

shanishous ... wtf is 'quiffeing'? Your hair pulls itself into a jedward-style fashion? (which would be quiffing - hth) or queefing, whereby you do a fanjo-fart?

Either way, shitting yourself isn't normal. Off you pop.

rosduk and haggis - shall speak to my good doctor hopefully on Friday, then, for this cream/pessary business.

[BuntyCollocks]

Sidewaysburger, I'm not at all convinced shanishous is a legitimate poster. If she is, I apologise wholeheartedly. However, there's a massive difference between sometimes shitting yourself, and doing so whilst giving birth, which is not actually what was originally said.

[barelyutterly]

Shanishous appears to be a troll, based on posts from other threads.

Rosduk if I were in your position I would insist on a referring to a gynecologist before making any major decision about this (giving up bfing counts as a major decision in my book). Your GP sounds like he/she doesn't have a clue tbh.

Push for the referral, don't take no for an answer! No need to put up with this pain, and also no need to make decisions without knowing all the information. You need to rule out other problems imo.

[sybilfaulty]

Huge amounts of sympathies to the ladies in pain.

When I had my kids, I suffered badly from vaginal dryness, which made sex uncomfortable (though I could walk, lie down etc without problems). A friend recommended something called Replens which is meant for menopausal women who have dryness as as their oestrogen levels drop. Might this be worth a try? I bought it online from a site called "blushing buyer" which sells all manner of products you might not like to ask for in boots.

I BF all of mine til gone 1, and the dryness got better when they started solids at about 6-7 months. OP, that's a long wait and I can completely see why stopping BF might seem like the solution. It sounds agony. Poor you. Might arnica help with swelling and bruising caused by your forceps ? I had CSs for all mine so had no vaginal damage but still was very sore.

I hope you find a way through this. Press for the referral if no better. You have done 12 weeks of BF which is brilliant even if you do decide to stop now.

Sending you very best wishes .

[BuntyCollocks]

Thanks, barely, I was worried I'd actually been horrid to someone needing help!

Sybil, I might give that a try. My ds is weaning, enjoys food, but isn't very 'interested' in it, so struggling to get him to eat more than a few bites. Ho hum. Food is fun until one and all that.

It's also sex I'm having the problem with, and as we'd like to try for dc2 next year, I'd like to get this resolved so sex is fun again!

[sybilfaulty]

Bunty, have you tried babyled weaning? I did this with DD2 and DS but not DD1 and it worked much better than puree. Look on Aitch's blog for more info. Just a thought.

I found replens quite good for jiggery pokery. Also being well away from the baby and a couple of glasses of wine helped to get my, er, juices flowing, such as they were. I don't think the problem is at all uncommon in post natal women, but few people in RL mention it.

Good luck and hope it gets better soon.

All the best.

[Rosduk]

I have been taking arnica since the birth- not sure if it's working. Thanks for the support. I'm not making any decisions lightly and am hoping for some improvement with the pessarys! Fingers crossed. Tbh I think I'm just really down and fed up about it so prob not thinking straight. I just want to feel normal and enjoy my DD!

[BuntyCollocks]

Sybil, my original plan was for blw, but ds has no inclination to put food (anything else, though, should watch out) near his mouth. :( I think we'll end up going down that road, he's obviously not ready yet, therefore we've ignored the baby-led part. Yes, back to drawing board I think: shall just let him near my plate and hope he eventually grabs for something!

[hellymelly]

You shouldn't take any homoeopathic remedy long term like that.You can "prove" the remedy,in that you can get the symptoms you are trying to treat.i would stop the arnica now,and think of seeing a homoeopath.

[nocake]

hellymelly that's nonsense. Homeopathic remedies contain no active ingredient so you can take them for as long as you like with no effect. In fact because they contain no active ingredient they don't actually do anything at all.

[Haggisfish]

What nocake said. Alternatively, you can just drop some tap water on a spoonful of sugar for much the same effect (remember, all water has chemical 'memory'...), without paying forty quid a pop for it.

I found that actually lots of women seem to suffer with this, but as previous poster said, most don't mention it.