TMI ... Perineum issues / possible hemorrhoids?

[pumpkinparty]

Sorry this is a TMI one. Name changed as whilst appreciate it happens to the best of us I’m mortified.

Have been feeling a lot of pressure in my pelvis and vagina. Noticed vagina and vulva feels more ‘open’ almost. Wee dipped a few days ago & had a swab done on discharge incidentally so know no infections going on.

Am 35 weeks & taking iron which is causing me to have an upset stomach a lot of the time. But haven’t felt I’ve injured myself through straining or wiping etc.

However today whilst wiping my bum I felt the whole thing felt kind of swollen. After I had a feel and noticed not only that but my perineum felt very swollen, like a blister running from my vagina to anus.

I took photos to see what was going on (that’s a sobering experience, not the most flattering angle) and could see from the edge of my anus all the way down my perineum was a swollen red thing, like a vein or blister.

I’ve googled photos of hemorrhoids and it doesn’t seem to look like that, it’s longer not round, also largely not on my bum. And whilst varicose veins seem logical the photos I’ve seen don’t look right either.

It’s not painful or itchy. Just tight and lots of pressure feeling.

Just wondering if anyone can shed any light on WTF is going on down there?

[pumpkinparty]

& sorry for the grossness

[geologyrocks]

I was actually going to post something very similar this week op. My vagina also feels very swollen and "open"...i got a mirror and the whole colour of it was just not usual.

Lots of googling seems like it's just extra pregnancy blood flow in the area. I also have the veiny thing you describe...agreed it's not a pleasant sight bit downt look like a varicose vein to me. The whole area swells more the more active I am during the day.

I think it's just another one of those pregnancy things. The joys

[pumpkinparty]

Sounds very similar, the colour etc all looks wrong. Makes sense it could be pressure related, but it looked so ... angry I was shocked.

The joys!

[daisydalrymple]

I think piles can look very different, after dc1, when my midwife checked to see if was healing ok down there, she said goodness, that's a big bunch of grapes you've got there

However, you've got the whole weight of the baby pushing everything down now, so it will all look different. Bearing in mind you'll have a midwife check you during labour for dilation, you could just ask your ante natal midwife to check it out?

[Foggymist]

It's just swollen from combo of extra blood flow there and the weight of the baby.

[Lozmatoz]

Sounds like pressure, but Try some haemorrhoid cream on the whole area.