Piles vs giving birth.... Help?!

[FKat2016]

I'm due to have a baby. Am I being unreasonable to be scared of the prospect of giving birth, mainly because I already haven really painful piles (sorry if tmi, I'm panicking a bit)?!

Any sort of pushing/straining REALLY hurts, even very gentle pushing/straining... I feel like I will have no choice but to have an epidural, I don't know how I will be able to push hard enough to get the baby out otherwise?!

Obviously the pain of contractions and labour will be a whole other realm of discomfort, but I'm really anxious about the pushing stage for the reason mentioned above.

I know many women suffer with piles in pregnancy, can anyone give me any tips on how to reduce bum trauma during childbirth, or shall I just cut my losses and go straight for the epidural?!

Yes get an epidural I had external piles when I was pregnant and I had a planned c section (not related to the piles) ... the pain from the piles was excruciatingly bad the worst I have ever experienced in fact I would gladly have a c section again than go through that so I feel your pain. After the drugs from surgery wore off (2-3 days) the pain returned with a vengeance I ended up on tramadol after I had the baby which the emergency DR have me he said they were thrombosed... I had been to the GP while I was still pregnant and he told me they would go away he didn't even examine me. doctors and midwifes were very dismissive of the agony I was in with these thrombosed haemorrhoid's and just told me once that had the baby they would get better. They were right of course but that didn't help me and those few weeks of living with the haemorrhoids were some of the worst I have ever experienced in my life.

So in short do what you need to, it is agony.

I found a cotton wool pad saturated with witch hazel gel sooo soothing post birth, I didn't notice them during Labour, and it was a very hard one with no pain relief (11lb 3oz son with stuck shoulders) after my first bath I used cotton wool and witch hazel to clean piles, and a fresh one shoved up against them (my huge butt cheeks kept it in place) and it stopped the achey pain and took the swelling down- such a relief! Plus, the supositories worked within a few days- bliss!! Good luck xxx

After you've had your baby, if you can't get rid of them with other treatments, there is an operation you can have to remove piles. But don't have it until your baby is a lot older, as it fucking painful for a couple of weeks after the operation. You don't want to be looking after a little baby when recovering from that.

Get to a GP to have the piles checked.

Make sure your drinking heaps of water as that can help with constipation.

Go to the gp to get laxative stool softener and drink lots of water with it. Latulose did little to help with constipation and piles for me so see the gp just in case. Get prescriptions and make sure you don't get given iron tablets after birth.

You can get a liquid iron supplement (ask doc and midwife if you need one). I was in too much pain with contractions to notice piles during labour. The agony came two days later after being given iron. Everything in your pelvic floor can shut down a bit and if you don't start taking before to keep things moving then it can really hurt. Get a ring to sit on roo and some cream for your an us, it may be sore just from birth let alone piles.

Also even if you are breastfeeding they can give you a liquid anaesthetic for inside you for bowel movements.

What about getting a couple of colonics? Or taking magnesium? For a colonic, perhaps use numbing cream on the piles before the tube goes in. From what I understand, I think a colonic is safe during pregnancy but you'd be best to check first. For the magnesium, best to check with GP/pharmacy - it looks to be safe in normal doses but I don't know how much you'd need to loosen stools.

For my body, I find fruit the most effective for cleaning out bowel. Not high fibre grains. Especially fruit with high water content. I found Latulose effective. If you don't see improvement by 4 days, I'd see your GP and get something stronger prescribed.

I've had piles in all 3 pregnancies- you must see your gp and get something prescribed if they are so painful. Lactulose is important before and after birth. They weren't an issue for me during labour- there are other things to worry about- but after giving birth to my second dd I had a truly horrible 10 days or so with them. I'm dreading the same in 7 weeks when this one arrives. Keep on top of it with gp and midwife after birth, make sure you have the best suppositories and ointment / painkillers they can give. Lots of baths with tea tree oil. And a valley cushion (hired from local nct) was a total lifesaver, the only thing which allowed me to sit at all- much better than normal cushion or rubber ring, it's designed for the job and really works.

I appreciate what you're saying Elf but I would really rather not go for a C-section, I would like to keep things as natural as possible and avoid the prolonged recovery period (unless of course there is an emergency). Piles in pregnancy are really not uncommon and it's only recently become an issue for me- probably with the increasing weight of the baby. Once I've had the baby, or soon after, the constipation should go and I won't have the weight of the baby putting stress on things, so am hoping it will have a chance to heal. Ive not had piles before, there's nothing much to see externally either but I wouldn't know what things look like internally though (again tmi)!

I've only tried natural relief methods so far as instructed by midwife but they've not worked so am happy to go the the chemist.... Although the chemist usually tell me to speak to my doctor (when I've popped in to ask for something or about something), and then my doctor says I shouldn't take xyz or won't prescribe the thing I need. It's made me really confused about what I can and can't take during pregnancy, the research ive done says I can take the things I intend to take but the chemist and doctor just pass me back to one and other. Weird. I might just get my partner to buy something over the counter that I know is safe for me to use, just in case they send me on yet another wild goose chase.

Hopefully the place I'm switching to will be more helpful.

Oh I didn't see all these other replies!

Thank you, I will look into all these things.

Your responses are much appreciated!

Hopefully can offer some reassurance...

I developed the most horrendous thrombosed piles at 40+1, just woke up in terrible pain. Literally couldnt walk, sit, keep still due to the pain.

I was terrified about going into labour.

Ended up going to out of hours doc as over the counter stuff wasnt touching it & got referred to surgeons as they were so bad. Ultimately couldn't do much for me whilst pregnant which was pretty miserable.

However. Went into labour a few days later and genuinely, didn't even notice them. Had no impact whatsoever on my labour.

So try not to worry, in all likelihood things will be better than you're expecting. Wishing you lots of luck

Thanks Medic, that's comforting to know!

Here in the us I was given stool softeners at my first appointment. The obn also instructed me to drink warm water with a slice of lemon in it at the first sign of constapation. Volume wise they told me if your not pregnant its 1/2 your weight in lbs for the number of ounces of water to drink and when pregnant it's 3/4 of your weight in lbs.

I peed every two minutes while pregnant and had poop issues BUT I never got piles. I agree with others that you need to go see your doctor and get this treated. There is no need to be in this much pain.

After birth here in the US tucks do pads soaked in witch hazel. There are also perineum ice packs that they give you which everyone raves about. Both are on Amazon US and ship to the UK.

Good luck. I'm so sorry you are in pain.

There is so much you can take! Yes go get your partner to buy stuff and take it. First start off with warm water. Lots of it. Think 5 full kettles worth a day (8 cup kettle here).

I'm sorry to hear you are in such pain, and sorry some posters and your medical team seem so dismissive of it as 'only' pain.

Regarding your original question, why on earth have you made the idea of an epidural such a failing or a catastrophe? It sounds to me like a pretty ideal solution to your problem and has the nice side effect of eliminating labour pain also! Epidurals are very safe and effective.

I would also fully support your idea to explore all options including a section - do not let anyone belittle you in exploring this choice.

I really hope you get relief soon and find a plan for giving birth that protects you from pain and results in a happy healthy you and baby.

Here in the US a section isn't an option if you have piles so I doubt in the UK it would be either. You can always ask. I would however get my to your GP. I forgot the Epsom salts in a sitz bath. After a vaginal delivery in the hospital you have one after every pee or poop at the hospital I delivered at. Friends tell me it's highly effective.

Fibre bungs me up something dreadful, it isnt always the best thing to take.
Magnesium is good at keeping stools soft.

Epsom salts are full of magnesium its a good way of getting some.

Thanks sycamore, yes- pain is not to be sniffed at! But everyone here has been helpful which I really appreciate. I certainly don't think of having an epidural as failure, I don't think any woman should feel that, I just would like to feel like it wasn't my only option (I've left my birth plan quite open). I'd really like to be able to move into different positions once I start pushing also, to give myself as much chance of not tearing or needing an episiotomy as possible, which wouldn't be possible with an epidural, possibly not even with a mobile epidural. But yes, on the very significant plus side- no pain!

On the other hand, I'd very much like to avoid a c-section, and I think it's probably too late to arrange a planned section anyway. I don't think I'd cope well with the recovery- it's major surgery after all! An emergency would be different obviously but I wouldn't have one by choice. I know lots of people have good experiences of c-sections but I know some people who have had very difficult extended recovery periods.

I really appreciate all your suggestions and support!

I had piles after my first and they were made EXTREMELY PAINFUL after the birth of my second - I couldn't walk without searing pain 48 hours after (although they did get better). A Dr had a look about 24 hours post birth and put me on immediate nil by mouth until I could see a consultant.
Mine are very much external and do flare up from time to time. It alao makes hygene a littlw trickier too. The operation to have them removed is very unpleasant and painful so looks like I'm stuck with them.
I had an emergency c section for my third and the bright side that kept me positive was thinking that at least tlmy piles wouldn't get any worse!! Sorry if my reply is a bit doom and gloom but just informing you of my experience!

I had piles at the end of my 3rd pregnancy. Really miserable. Sitting in the car for example, was so painful it could bring tears to my eyes. But I didn't notice them in the slightest during the birth. Produced a ginormobaby (10lb 11 oz) with nothing but gas & air. The piles cleared up shortly after the birth too. Good luck x

@FKat2016

Hi
So what happened in the end ? I'm going through a similar thing. I have had piles since I was 16, but i never sort help as they never bothered me . However, now that am pregnant they are causing me alot of problems. Just wondered if giving effect your piles, in the terms of did it make them worse ? I am worried about mine bursting or somthing . I have tried contacting my midwife they never answer their phones and the docs just say here is cream but that doesn't help and there isn't much else they can do for me .