AIBU to think my gp won't call social services over this?!

[whydothesethingsseemtohappen]

My 5 year old has had trouble with bleeding from her bottom when she goes to the toilet - we have assumed it has been a cut from constipation or something and treated her accordingly for that. She is otherwise healthy other than being a little small.

However, it has been 6-8 weeks now and the last day or two he amount of blood ha been more so that it's not just when she wipes it's actually on her knickers so I have made a doctors appointment tomorrow because I feel like I've done what I can do and would like advice - I thought I was being pretty reasonable.

I mentioned it to my mil today who immediately told me that if I did hat social services would be called and I'd be accused of abuse?! Especially as my daughter is homeschooled.

She is NOT being abused she is with me pretty much all day everyday this is simply not a possibility.

I know I have to take her to the doctor I can't leave her randomly bleeding ffs I'm not sure what my mil would suggest - but I'm having panic attacks now about the whole thing.

I'm not unreasonable to think that my MIL is being over sensitive am I?

We have never had any other kind of problems my daughter has never been injured in any way we have never had social services involved with our family.

IANBU am I?

You are doing the right thing - the bleeding will be from an anal fissure or the like - a doctor would be able to see this.

When my son had anal bleeding and constipation it was due to a strep infection. His poor anus was red raw and he was avoiding the loo until he couldn't help but go, causing lots of pain and some bleeding for him. The infection lasted ages and I had to suggest to the GP she should test for it after other efforts to find out the cause failed.

Antibiotics fixed it.

I took my little boy to the Dr for the same thing when he was about the same age. She was very kind and gentle, examined him and asked him some questions. It turned out he'd shoved a toy boat up there in the bath and ripped the skin (he hadn't told me this!) Social services weren't notified as the Dr didn't see any reason for concern. GPs are only concerned with the child's welfare.

I cannot even believe this occurred to her when her granddaughter was bleeding. I'm genuinely beyond shocked that any reasonable person could consider with holding medical attention from a child due to this and would say this to you.

Something wrong with that woman, something very seriously wrong.

Don't worry. The GP will be able to tell what is causing it. If it's an anal fissure or piles or an infection as pp have suggested then there will be nothing suspicious at all. If it's not they will look at the bigger picture and might ask you some questions but even if they do pass it on to Early Help or something then you've got nothing to worry about as you know she is being looked after properly.

I think doctors say something like "when we hear hoof prints, we don't look for zebras".

As a GP I would say I would take a careful history and ask lots of relevant questions.. Who cares for your dd, who is in the house, who would she be alone with
And yes honestly home schooling would raise my awareness / risk antenna a little.
But before every one jumps up and down about that... It's my job to assess the situation, to manage uncertainty and protect vulnerable children whatever the set up.
Home schooling I have no problem with at all but it means as a GP I cannot triangulate information about a child say with school staff or school nurse, so I have to be sure I am happy with information from parent or care giver.
In 15odd yrs of general practice I have seen lots of little ones with rectal bleeding which is usually due to constipation. Occasionally it's some inflammatory bowel issue, I can honestly say never picked up non accidental injury this way. It's usually something else first.
Please take dd to your GP and tell them your mil worries... I would be reassuring to any parents in this position and usually I raise the issue myself with them.

Yeah, the shadow of the Cleveland Scandal lives on. While the details have been forgotten over time, I think the vague sense that doctors could initiate a social services shitstorm based on misinformation still remains.

I think your mil is incorrect and I think doctors are careful and considerate and I would be straight to the doctors in this situation but I don't think your mil is maliciously batshit.

My dd has the same - from being constipated. Gp didn't bat an eyelid, just prescribed movicol. Your mil is odd.