Dare I ask... Anyone have bad piles BEFORE labour? What happened to them after??

[BettyButterknife]

I've had really painful piles for the past 10 days or so. Things improved at the beginning of this week as I'd been using Anusol HC (the steroid suppositories and cream) as advised by my GP. However they say on the box not to be used for more than 7 days, and the past couple of days things have got worse again.

This is a really big bump I'm carrying, and I'm 40+1. Today the piles won't even stay put if I try to push them back in (sorry if TMI) which makes them more painful than if they are internal IYSWIM. I'm just sitting on the sofa, letting DS watch endless TV as I can't move - it hurts so much and I just want to cry.

Do I even want to ask this question... did you have piles this bad before labour, and what happened to them afterwards? I can't imagine what all that pushing will do? Feel like I'll be permanently damaged

Hiya, I can really sympathise with you as I had the same as you when pg, except mine stuck out from about 20 weeks onwards and wouldnt go back It was total agony to sit or walk, and nothing the GP gave me helped. They did eventually toughen up though & got easier to cope with (sorry for way too much info there!)

And yes, I'm afraid the pushing inevitably made them worse, but they did go down a few weeks after the birth. I had a daily hot bath with lots of salt & a bit of tea tree oil, and I also froze a wet muslin and used this as a cold compress after the bath.

You can also use other treatments once baby is out, I found Proctosedyl ointment quite good. Also Germolene has a local anaesthetic which can be bliss.

Unfortunately, as mine had been so bad for so long, there is still an external one which is more like a skin tag now. Have an appt at GP to ask to be referred to a surgeon to sort it out. Oh the joys of pregnancy & birth!

Sorry for rambling on a bit, I hope you dont have to wait long for baby to make an appearance and that it doesnt end up too bad. In the grand scheme of things it wasnt too bad for me, I got a beautiful DS at the end of it all!

Mine completely disappeared. Hope that reassures you!

After experiencing piles in late pg NEVER AGAIN will I snigger at 'farmer giles' etc etc..the worst aspect of pg for me - I spent many a sleepless and tearful night with excruciating soreness and itching..funnily enough they pretty much sprang back into place after the birth..I've had no problems since. I found Anusol suppositories helpful - check with GP if you can extend their use (I think I did), and germoloids cream better thean Anusol cream. I used to sleep with a wad of wet wipes between my bum cheeks!! (was past caring what DH thought by this stage..)

Gotta go, baby just started wailing - good luck!

Betty, mine disappeared after about a week after birth of ds2. They were really bad for weeks before the birth. I assume they were horrific after pushing him out with epidural but once that time came and he was in my arms I didn't care !
They will go once baby is born ! Please don't worry, you are not alone ! Goodluck x

It's good to hear your reassuring messages that things improved so quickly after labour.

Did any of you find a miracle solution before birth?

And did you feel conscious or scared about the labour in terms of pushing or by the time you were in labour did you not care? I'm so worried I'll feel too scared to 'let go' and labour uninhibited. My last experience of labour was good as far as they can be, and I was hoping for similar this time but I can't stop crying about the pain I'm in already and I feel it's really holding me back already. Don't really know what to do