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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Big baby = 3rd degree tear and big piles. Please help me!

22 replies

GreatSoprendo · 13/04/2013 20:08

Gave birth to beautiful DS 6 days ago - water birth with gas and air. He weighed 9lb 12oz unexpectedly, resulting in a 3b tear repaired in the operating theatre.

My stitches are ok - uncomfortable but manageable. However I have got piles that are bigger and more painful than I ever thought possible. I cant walk far at all, even around the house, as the piles just swell up and become more and more painful. My midwife has just told me to use Anusol which gives short tem relief but they don't seem to be shrinking and im not convinced that a product off a supermarket shelf is up to a job on this scale. Feel the MW is being a bit dismissive of something that is impeding my overall recovery - I basically can't go out as I can't stand up for any length of time so me and my baby are housebound!

I'm currently sat with a small bag of frozen peas wedged between my buttocks just so I can sit for long enough to breastfeed my baby Blush

Am already on fibragel and lactulose to make it easier to 'go'.

Is it just a matter of time and I have to put up with it? If I go to my GP is there some good stuff that he can prescribe? Or would I be wasting his time?

OP posts:
brettgirl2 · 13/04/2013 20:22

Yes! The gp can prescribe stronger stuff that will actually work (had it twice!). I think some midwives just like women to suffer.

rubytubeytubes · 13/04/2013 20:29

Yes there is and it's a shame your midwife isn't being more helpful!
You need shceripot ointment or suppositories which will help

stargirl1701 · 13/04/2013 20:31

Def go to the GP. See if you can get Anusol HC at the pharmacy tomorrow. It is stronger than standard Anusol.

Overberries · 13/04/2013 20:34

Oooh poor you. Had similar tear but no piles with DC1. Even just that, it was a good two weeks before I could really walk about properly. It's a really big injury so agree with other poster, don't let midwives minimise it - if it's not right go to GP and be insistent. But also don't be too hard on yourself, it will take time

Springdiva · 13/04/2013 20:42

Can you push them back in? Use ky jelly or something to help. I found that helped and lying in a warm bath. Eventually over time they stayed in but def get some suppositories so you don't have to strain and make them worse again. And get some good cream (I am an old fart now and don't get them so they are not for life Smile phew).

50shadesofbrown · 13/04/2013 20:44

Ask your doctor if you can have GTN ointment. I had a tear, piles & have recurring anal fissure that refuses to heal. GTN was a massive help.

mayhew · 13/04/2013 20:45

I am a mw. And I have piles! In my experience, the creams take several days to work. The active ingredient, bismuth, pulls water out of the swollen tissue, making it shrink. You have to be really meticulous and persevere. Wash your bottom and pat dry with kitchen roll. Apply ointment.Do this 3 times a day.And after every bowel movement.

Its common for the swollen veins to be also inside the rectum, they need treating either by squirting up some ointment with the nozzle thing (I used to wonder what that was for?.) or by using the treatment in suppository form. You cannot overtreat.

Lie down as much as you can to fight gravity. If you have to sit, put a small cushion under each buttock with a gap in the middle to prevent direct pressure.

The HC form has added hydrocortisone which is good if it is very itchy and inflamed.

The GP can prescribe these or you can buy them. There are some precription only treatments that they might suggest. Also its free for you.

AmberLav · 13/04/2013 21:41

Your post could have been me 2 years ago - 9lb 12 DS with 3b tear! Didn't get offered G&A though!

The post-birth piles got me down the most in the few weeks after, but they did settle down without any assistance, and I have no long term issues (although not looking forward to them again this time - currently 39+6...) hopefully you will be as fortunate...

CitrusyOne · 13/04/2013 21:48

Dd was 9lb 11oz- I got to 8cm dilated before having emcs, but still ended up with piles, and the pain of those were the first thing I felt after the epidural wore off. Even the morphene couldn't stop the pain of the piles. I sympathise. I badgered and badgered the hospital for cream before they sent me home and think I had the stronger anusol that a poster upthread mentioned.

Huge congratulations on your not so little one! I love my snuggly baby but she never wore the newborn sized sleep suits and vests I'd bought and washed, dried and ironed

Coffee1Sugar · 14/04/2013 07:39

Congratulations! I had a 3a tear (so slightly less severe) with 8lb 3oz dd without piles 3years ago. So whilst I can't relate exactly, I will definitely suggest buying a doughnut pillow. It will take all the pressure off your stitches and the piles. Wipe with aloe Vera baby wipes and AVOID loo roll, better still if you have a detachable shower head spray the perineum after every bowel movement. I required a restitch of my stitches and the aloe wipes thing is what the consultant really pushed (I can still hear/picture her saying it Hmm)

Original poster
GreatSoprendo · 14/04/2013 14:54

Thanks so much for so much helpful advice. OH has been dispatched to a pharmacists to try and secure the stronger Anusol from behind the counter and failing that I will hobble to the GP tomorrow and insist on something being prescribed.

I had a think about whether I could push them back in as suggested up thread, but not sure I could contain that kind of 'volume' - they are pretty largeBlush

And thanks for the congrats too! We are waving goodbye to newborn suits today too citrus as he's just too long for them after one week!

OP posts:
MrsPatrickDempsey · 14/04/2013 20:26

Brett-girl, what a horrible thing to say about midwives. Yeah, I work shifts, bank holidays and crap hours, clean up every body fluid imaginable, do 12 hr shifts with no break, drink or wee, and am responsible for mothers and babies lives all because I want women to suffer.

Ignorant. :-(

MrsPatrickDempsey · 14/04/2013 20:28

Sorry op - don't having anything else to add: my uncaring colleague mayhew said it all!

PickledInAPearTree · 14/04/2013 20:39

Oh I sympathise so much. I had mine pre birth it was so so painful. I went to the drs and he gave me uniroid, also a lady on my pre natal group was given an anaesthetic cream to help with the pain.

NeedlesCuties · 14/04/2013 20:59

OP, my advise is to be very careful when pooing.

I had piles after DD was born (she was 9lb 1oz), but they weren't very big piles and I strained myself when pooing. I managed to burst a pile and it was so sore!

Resulted in me getting an anal fissure, which really is not nice. Have been to the GP a few times and am now being cared for by hospital and getting lovely camera tests to make sure the creams are working.

Go to your GP now and get the piles sorted. Drink lots of water.

PickledInAPearTree · 14/04/2013 23:18

Ill second that - good your taking something to loosen things up.

brettgirl2 · 15/04/2013 20:23

I said some midwives. Difficult to take or not its true, sorry!

Hope ur feeling better op.

herethereandeverywhere · 15/04/2013 22:46

MrsPatrickDempsey Brettgirl said some midwives. It was not directed to you - yet on a thread appealing for help by someone struggling and in pain post birth you responded specifically to tell us all how hard you work. Thanks for that. (And I noticed the afterthought of seconding someone else's advice).

steppemum · 15/04/2013 22:53

it is only 6 days ago. I was like this with ds and it took a long time.

I had a bath every morning and evening with bath oil (think it was lavender?) in it. When I couldn't bath I was much, much more sore. The bath oil stopped the skin from going dry and tight.

Don't sit. Lie or sit on sofa with your feet up, it is much more comfortable.

Rest. On the days I didn't have an afternoon rest I was much more sore by bedtime.

Slow down and take it easy, it is only 6 days!!!

And congratulations on your lovely baby!

steppemum · 15/04/2013 22:58

and I second the aloe vera wipes, don't use loo roll.

and eat lots of dried apricots, they help you not to be constipated.

DoingTheSwanThing · 15/04/2013 23:31

Uugh, remember it well. Sorry you're having such a horrible time of it!
Re pushing them back up, they'll collapse in on themselves since the blood in them is liquid (unless they're thrombosed) so don't worry about the volume Smile might just come straight back down again though. Keep going the pelvic floor exercises, that helps.
If you go to GP, proctofoam is the bees knees.
Congratulations btw!

Original poster
GreatSoprendo · 17/04/2013 23:20

Just to say thanks for all your tips - thanks to the stronger Anus HC, lavender oil baths and more lying down my nethers are starting to feel a little more as they should. And swan was right - it has been possible to gently push them in a bit too despite the volume Shock

thanks so much for sound advice as ever mumsnetters! Am able to sit long enough to feed my baby thanks to you Grin

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