A very candid (non literal) look at piles

[Orbinator]

Anyone else got 'em?

Am preggers with my first and have 2 where just weeks ago there was one.

The two are now around 3cm and although I can just about "tuck them back in" they seem to prefer being footloose and fancy free-to-dangle.

They don't hurt as such when left alone but make wiping very difficult and I don't feel clean, which in turn means washing or using wet wipes. Got some Germaloid cream today and will be trying that after my shower tomorrow in an effort to shrink them. I plan to ask for them to be lasered post birth if they insist on hanging around.

Anyway, apart from the obvious embarrassment and unfortunately hot new doctor which has made me childishly shy about asking for advice from anyone other than my MW, will they affect my birth? I'll obviously ask the MW next time I see her but I read on line last night that some doctors prefer to do an episiotomy if the woman has piles, so that they don't split and rupture . I'm planning a home birth and don't want anything to complicate at the last minute (hiring a birthing pool which for us is A LOT of £). Was the article talking very generally or is this something I should be worried about?

I think its just a general concern, I had them too, F'ing awful things and like you used wipes.
I would continue with the cream and if no improvement look into taking something to loosen you up a little so no straining.
I had them with both births and not a word about episiotomy(think its best to avoid that one unless absolutely necessary)and mine were bloody huge.
In hindsight I should have had them sorted out but havent, if you get the chance get them done as they never go away.
Just make sure you keep your fibre intake up and water too to keep moist, sorry no better words to describe it.

Cream is good but really you also need a suppository. Lots of peopledont use them but I swear by them. They help with itching and pAin. And supposedly the shrinking. Also, I find it helps with bowel movements as they coat what you are doing, so less wiping, easier passing.

You put one in twice a day or after a movement and use cream between as much as you like.

Oh, and be prepared with these products to wash your underwear aggressively!! And do not sit naked on your bed

Oh joyous. Looks like I have a lifetime of trying products to coax the return of the 'roid :(

I was dubious about the while "oh no, once you give birth they do just disappear!" line. I've been clinging to it like a suppository shaped life raft.

I'm all up for laser surgery. They honestly don't hurt or itch at the moment, which I was surprised about, but i'll (obviously never) be buggered if I'm going to have what looks like a second set of fanjo flaps for the rest of my life at 30

*whole not while
[embarrassed]

Always tuck them back in when you are soapy and showering. Try a product called Anusal (sp) apply on finger and, well you know! Avoid consitpation, plenty of fluids, fruit and fibre and a stool softener such as Dulcoease. They will often go away with self help and without any intervention.

OK - the good news is that they can go away. Really.

The bad news is that, being pregnant, they might get worse before they get better.

Lots of women have them in pregnancy and after birth. I struggled to sit down at one point after my c-section, as mine were so painful. But they have pretty much gone away now.

There are a few magic pharmecuticals for dealing with this:

1. If they begin to hurt then lidocaine ointment or gel is very numbing

2. Proctoseydl is a prescription ointment which can work wonders, so you will need to see the nurse or gp

3. Sometimes a steroid, like hydrocortisone, can help.

However, I don't think that the over-the-counter treatments are a patch on what is available on prescription.

The doctor also recommended physically trying to shrink them up, so using a gel pad which has been in the freezer in your underwear or lying with your bum slightly raised so that the blood flows backwards from the pile.

After pregnancy get proctosedyl from the GP and apply it religiously and they go away. :)

i had piles 10 years before i was pregnant, no idea why, just seem to be prone to them, but got much worse in each pregnancy. plenty of germoloid/anusol cream, and take a gentle laxative like califig to help things along. my pregnancy related ones did just magically vanish fairly soon after each birth.

I've been in more pain with these than either birth!

They got a bit worse immediately after labour but then started reducing almost immediately so were just like skin tags within 2 weeks. They didn't affect the birth, no one mentioned an episiotomy. Think midwives are VERY used to seeing them tbh!

You can use Proctosedyl during pg, definitely worth getting. Also get Lactulose to keep stools soft. You can buy it over the counter or get it on prescription.

I had them during and after birth. I tried various creams etc... However what finally got rid of them was witch hazel.

Oooh interesting views guys, thank you for sharing :)

The special wet wipes are definitely helping me feel cleaner after using the loo, so that's a good start and no rubbing from the paper. Only have 6 weeks left until the big B.Day so I'll have to see how we go afterwards. I may be imagining it but I think they may have shrunk a wee bit after 2 applications of germaloids...fingers crossed!

Will let you know how I get on after birth (assuming they will still be on my mind, which may not be the case with a lovely dd!). Thanks again everyone :)

They never go away if they get very big. Just had 2nd op on mine, v.v.v painful. Still don't feel right and its been nearly 2 weeks since op. Don't leave them like I did, get them sorted early on. Creams etc etc didn't work with me. I found pregnancy made mine a while lot worse and one point I could not sit down and was in agony. So if in doubt sort them out.x