VERY embarrassing :( anyone else?

[New2020]

Hi all..this is a really embarrassing post but I'm a bit worried and wondered if anyone could help :'(

After going for a wee and wiping a few times I've wiped the back and noticed stains on the tissue. I'm pretty sure I'm cleaning and staying hygienic after a number 2 so was pretty startled by this

Is this normal?! Am I becoming incontinent or worse :'(

I'm 32 weeks pregnant!

Piles?

Almost certainly piles. They can make it harder to keep everything clean.

I would use wet wipe loo roll (it’s fully flushable) as it works much better to get you really clean, and is much gentler than dry loo roll. You can also use anusol on the area to shrink the piles and stop them from becoming sore or itchy.

Have you had a look with a mirror? They would a good start

Yep could well be piles - if so get yourself some haemmoroid cream ASAP and use several times a day

Use wet wipes Rather than paper or rinse with shower to keep the area cleaner x

Do not flush any kind of wet wipe!!

Even if it says flushable it only means it will get through the pipes. Have you not seen the pics of Fatbergs in the sewers?! wet wipes are huge contributors to these

I'll use wet tissue to try and keep it clean.

I didn't suspect piles as I haven't had any other symptoms and can't feel anything else around that area..but Tbh I know nothing about piles!!

@VintageDressmaker it does depend on the brand. I use Andrex which have been certified as safe to flush by Water UK. They’re biodegradable and don’t contribute to fat bergs www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.edie.net/amp-news/5/Andrex-wet-wipes-certified-as--fine-to-flush--by-Water-UK/

Do not flush wet wipes of any kind (or tampons). I have been involved in legal proceedings about these (on behalf of a client which is a water provider) and can promise you all they do not wipe.

One retailer of "moist toilet tissue" tried to advertise and label the product as flushable because 1 single wipe flushed is unlikely to cause a blockage if the toilet is then flushed 15-25 times without using any more wipes. Of course, they were banned from doing this as it was proven that consumers use more than one wipe at a time.

The utility companies would prefer none of these products to be sold as "toilet paper" because they cannot go down the toilet and it's misleading.

Take care, OP, and of course very good luck with your pregnancy.

I find a bidet preferable for cleaning after a shit. If you don't have one then you could wash yourself with a detachable shower head.

Just to second what has said NO wet wipes are ever flushable. I've seen where they all end up and believe me it's not pretty!
Hope your ok OP - sorry to jump on your post :)

So hard to know who to believe - anonymous ransoms on mumsnet, or Water UK 🤔 I shall ponder the dilemma for a while.

Yes, the economic regulator has no interest in creating extra work...

Are you on glue?

Best advice I was ever given...Dab with moist toilet paper and don’t wipe if it’s potentially piles as wiping aggravates them.

Jug of water or bottle of water is your friend here. Will soothe any piles, help keep you cleaner and then you don’t need to deal with wet wipes (as the loo paper will be used mostly to dry you rather than wipe).

This is something other parts of the world do much better than us. I wanted to install a toilet shower but plumber said it was actually quite complicated to do!

I think the wet wipes market has moved on considerably since being highlighted in BBCs War on Plastic. The Andrex washlets have been deemed plastic free and flushable since spring 2020. If you have older ones then they are defintely not flushable even if they say they are on the packet (they had ads banned in 2019 over this claim). Clearly people may prefer not to flush them because who knows what criteria they have actually tested them to.

I don't know why it happens but you're not alone... www.reddit.com/r/BabyBumps/comments/37dzt9/tmi_whence_this_sudden_dirty_butt/?utm_source=amp&utm_medium=&utm_content=post_body

Thanks @Floralprints I've been really worried about what could be causing it and wondering if I'm the only person going through this!

I leave the toilet clean after a number 2 and the next time it's yucky. Has really got me down

Not sure whether it is piles as that is the only symptom

@Ditheringdooley would you say it's down to piles? So difficult to know

Why can’t you just put wet wipes in a (closed, lined) bin to avoid ruining pipes or contributing
to fatbergs? Don’t understand this

@New2020 progesterone in your blood relax muscles and sphincters, this can cause heartburn or reflux and this can cause a bit more mess down there, including peeing a bit when you laugh or not being as tight as you were before. I wouldn't worry, use wet wipes to clean a bit inside too and panty liners.

Bloody hell....can someone make a separate thread about wet wipes

I had this except I noticed it after giving birth so may not be much help. However it was due to weak pelvic floor muscles which definitely started during late pregnancy for me.

Try and do some pelvic floor exercises - look up how to do them properly - not just stopping the flow of urine, and see if that helps.

@New2020 I don’t know, but -

• often people think they are completely clean when they are not. They may not notice until next lol trip. It’s v common.

• piles are very common in preg. Internal that you can’t see/ feel and external that you can. Or vary between the two.

• piles and general inflammation and just so much going on in this area can make it hard to wipe so that you think you are clean but actually there is stuff left behind/ hiding in new crevices.

So it sounds pretty likely. Sitz baths and washing with cool water recommended for piles.

A trip to the GP is ultimately the best thing to establish if you do have piles (if you see blood that is bright red on paper or in loo that is another classic sign- if it is blood but a darker colour that can mean other health issues) but I’ve never been brave enough to go to the doc with my preg piles and just hoped they would go away (which is stupid).

Pregnancy is a major thing to hit the body. I find ordinary toileting much harder for a number of reasons. Don’t be embarrassed, this is almost certainly preg related but I would add water to your routine (not wipes as the skin is delicate and more paper/ wipes may cause tearing) and consider going to the doctors.

Honestly if men had babies, so much more would be understood and shared about all the various ways in which preg affects your body and life. Good luck and don’t be ashamed about a normal bodily function.

If you are worried about incontinence- talk to a medical professional sooner rather than later. It can be treated and you don’t need to suffer in silence (worrying is unnecessary suffering).

I second what @Ditheringdooley has said.

I use water when washing after the toilet. Much more cleaner than just using tissue. If you got poo accidentally on your foot, you wouldn't wipe it with a tissue, you would stick it in the shower.
I'm currently 22 weeks and using a jug of water to wash myself after going to the toilet. I find it extremely clean. It's also part of my faith. :) it might also protect from piles as I know it's very common at my stage of pregnancy too and I am yet to have piles. Currently pregnant with baby number five.

@New2020

Bloody hell....can someone make a separate thread about wet wipes

😂😂😂