Massively swollen down below.... don't think it's thrush....

[CantThinkofFunnyName]

TMI alert.....

I feel very sorry for myself today and quite tearful. Feel like my body is being tortured.

1. I have a urinary tract infection and am on antibiotics after the UTI causing lots of contractions past week;
2. SPD crippling me
3. I now have extremely swollen labia (can't believe I'm typing that word) and can barely move because of it.

I thought it might be thrush purely because my labia are sooooooo swollen and literally hanging between my legs - like when you have thrush and have been ripping yourself to bits by scratching - but I don't have the horrid discharge that goes with it or the itching inside. However, did send DH around to the chemist to buy Canesten pessary and cream but it's just not helping.

I cannot put my legs together because of the swollen labia, I am having trouble sitting down because of the swelling and add to that the fact that having legs apart is agony with the SPD - I am not in a good place right now!

Has anyone else had something similar down below? What helped and how did you treat it?

You poor thing, the things that no-one warns you about before you become pregnant. You need to get your midwife to have a look but I think it could be labial varicose veins - more common then anyone ever tells you - and they will go after you've given birth.

But as I say, you need to get your midwife or doctor to tell you exactly what it is.

Belgo - tell me about it! This is DC3, very unexpected and unplanned and tbh, I have had one thing after another from day 1. PG #3 has made CantThink a very moany person. I have a c/s booked for 10 days time but it just can't come quick enough right now.

Even put some kind of ice pack down there earlier to see if it relieved the swelling (think it was more painful) .

So - what's the story with labial varicose veins? Can you tell me anything about them?

Yes sounds like varicose veins. Ice-packs help. Poor you.

I got this in all three of my pregnancies but worse in the third. I also had a vulval varicose vein one one side. I have a prolapse too so everything was very heavy, draggy and swollen.

I found that I got the most relief from wearing two of those very cheap thick sanitary towels together, it cushioned my fanjo and helped a lot.

I can't tell you much about them except that my midwife assures me they are very common and go immediately after birth (she mentioned that they sometimes look like bunches of grapes!). It's just caused by the pressure of the baby. But as I said, you should get your midwife to check!

It doesn't look like grapes or veins, just that both labia are really massive and sore and I simply cannot get legs together, I am walking like John Wayne and sitting down is a mammoth task... how did those of you that had this cope? I'm supposed to be having people over for dinner tomorrow and I am seriously considering cancelling it is that bad.... I just can't move!

You are totally justified in cancelling your guests tomorrow!