Pushing with Hemorrhoids...

[lisko15]

Okay, so the Title says it all. I have some lovely 'roids from delivering my daughter 7 years ago. As my OB says... "they are the gift that keeps on giving".

I didn't have them while pushing out DD. The thought of PUSHING and bearing down during delivery this time around, when they get rather aggravated with just a BM (Sorry TMI) really is freaking me out.

I'm using Prep-H and Witch Hazel, which all helps temporarily. I was thinking of asking my OB for an Rx for the Anusol-HC. Any other ideas? I know they won't prevent me from pushing the baby out, its more that I keep having visuals of my hemorrhoids totally EXPLODING while pushing.

In retrospect, I probably won't even think about them during the actual labor event... but I can't help but to think about it some...

[wombatclay]

Well, perhaps check out books like Maternal Fitness or give the Tupler technique a try while pushing? You can check out her site here or go to amazon (but her site has a lot of her technique for free). Her "lose the mummy tummy" book has a section on proper toilet posture/breathing which might help in general.

Another idea might be to try something like HypnoBabies and use that sort of technique to avoid active pushing.

Either way, avoiding pushing until your body takes over and "just does it" would be a good idea!

It wont help ahead of time, but you can have hemorhhoids removed after the babe is born. A hemorhhoid is "just" a varicose vein (yeah, "just" ) and they can be removed. I haven't reached that point, but apparently it's uncomfortable but it can even be an office or SDS procedure so if you know you're going to be resting in bed for a week or two anyway you might ask your care provider about having it done right after the birth, or before you go home (if you spend time in hospital)?

Good luck!

[jess152]

Originally Posted by wombatclay

Either way, avoiding pushing until your body takes over and "just does it" would be a good idea!

Some very good advice!

I had bad ones around 36 weeks with both pregnancies. First one ended up in c/s with no labour, no pushing, so the hem's didn't amount to much after the birth. The second baby was VBAC and I have video of me on all fours pushing this baby out with awful hem's (nice job on the zoom, hubby! lol). I can honestly say I was not thinking about them at all...they weren't bothering me. I was worried about my first post partum BM, but it was no big deal. I was eating lots of xmas oranges to be sure it was soft.

ETA: Forgot to say I laboured in the tub. Not sure what your plan is, but it was a comfortable way for me and my hemorrhoids to pass the time, ha ha.

[littlebearsmama]

How about herbal sitz baths and kegals? That's what I'm healing myself with in preparation for delivery #2. The local doctors won't cut til the little devils are the size of golf balls...(my goodness!!)

[Aquitane]

Got HORRIBLE 'roids with DS. DD came so fast and was pretty tiny, so I only pushed 3 times and she was out! As a pp stated, I didn't "actively" push, she just really came out on her own. So, think positive and maybe they won't be "aggravated" during this birth!

FWIW, FIL had hemorroid surgery and although the immediate aftermath was pretty painful, he says it was totally worth it!

[Beccadoula]

I really recommend that you find a good doula who can talk you through the crowning without you having to push much. The only real reason to push hard is in an emergency - you wouldn't care about tearing and hemroids in a situation like that anyway. If you make it clear that you aren't going to be doing "directed pushing" - where you're being told when to push and for how long - you can "ease" baby out with far less risk of tearing and damage. BUT you likely will need to avoid things like Pitocin and other inducing tools.

Here's a great article on pushing...

http://www.givingbirthnaturally.com/...-of-labor.html

http://www.givingbirthnaturally.com/pushing-stage.html

[lisko15]

Oh the complications...

My delivery with DD was complicated by failure to progress after my water broke. I did end up induced with Pitocin, with an epidural, and pushed when they told me too (although my epidural was way turned down at this point). DD was 9 lbs 8 oz and posterior. It was an ugly, long and brutal delivery.

That said, this delivery could be way better, maybe I'll progress, maybe DS will be anterior.

Yet, at this point (35 weeks) DS is still transverse (we've been doing Spinning Babies). I may proceed to an inpatient external version in a couple weeks to see if they can turn him. I have an u/s this Friday to see his exact position and if anything is preventing him from going vertex.

So... at this point its kind of a wait and see. IF baby decides to get in the right position for natural vaginal birth, I will definitely discuss with my care provider that I'd like to avoid any super-duper pushing this time.

Thanks for all the input though! I so hope to have a less painful birth this time around, no induction and the ability to be up and around and move to help baby descend with much less pushing. That's my "dream"... but baby may have his own ideas! (And most of all, I want him safe and healthy.)

[MyFillingQuiver]

I got internal and external hemorrhoids with my first child, 13 years ago, during the pregnancy.

I had a horrible pregnancy-which was due to a misdiagnosed/wrongly treated auto-immune disorder. I was on HUGE dosage of steroids, which basically causes major vascular issues...anyway, so I had them in that pregnancy, and I think they were made worse by coached pushing, although it was only 3 contractions worth.

My very favorite thing is lame pregnancy books and articles that tell you that "once you heal from birth, your hemorrhoids will go away". Uh, why would they?

Mine are pretty "dormant" most of the time..but my arse kills if I don't pay attention to them..they are needy, clingy and they want attention, LOL!

Mine bug me a little bit after birth, after a bought of diarrhea or after tons of sex...tmi, but I think the blood flow to the area does it. I keep from being constipated by eating lots of fiber, and actually diarrhea (with the over action in the area) tends to bug em' more than any amount of being stopped up.

I use a peri bottle of warm water, after EVERY BM. That eliminates the need most of the time for any ointments/creams...I do an herbal sitz bath when they get problematic. Generally, I have a flare once or twice a year, but have been especially visited cause' I've had back to back pregnancies now.

On the other hand, I do tons of kegal exercises, and I have great pelvic floor muscles, and great bowel habits/control...I think pregnancy and delivery has actually helped me in that way. So, for me, the two aren't related.

[Beccadoula]

One last thought...check out the Webster technique...ask around and find a chiropractor that is trained to do it. It can REALLY work to turn stuburn babies!!!

[Bellabaz]

Mine come with first pregnancy. During first labor I had coached pushing (ob didn't turn off epi until it was time to push) and the roids caused a tear. Then ob did a bangup job of sewing me up and some are now I believe permenantly onthe outside (TMI I know sorry). Afterwards I had to use a tooshy donut for 2 weeks, was on pain meds for 2 weks and had I think a steroid or cortasone foam to apply (can't remember now). I was terrbile!

Second pregnancy they were there but bothered me less. This time has a homebirth. My midwife recommended some homeopathic med and the pharmacy gave me a cream that worked miracles. Only bothered me for two days (and not bad-I went for a walk the day after birth).

I think how you push and your position can make a big difference. I labored for the last 45 minutes in my tub then pushed on hands and knees. Good luck mama!

[phoebemommy]

Oh man. I feel your pain, literally right now. Mine have been like a horror movie for the last few weeks of this pregnancy, but suddenly they've been calming down, thankfully. My midwife assures me that I'll breathe the baby down! And I say, yeah, that's what was supposed to happen last time, and instead I pushed uncontrollably.

Two things that have worked for me are teabags (just put one on there, the acid does something to relieve swelling) and potato suppositories (make 'em yourself with a potato peeler!). Also, I found something called Cryostat at Walgreens, these little cryogenic ice packs that are shaped just perfectly for the job. Those were nice until I ran out my Walgreens' supply of them.

[lisko15]

Thanks for the additional responses!

The tea bag suggestion sounds interesting. I may have to try that!

Happily, DS is now mostly vertex (and anterior) , so we should be good for a vaginal delivery when he is ready. I have an appointment with my OB on Wednesday and I'm going to ask her about less coached pushing.

My ideal is that I won't need so many interventions (Pitocin) with #2, so that I can be free to move around more. Its hard to know if failure to progress is my normal labor pattern or if it was just that DD was so big and posterior. I'm really hoping it is the latter!

Thanks again though! I know that I really will think nothing of the hemorrhoids DURING the actual labor/pushing phase, it will be after that I'll need to deal with them...

[Carolinamom4]

good news on DS' position! I can relate to these posts and am actively trying to rid myself of the worst of the rhoids pre delivery. Awful!!!! Stomach flu in my house is NOT helping with my efforts, so may try tea bags as well!!!