Vaginal/Rectal Pressure @ 20 weeks!

[DeepLove]

I will be 20 weeks tomorrow and for the last 4 days I have been having vaginal/ rectal pressure.  Is this normal? 

I do not have hemorrhoids that I know of and I only feel the pressure when I sit on the toilet.  it feels as if my bottom is being pushed out.

anyone know what could be causing it?

[anne1140]

I've been having this for several weeks, and I am only 16 weeks tomorrow. I've asked about it on here, but didn't really get any good answers. My doctor wasn't a help, either. It is worrying, though. It happens to me randomly, but I have noticed it's worse when I have gas or have to have a BM (TMI, sorry). Do you notice that correlation at all?

[jksmith]

Two things come to my mind:

-You might have varicose veins in your vagina. You could ask your midwife or doctor to examine you, or you or your partner can look big purple veins in your vaginal wall. For this you can try wearing support hose, getting exercise, and taking time to lie down with your feet elevated. There are also various herbal and homeopathic remedies you can look into.

-You may have a sudden increase in pressure on your pelvic floor (perineal) muscles, you can tone them with daily Kegels excercises

-you probably don't have a bladder infection, but it never hurts to check either... and are you sure you're not constipated?

[lillymonster]

the only other thing is SPD, which I thought for a long time might be varicose veins because it only hurt at certain times. I also have had hemmoriod issues this pregnancy, but now the pain is getting really bad all the time, and my midwife said it was normal but didn't "name" it. I asked here and was told it could be spd

  http://www.birthsource.com/scripts/article.asp?articleid=189

[DeepLove]

The pressure does get worse if I bear down a bit.....but not with gas.

I'm not constipated at all.

I went to my OB yesterday and they checked everything...my Cervix is soft and closed and its a normal length.  They really do not know why I may be feeling the pressure.  She said maybe the baby is laying on a nerve.  I was told to rest and if the pain gets worse to call them again.....so really I did not get any answers because I still feel the pressure just by sitting on the toilet to pee.

thanks ladies for your response.

[Rubber Ducky]

Hi! I'm nearly 38 weeks and have also been feeling vaginal pressure since early pregnancy... I can't remember exactly when anymore. The docs had no answers either but if it helps put you at ease, everything is fine with me so far. Recently I've been feeling it a lot more. I don't feel any pain when I'm sitting but when I try to get up or turn from one side to the other when I'm lying down, it does hurt.

[DeepLove]

Thanks Rubber Ducky......sorry your going through the pain...but it is very reassuring that your doing good.

thanks for your response.

I thought I was going into pre-mature labor or something.

[rach03]

I don't know if it's the same, but starting at the very beginning of the 2nd trimester and lasting through the beginning of my 3rd I had intense vaginal pressure, especially after sex.  It hurt me to stand and walk, the only thing that helped was sitting and the pain was almost immediately stopped.  My OB said it was due to increased blood flow in the area, and she recommended we not have sex during the day, but only at night so I was laying down after and the blood would not pool in my lower abdomen.  She said a support belt would help, but it eventually got better so I never tried it.  I am only 9.5 weeks now, but if that pain starts again I will probably give a support belt a try.  She said I would need the kind that actually wraps under the crotch and puts upward pressure on it.  Lovely!  LOL!

[DeepLove]

a support belt that wraps around the crotch ....lol....wow....I do feel pain with sex....but not much pressure....I hope you don't feel that intense pressure again...or you may be forced to wear the crotch holder!