Giving birth with a hemorrhoid

[Dot-to-Dot]

This is embarrassing and TMI...sorry.

I will be giving birth any day now.  I have a huge hemorrhoid!  I'm assuming it's due to hormones because I don't really strain and I've been taking a stool softener.  Things are moving...but I am SOOOOO swollen "down there" in general, all over.  With my first pregnancy, I wasn't swollen down there.  So, this time, I have no idea what will happen with my swollen tissues!  My labia feel like they could explode at any moment with any extra pressure.  But, I'm especially worried about this hemorrhoid!  It seems like it would just rip right off in the process of birth!  Anyone else give birth with a big hemorrhoid?  What happened to it?  Did it go down within a few weeks afterward?  I'm sure pushing the baby out will at least exascerbate the issue.  What happened to your swollen tissues like the labia?  I reeeeaallly hope it goes away as my hormones change after pregnancy.  I've tried creams, suppositories, soaking, using ONLY my portable bidet washlet and no toilet paper wiping.  He simply is not going away and I just have to accept that he will be attending the birth.

[*MamaJen*]

Sorry, that sounds majorly sucky. Here was another thread with some good ideas: http://www.mothering.com/community/forum/thread/376322/giving-birth-with-hemorrhoids

[Cheshire]

I was in the same boat with my third.  Her birth was super fast and I pushed her out in two pushes - to tell the truth, the hem was the last thing on my mind during her delivery.

I think everyone in the delivery room felt sorry for me and they gave me extra cans of the foaming analgesic to use on my tender areas.

Looking back (it's been a couple of years) I think it went away within a few days.  It was huge and I don't remember it bothering me much after her birth (but it sure bothered me before).  I still have small flare up occasionally but no like when I was pregnant.

As far as my other parts - they would swell with each of my pregnancies.  More painful with each one but they returned to normal fairly quickly, too.

Best wishes!

[seaheroine]

Originally Posted by Cheshire 

I was in the same boat with my third.  Her birth was super fast and I pushed her out in two pushes - to tell the truth, the hem was the last thing on my mind during her delivery.

Yeah that, with my second -- I swear, I was in agony from 5 months on, so worried about giving birth.  Nupercainal helped so much...I was bracing for the absolute worst during delivery, DD2 was born so quick, I didn't have any time for THAT pain to register -- only felt the ring of fire!  Is this your first pregnancy?  Pushing with DD1 was prolonged --- 2hrs + --- but I didn't have the "H" problem the first time. 

[Dot-to-Dot]

Originally Posted by seaheroine 

Is this your first pregnancy?  Pushing with DD1 was prolonged --- 2hrs + --- but I didn't have the "H" problem the first time. 

This is my second.  With number 1 I'd experienced hemorrhoids due to IBS in the past, but they never came around during that pregnancy at all - just afterward.  And I only pushed for 20 minutes with her.  I pushed TOO fast and I had a 4th degree tear, but it healed up just fine and I don't remember dealing with hemorrhoids for any longer than it took to heal from that tear.  None of it was that bad really.  But during this pregnancy, they are just popping up for no reason!  It's SO unfair!
 

Okay so I hurriedly snuck into the kitchen while my husband was mowing the lawn and made the raw potato poultice and applied that to the area for 20 minutes.  He would have totally had compassion for me if I'd told him, but I was embarrassed.  We've just had way too many conversations about my butt this pregnancy!  I don't know, yet, what I'll say when he asks about the baked potato and chili dinner I'd planned this week...cause now we only have one potato. 

I think it actually helped reduce the size of this little sucker!  I'll try to do it a couple of times more today and see what happens.