Anybody have experience w/roids & birth?

[heidi_m]

Ok, sorry to bring up the lovely topic of hemorrhoids yet again, but mine had gotten basically all better for the past few days and then today I was squatting at Target trying to find some church shoes for DD#1 - had to try them on her feet - and I FELT a new one pop out, and now I have major pain in the a$$ (literally!) and I can FEEL the dang thing when I'm sitting down - like now! Makes me want to type standing up except then my back would hurt. OW!!

What I'm wondering is if anyone has had experience having some yucky roids before birth - did it hinder your birthing ability? I mean, maybe it seems silly but I am seriously freaking out about having this baby when I already have painful and protruding hemorrhoids! With my VBAC I had some roids but they weren't painful and they didn't show up til after I had given birth. I am really worried about all the trips to the potty while the baby's head moves down past my bladder during labor, all that time it takes to relax enough to be able to pee, etc being just that much more painful because of this! I mean, I can't even get on the birth ball right now because bouncing around ON the roid just does not appeal to me.

Can anyone reassure me that this will not create a completely hellish situation for me? I'm kinda freaking out here (and I'm sure part of it is caused by my succumbing to feeling pretty dang depressed today overall about the fact that I am 41 weeks tomorrow and been having ctx for more than two weeks but don't really seem to be anywhere near labor... we actually thought it was *really* starting last night but obviously those ctx fizzled out).

Ugh, somebody help me, I just feel like I want to curl up and cry! :

[starlein26]

Try icing them. Put a piece of ice in a baggy...wrap a with hazel pad around the baggy and place it directly on the hemorrhoid(s) (i.e. your anus). It's initially really cold but the ice will shrink the tissue. Repeat several times a day until you feel some relief. For me this is usually 2-3 days...

Good luck and HTH! If they happen to still be there during labor...I'm sure you won't even feel them. kwim.

[ktmelody]

Not in your DDC, but....(TMI)

NOt in your DDC but wanted to chime in!
I have them really bad too. They have never really gone away. At times they are huge, like grapes and when not pregnant, small and i barely notice them.
PreparationH, will shrink them overnight though. You may have to use it more often, as the pressure from the baby and after the delivery will most likely make them worse, but it does work and better than anything else I have tried. I really did not want anyone to see them during labor, or have to have surgery, so trying it was my last hope.
I am sure there are some more natural ways to help, like witch hazel and stuff, but I tried alot and nothing worked like the preparation H.
Good, luck!
Sorry for crashing your DDC

[Finding Serenity]

I've had them for as long as I've been having kids, they come and go but never really go away for good. I agree with PPs, if for some reason they're still there when you deliver, you really won't be noticing them at the time. Its after your're recovering from delivery that you'll take notice of how they are feeling. By that time, you'll be able to find something that will give you relief and to help shrink them. I've always used the pads that are soaked in witch hazel and found them to work pretty well.

[LavenderMae]

Heidi, I feel your pain literally. I have never had a hemorriod before and damn this thing hurts like hell. I've been doing witch hazel and preparation H. I also wondered if pushing was going to make this damn thing huge and worse. I really hope not but I don't have any past experience with the roids to know.
I'm going to try the ice baggy/witch hazel today.

[heidi_m]

Well, I am sorry for those of you who are feelin my pain...

Nothing seems to help, which is part of my frustration. I tried taking a bath last night but since I am literally sitting ON the grape-like cluster that wasn't too helpful. My wonderful DH went out last night at 10:30 to get me some PrepH but it hasn't done jack squat - no shrinkage, no relief of pain or burning, nothing. I've put on a pad and put a couple of Tucks pads on that to try to get some relief but the witch hazel seems to make it burn worse. And I tried sitting on ice (gel pack) last night and that didn't help either but made it hurt worse just from sitting on the dang thing - the ice did nothing to shrink it or reduce the pain. I feel like I'm waddling when I walk (different than just my typical 9+ months pregnant waddle) because I can feel this dang thing ALL the time.

My mom said this morning she figures I am just out of luck at this point because my baby son is so big and so low that the pressure is too much in that general area for anything to really help...

Send labor vibes my way!! The only way to get over this is to go through it I guess, so I need to have this baby and then, while I'm sure the grape cluster will be more like a vineyard afterward, at least the pressure will be gone and they can begin to recede.

Ai yi yi! Thanks for the suggestions, all!

[LavenderMae]

The PrepH only takes the edge off for me and not for that long.
I am sending many many labor vibes to you!!!!!!!!

[mamasthree]

I was worried, too...but the good news is that mine are actally better one day ppd. During birth it felt wierd, I was thinking about it, but all the pressure didn't make them worse. Just try to relax and not worry too much...I know, easier said than done!

[MidnightCommando]

I have been battling the roids for the last few months. I have been faithfully applying witch hazel every time I sit down to use the bathroom (and us ladies know how many times a day that is!). I have seen them shrink, only to reappear after a hard bowel (sorry TMI )

My OB recommended colace (sp?) to help your stools to be soft so you don't exacerbate the problem. MAKE SURE to get the non-laxative type. Asie from these things, I don't think there's too much we can do. I'm sure mine will be popping out big-time when it comes to pushing this lady out!

I've been a little touchy lately and since I complain mostly about these hemmeroids, my BF has coined a nice little phrase when I get in a mood.

He calls it Roid Rage.

I don't know whether to laugh or punch him sometimes:

[forty's_wifey]

Originally Posted by imma2six

I've had them for as long as I've been having kids, they come and go but never really go away for good. I agree with PPs, if for some reason they're still there when you deliver, you really won't be noticing them at the time. Its after your're recovering from delivery that you'll take notice of how they are feeling. By that time, you'll be able to find something that will give you relief and to help shrink them. I've always used the pads that are soaked in witch hazel and found them to work pretty well.

: Took the words EXACTLY out of my mouth. Never been the same since the first...

[bemommy]

Crashing from another DDC. . not sure if you can use while pregnant. But after the birth I want to say that the Anusol HC something was the only thing that has ever really helped me. Sure witch hazel is good. . and a nice sitz bath feels really good for a short time. But the Anusol with the hydrocortisone did the trick.

Good luck!

[ge0rge]

You've got to be kidding me! They're never going away? My son just turned a year last week and I STILL am battling them... you're saying I always will? Argh! I've got the phantom roids. They come out of nowhere... then I treat them like crazy and then later... they come back.

I am trying Hyland's tablets though. We'll see if they work. They do seem to take away the itching.

Sorry to butt in, but I was searching for a cure!

~Virginia

[MidnightCommando]

Originally Posted by ge0rge

Sorry to butt in...

~Virginia

lol! : I don't know if you were trying to be funny but I just spit water all over the keyboard!! HA!!!