Healing from a fissure

[mzfern]

Right now, I'm 4 weeks post partum and I'm dealing with an anal fissure. In my research, it appears that 11% of women have fissures after childbirth. And I had never heard of them! Last week I went to my midwife for her to confirm that's why it felt like I was pooping razor blades with extra fun hours of throbbing. Per her recommendations, I'm taking 2 tablespoons of cal/mag each evening and 2 tablespoons of slippery elm powder along with all the fiber I can ingest throughout the day. My midwife said I should aim to have "soft poop" for 2 months while this heals. She also gave me some suppositories but after two attempts (the second resulting in being in throbbing pain for 8 hours afterward), I'm waiting for a bit to try those suckers again.

Is anyone willing to share their experiences with this? How long did it take before your bum healed? I'm so fortunate in that, thus far, my baby has been pretty mellow and I've adjusted to taking care of her fairly well. If only I didn't have an insane pain in the a$$!

[Full Heart]

I had one that happened after my 3rd. Then after each baby it reopens. Sometimes it takes a few weeks to heal, sometimes a few mos. My problem is that I am very very dry all the time. Even when not nursing. I make sure I don't get constipated, I use yellow dock. I think its very very gentle, no cramps or anything. I also drink plenty of water and do kegels (brings blood flow to the area which helps it heal). I also use a triple antibiotic cream with numbing medicine in it. That helps ALOT. After I go I use those feminine wipes with aloe in them. I also have a hand held bidet for the times it too painful to wipe a bunch.

[storychick]

I'm almost 6 week PP and dealing with one too. It popped up just as my hemmorhoids went away! lol Anyway, its been slowly getting better. I'm upping my water, and when I remember I put a little lube on and in my anus before a bowel movement to ease things along. That's helped the most. Witch hazel on a cotton ball helps too, either to just wipe or if its really bad I stick it on for awhile.

Good luck getting rid of it.

[KiwiZ]

I had one of these, it took me about a month to get rid of it. What helped me:

1) exercise - regular exercise stimulates your bowel to stay "regular"
2) fiber - I aimed for about 25 g per day, fiber is highest in fresh fruit/veggies, beans, whole wheat products. If you don't eat much, add it slowly so it doesn't constipate you
3) water - if you are bfeeding, you probably drink around the clock LOL, but plenty of fluids are needed to keep stools soft
4) no straining on the toilet; if it doesn't come out now, it'll come out later. Straining can aggravate the fissure

Hope you feel better soon

[milkamama]

i feel for you. i remember being in awe of my new baby...and not being able to stop crying because of severe fissures.

kegal, kegal, kegal...as pp said this will bring blood flow and healing to the area...not to mention prevent other issues down the road.

calmol cocoa butter suppositories (half them if you have to) helped A LOT they eased the pain and made it sooo much more comfortable to have a bowel movement (they lube you up). although it is over the counter, i did have to ask the pharmacist for them.

i second (or third) the fiber in take...staying regular and have normal (on the softer side) bowel movements helps.

use a stool or a bench when sitting on the toilet to relief some of the pressure.

try to use something (if not the calmol) to lube up right before a bowel movement...and take a few deep breaths to relax yourself.

it took a few weeks for mine to completely heal. several times i thought they were better and i slacked off on fiber and the calmol and they opened right back up. i didn't know at first what they were and was told i would probably have to have surgery to correct it since they didn't heal within the first few weeks. like i said, i didn't know what they were and did not seek help right away. if you are careful, think healing thoughts and really take care of you, you will heal quickly.

unlike pp, i did not have ANY problems with fissures with my second birth.

good luck...i'm sending healing energy your way
peace

[milkamama]

oh yeah...water, water, water

[13Sandals]

I had one - unrelated to pregnancy - but they can be persistant and recur...I know. I found that drinking a 1/4 cup aloe vera juice every morning really helped. You can get a large bottle at whole foods. the taste is odd - but not unbearable at all. it helped to keep things lubricated and you can even apply it manually. if mine ever recurs - i would begin drinking this without a second thought.

i agree exercise is good overall - but when i was in a 'flare up' - exercise (particularly deep stretching) definitely seemed to make it worse. good luck - its no fun and no one IRL ever talks about it, but its not so uncommon.