Postpartum Pain - Still

[Patchfire]

:help

A little background: around 36 weeks, I started having severe pain due to what my midwife and I termed 'labial engorgement.' The front portions of both my labia majora and minora were swollen when the pain occured (anytime I was lying down). I tried warm baths & ice packs, both to no avail. I figured it was something to do with pregnancy, and would resolve itself.

After giving birth, the pain did subside somewhat. I can lie down during the day without the pain, and it doesn't come on immediately when I go to bed in the evening. However, it still comes on during the night, to the point that it will wake me up sometimes. I mentioned it again at my six-week visit, and my midwife suggested I go see an gyn if it persisted.

Well, right as I was going to call, my back went haywire (but for some reason, when my back was in a lot of pain, the other pain went away... doesn't work anymore though). So it got put off. I finally went to see the gyn at the beginning of the month. No muscular reason, no hernias, no nothing - no reason for this pain.

But honestly? It's affecting my quality of life. I don't get good sleep - and yes, I know I have a young baby, but HE sleeps better than I do (6-7 hours stretches at the start of the night, followed by 3-5 hours stretches). I'm up at least three or four times a night. Often I'll go to the bathroom - it doesn't relieve the pain, but the getting up and walking around does help. It takes about 30 minutes for the pain to go away once I wake up in the mornings.

I'm at my wit's end here. I had entertained a faint hope that when I went to the chiropractor for my back, it would affect this too, but no such luck. I don't know what's caused this, but ugh. I can't live this way. Help!!

[stafl]

do a web search for vulvodynia and see if that doesn't describe what you are experiencing. :hug

[mwherbs]

try a sitz bath in Sea Salt - a failry strong portion of sea salt to water--this is what has worked for someone I know , after trying tons of other remedies

the other thing it could be is some sort of misalignment that is causing a nerve pinch- you could try some chiropractic

I know that when I get siatic pain it will hurt along a nerve shaft that includes my labia - the pain is like searing, jolty extreme pain sort of reminds me of hitting the bar on a bycicle.
St Jhon'swort oil will calm the pain a bit but a hip and back adjustment from my chiropractor works very well- I still use the SJW oil for a few days after.

If it were a dull ache I might think it was varicosity-- in which case i would also use soaks like witch hazel, yarrow, horsechestnut-- and also use the SJW oil --- but since neither heat nor cold has helped try the chiropractor sooner rather than later

[mother4good]

I am suffering from this same thing, but in my case I am sure it is vein-related and is aggravated by standing. It is a bit embarassing that I have to go lie down because my crotch is throbbing! I need to get this under control. When I was pg. it got really bad to the point I didn't want to have much sex for that reason only. It really made the pain bad afterwards. Now, 18 months PP, it has returned with a vengence! I don't know what to do. I am taking 800mg of vit E but it is not helping that I can tell. All I can do is lie down and I have 3 kids, so that isn't very practical. When I get my period, after sex, etc it is worse than ever. Is this because I do not exercise? We cannot afford a gym membership so I haven't been doing anything other than house work. That being said, I am quite thin and have extrememly low blood pressure. I am surprised this is happening to me. Any advice is appreciated. I am not even sure what to google. Searching "Variscosity" only told me what it is--not what to do to fix it. Thanks.

[starlein26]

:Hug

sorry you're in so much pain. i hope you get it figured out soon and you start to feel better...that sounds pretty hard to deal with.

[TurboClaudia]

how about a consult with a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic floor rehabilitation? since your ob/gyn seems stumped and your midwife seems stumped and chiropractic has not helped it (although I wonder if you specifically brought this up to your chiropractor and they included that in their care plan for you, and i also wonder if they are a holistic chiropractor or if they are more musculoskeletal oriented...), you could probably even get a referral for one. most times you can google pelvic floor physical therapist _city_name_ _state_name_ and find at least a couple of referrals, or your midwife or a doula might have some personal referrals for you.

if you wonder what these physical therapists do, you can search the health & healing forum here at mdc for pelvic physical therapist and see a couple of past posts from mamas who have seen them.

~claudia