I’m about a week postpartum. I had a very difficult labor with 4 hours of hard pushing, eventually requiring forceps. I had a second degree tear and required stitches. My perineum is just NOT healing and I’m pretty sure I injured part of my hamstring. The pain is excruciating and I can’t sit or stand properly, even on soft surfaces. It’s preventing me from properly taking care of my toddler or my newborn.

Over the past day, I think I’ve determined the worst pain is near my butthole… I think I saw external hemorrhoids when they held up the mirror while I was pushing, but I don’t have any rectal bleeding or itching, just really bad pain. I’ve been using a peribottle, witch hazel pads, cold packs, feet up the wall, and lidocaine spray. I tried sitz baths, but I can’t sit down in the bathtub. By the end of the day, I’m sitting on a donut on the couch. I’m taking ibuprofen around the clock, Tylenol doesn’t help. I accidentally overdid Miralax postpartum, so constipation hasn’t been an issue.

Could this be hemorrhoids?? Anything else you did that helped? I don’t see my doc until Friday. 😫