Nursing Mother with Anal Fissure

I had that, but I didnt breastfeed for more than a few days. I used preparation H soothing gel and it helped alot.

This is bottom trouble, not top:) When you say "water" are you are drinking at least 1-2 gallons per day? This would give you the gallon for your milk, and the gallon for your bottom.

Are you constipated as well? This was a great article for children with chronic constipation, and perhaps these tips would help you as well.

www.darshaksanghavi.com/columns/ConstipationParents2010.pdf

Good luck Mom and keep up the great nursing work:)

Have you tried putting breastmilk on it? I know that sounds nuts, but breastmilk is famous for its healing properties--it can help minor ear infections, rashes, chapped skin, all sorts of things--so you might also try putting your milk directly on the injury. Stopping nursing will have no effect whatsoever on this. I think most people who have had the surgery will tell you that the relief is worth it.

Generally, nursing by itself is not the problem, it is really not drinking enough water. I drink a lot of water but after giving birth I had trouble keeping up with what is necessary for both me and the breastmilk. There were days when I didn't have time to eat much and fiber is the second most essential thing for regular BM. I have had recurring fissures that go away with warm baths and very consistent diet. The one after delivery went away in 2-3 weeks without any medications/ointments, only warm baths and water and fiber for regular and soft BM. I did breastfeed until 7 months and didn't have another problem because I focused really hard on keeping hidrated and getting enough fiber. You should discuss surgery options with a doctor, but my experience is they first recommend at home management. I don't know much about fissures that were the result of straining during delivery, it's good to talk to you OB about that. You are doing the right thing by getting as much information as possible.

I first developed an anal fissure years ago before I ever had or breast fed children. No matter what you're doing breastfeeding-wise, the key to making it heal is consistent, soft bowel movements. You do need to be drinking a TON of water every day! At the very least 100 oz since you're breastfeeding. The average non-breastfeeding person needs at least 64 oz per day -more if they're overweight. Coupled with the water -you need fiber. It's extremely important not to up your fiber intake without upping your water intake! Fiber is the new "in" thing, so you can find it in lots of foods, but the best way to get it is through fruits, whole grains and vegetables. Don't eat a lot of dairy and carbs that aren't whole grains -that tends to stop you up. I eat a Fiber One bar every night, and that helps me a lot.

I won't lie to you -I've had surgery and mine still recur every so often. It's an incredibly difficult area to completely heal, but with warm "sitz" baths, soft stools and a commitment to lots of water and fiber forever (you'll feel better and be much healthier anyway) -you can really keep the recurrance down. Some people do manage to get rid of them for good, so good luck!

For me -the surgery did provide great relief (but was humiliating and painful for about 24 hours). It didn't keep the fissures away forever though. I had a few small ones and one really nasty one that wouldn't heal -that's why they did surgery. Like I said -they pop up again here and there. At least the truly awful one was taken care of surgically. I would really try committing to lots of water and fiber and warm baths first! Take a sitz bath after every bowel movement if at all possible. If you can sit in a tub of really warm water at least 4 times a day -it will help. Use Tuck's cream if you have itching issues.

I could have written this post. I also developed an anal fissure at two weeks postpartum. I understand what you've been going through: digging your fingernails into the walls during bowel movements, only to curl up in the fetal position after each bowel movement until the pain subsides enough to stand back up and usually tend to your hungry baby who you just left laying on the nursing chair because breastfeeding stimulated the bowel movement. Mine also became chronic and much less painful after months. I put off the surgery and took drastic measures to heal myself (medicne, stool softener, high fiber, water, and even a 5 day clear liquid fast hoping I would not have any bowel movements) Nothing work. Breast feeding may have contributed to severe constipation which lead to the fissure, but in my opinion, stopping breastfeeding will play no role in healing something that has clearly become chronic. I only BF 6 weeks. In all likelihood you were on narcotics like Vicodin postpartum (which can really constipate you). Combine that with the dehydration of nursing and the difficulty involved in taking care of your self and hydrating and you can develop anal fissures. I put my surgery off for 1 year fearing incontinence. Then, finally decided to do it because I wanted to get pregnant again and didn't what it to get worse. I am extremely glad I got the surgery. Had it done at Kaiser. Recovery from surgery was less painful than the acute fissure. I recommend you go ahead and take care of it. I read the other posts. Yes, some people are lucky that they can heal on their own in a few weeks time. You were not that lucky and now have a chronic condition, its not likely to heal. As for the woman who had them before child birth, some people are susceptible to them for what ever reason (chrones disease, poor diet). Don't let that concern you. Thats not your story. You developed it postpartum, and while you will always be at risk for retaring in that area, it doesn't mean you are susceptible to getting them all the time. I've not re-torn and am now two years post surgery. I am having my 2nd baby in three weeks and am already planning ways to stay on top of the constipation that can come postpartum (especially because I am having a repeat C-section and will be taking narcotics which is what I attribute to the cause of my fissure). I had a surgery consult a few months into it but was scared to move forward. At my second consultation I had switched insurance to Kaiser and felt the surgeon had a lot more wisdom to offer and I was convinced to go ahead with surgery. He told me that at 12 months with chronic fissure, I was not likely to heal on my own and that the risk of incontinence is almost nonexistent with the first surgery. Its subsequent surgeries where you start to run that risk. To reiterate, I recommend the surgery. My only regret is not doing it sooner. Email me if you want more details on the surgery and recovery. There are a lot of well meaning people telling you to increase your fiber (like the searing pain of passing razor blades hasn't caused you to do all you can). They aren't understanding the chronic aspect of a fissure that has developed scar tissue.

Your condition has nothing to do with breastfeeding. This issue sounds like it is directly related to your diet, dehydration and poor elimination.

I would suggest drinking A LOT of water, eating more raw fruits and raw or steamed vegetables (like spinach and squash), and soothing things to the bowels like ground flaxseeds okra, avocado and raw young coconut. Good fats like coconut oil, hemp oil, flax oil and stone crushed olive oil will also help.

Also use a good stool softener like Colace. Stores like Target or Kroger make their own Colace copy which is a lot cheaper. Take it in the morning and night with plenty of water.

You can apply aloe very or really good raw honey directly on the fissure.

This is the body's warning sign that you need to make some changes to your diet before your condition worsens. And also positive changes in your diet will directly make your milk of better quality for your little one.

If I were you I would try to avoid surgery. You also do not have to stop breastfeeding your baby unless you really want to.

I am a RN, nutritionist and nursed all of my children for a minimum of 2 years each.

The best of health and wellness to you.

I kinda had the same problem... the way I understood it was your body is going through HUGE changes... your horomones change everything in you. It definately sucks and it just went away on its own for me while I was breastfeeding. My doctor did suggest eating more bran cereal and even a little bit of milk of magnesia to help things pass a little easier... Maybe try drinking more water? Talk to your doctor. Surgery was never brought up with my doctor, I think that would only be in extreme cases if at all.

Good luck!

Your husband's theory is wrong. Keep nursing as long as the baby will nurse or until you decide it's time to stop weaning her but don't do it expecting that it will help the fissure. You can talk to your ob about it if it continues to bother you -- but it sounds like it may be on the way to healing already.

Check this out (and you can find more if you google it, too.)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001130.htm

I have 4 kids and have struggled with anal fissures with each one. They are so incredibly painful. No matter what I did it seemed to get better and then worse. I felt I tried everything diet wise and always have loved exercise. The fissures were a viscious cycle. They would however go away when, after enduring a year, I would stop breastfeeding. After my 3rd I got internal hemmeroid surgery that is called banding. It is a simple in office proceedure that REALLY helped. When I still had fissures after my fourth I was desperate to try anything. I had been eating fiber like you couldn't believe and taking stool softeners. It wasn't until I bought a stool softener that had a STIMULATIVE LAXATIVE that I saw almost immediate results. I would eat a high fiber breakfast and then take a couple pills with lunch and dinner as well as still getting fiber in my lunch and dinner, often through fiber gummies. This seemed to be the magic ingredient. Apparently breastfeeding was slowing my system down and a laxative made me normal again. Hope this works for you. Good luck