Health Organization for Pudendal Education

Hello All!

I trying to find someone who has been here before and can offer advice. I am wondering if any of experience dealing with being pregnant with pudendal nerve trauma from a previous vaginal delivery. I am trying to decided whether or not to have a scheduled c-section in February 2016. *Story below.

- Do any of you have your pudenal pain caused by a vaginal delivery?
- Did any of you opt for a c-section to avoid making it worse? Would you recommend this?
- Did any of you have a 2nd vaginal delivery and it made your pain worse?
- Did any of you have a 2nd vaginal delivery that broke up your scar tissue and made the problem better?

Here is the story for a little bit of background:

I live in pain (of varying levels - sometimes dull but at the end of long days and during other activities it's throbbing always on my right side) from a traumatic vaginal delivery 17-months-ago. I had to be induced at 38 weeks because my baby stopped growing. I REALLY didn’t want a c-section and did everything possible to avoid it. At the beginning of the induction I hadn't dilated at all and my body was showing no signs of being close to delivering. The induction took 4 days (not exaggerating) of which I didn’t sleep at all. I narrowly ended up avoiding a c but pushed it way too hard. I had lots of tearing and caused long-term pain. I went to pelvic floor therapy, a specialist, and tried many other things to make it go away. My OB suggested weening to see if that would help it heal but I didn’t before getting pregnant again when my daughter was 13-months-old and the pain has gotten SO MUCH WORSE. If I could do it all over again I would opt for a c-section the first time. I have another baby coming in February. My OB who was a part of it the first time has recommended a scheduled c-section. My new OB (we moved) says she will support me either way. I can’t fathom the thought of making this worse and aggravating the nerve more but have also heard of a few magical cases where the second delivery made the pain better.

Please let me know your input but nothing too scary I am already really petrified! Thank you so much!

Best,
Julie

Hi Julie,

Welcome to the forum. Congratulations on your pregnancy! My opinion on your situation is that I would opt for the c-section. If your pudendal nerve was injured or stretched beyond normal during your first delivery, I think it would be unwise to put the pressure of a second delivery on the nerve. Possibly you are in added pain during this pregnancy due to hormonal changes or the extra weight in your pelvis from the baby. Stress and worry can also worsen pain. I had a child via c-section (several years before my pelvic pain began) and I found the recovery quite easy, especially after the first 10 days. Is your pain all vulvar/vaginal pain or is there some rectal pain as well? Do you know for sure that your pudendal nerve is involved vs. having muscular tightness or some other pathology?

Sincerely,
Stephanies

Hello Stephanie!

Thank you for the reply. I hardly use online forums so I apologize if I don’t reply in the best format or whatever!

The pain is rectal as well. I have not been officially diagnosed as it being my pudendal nerve because my doctor wanted me to wean from breastfeeding my first baby and see if that helped before trying a nerve block. I SO wish I had listened to know for certain but we got pregnant as a bit of surprise with #2. That is just what they think probably is because pelvic floor therapy and a daily insert from a specialty pharmacy that was a mix of muscle relaxers/pain killers did not help. Also, they see nothing physically from an exam or ultrasound.

Not sure if it is relevant or not but I have MS. No one else I know or heard of with MS has had similar issues with childbirth.

Thanks again! I would love to hear your additional thoughts if any.

Julie, I have a friend who developed PN as a result of vaginal delivery so I tend to agree with Stephanie about having a c-section. I also knew someone with MS who had symptoms similar to PN as a result of nerve damage from MS but in your case it sounds like the vaginal delivery was the trigger. Sometimes there can be more than one trigger though.

Good luck with your delivery. I hope all goes well.

Violet

Hi Julie,
As someone who went to the exact same thing I am super curious how your pregnancy went en delivery? Did pregnancy made your pain worse? And how are you now? Hope you and your family are oke.