# Bartholin Cyst during Pregnancy



## cinnamongirl

Ok, so I've just come home from the hospital, where I've just had my Bartholin Cyst cut and drained...does anyone else have this condition????

It is by far the most painful thing I've ever experienced in my life, and I can't possibly imagine giving birth to be more painful that this is (we'll see in October!). Normally, I would go under anesthesia to have this done, but I can't since I'm pregnant, and so instead I had to have a local and could feel all the squeezing/draining of the cyst. I was so looking forward to having the whole damn gland removed, but then I found out I was pregnant, and I'm not able to have it done until after LO is here. I just really hope that this is the only flare up I'll have while pregnant. 

Sitz baths are being recommended by the emergency dr's, and as usual, I have to tell them that that does absolutely NOTHING for me!!! :hissy: They don't seem to understand that I suffer from these so often, it's insane (once a month I would have to have it drained)...I've also had it marsupialized (fancy procedure that did NOTHING), and it's come back thrice since then. My only option is having it removed, as these affect me so frequently and seriously. When I was working, I would have to take 1-2 weeks out of every month to recover from this....obviously, not great if u're looking to secure permanent work...

I can't tell u how scared I was when they said they had to put the freezing needle right into it! Merely looking at the area is enough to make me climb the walls, and I feel so awful after being poked, prodded, pulled and squeezed in the most sensitive of areas! Then, of course LO was kicking and flipping out, and I worried that I did some damage of some kind to him...I just want him to be ok, and me to not be in pain anymore.

Just wondering if anyone else has this (either while preg or not), and what your experience has been with it...was it serious enough to warrant removing the whole gland?? How was that surgery? This is the kind of pain I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemy!


***https://www.healthline.com/galecontent/bartholins-gland-cyst***

https://64.143.176.9/library/healthguide/en-us/images/media/medical/hw/n5551136.jpg


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## cinnamongirl

Well, ok...I guess I'm alone here. It is a relatively rare condition affecting only 2% of women, so I don't know why I was expecting anyone else to be able to relate to me.

I was however, looking for a few kind words of support since this is the most painful condition I can ever imagine, but even that has eluded me. :cry:

Thanks anyways for reading, I guess...I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little hurt that no one feels I deserve any support. I always try to be supportive and give hugs, even when I can't relate...but I guess I don't get that back. I was hoping that this would be the place where I could get some friendly support, but as usual, I end up dealing with things with only OH to hear me. I'm sorry if I've done something to offend the entire forum. I'm also sorry for being so hormonal, and obviously I just needed someone friendly to pass by and say it's gonna be ok...I guess I'll just have to keep telling myself that since no one can possibly understand what this condition feels like.


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## ShellysBelly

No no, I have one.

Luckily it doesn't hurt though (yet). It gets bigger and smaller and sitzbaths do help me. I'm going to talk to the gynaecologist about it when I get to see her and see if anything needs to be done about it before birth. 

Yours sounds like agony though!

I've had vulval surgery before so I feel your pain. When you get it removed after the birth you won't know yourself though. Looks like us pregnant girls just have to put up and shut up doesn't it?!

Read the rest of your second post there. Here have a hug from me!

:hug::hug::friends::hugs:


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## joeyjo

hey Hun, sorry your first post got missed :hugs:

I've noticed the trimester boards get a lot more traffic than in here and that posts can sit unread for quite a while here especially when they have a title people might not understand.

Now being of a medical bent (i'm a vet) I'm intrigued by a condition I don't already now and am off to play havoc with google. Sometimes giving a link can help get replies too...

Hope you're feeling a bit better today :hugs::hugs:


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## cinnamongirl

Thanks so much girls! :cry::blush: Ur words of encouragement mean alot to me. I've been feeling very alone lately, and this pain is not making it any more pleasant. The only person I have is OH, and I feel so bad that he has to take care of me like I'm the baby!

And I miss talking to people face to face, and I don't know how to deal. I don't have any friends near me, and sometimes it's really hard to go thru these times without ur girlfriends to help u thru it. I've been trying to make local friends, but I'm finding it really hard, cuz I am scared of people it seems. I've become really shy and frightened of being without OH near me.

I'm so sorry for the off-topic rant...I couldn't stop myself. I don't know what's wrong with me these days.


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## joeyjo

Oooo I meant to post again but I was at work and got caught up in stuff!

Googled - and I do not envy you your cyst one little bit, made me squirm on my seat a bit! 
:hugs::hugs::hugs: hope they manage to sort things out for you.


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## cinnamongirl

ShellysBelly said:


> I've had vulval surgery before so I feel your pain. When you get it removed after the birth you won't know yourself though. Looks like us pregnant girls just have to put up and shut up doesn't it?!
> 
> Read the rest of your second post there. Here have a hug from me!
> 
> :hug::hug::friends::hugs:

It seems as though it's been over a year since I've had this, and I don't know myself now. This thing and all the procedures I've had to have done has really changed 'the landscape' iykwim?

And yes, putting up and shutting up seems to be the requirment :hissy:

Thanks for the hugs! :blush: Sometimes I hate being this vulnerable! But I suppose it's partly all the horMOANS!


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## cinnamongirl

joeyjo said:


> Oooo I meant to post again but I was at work and got caught up in stuff!
> 
> Googled - and I do not envy you your cyst one little bit, made me squirm on my seat a bit!
> :hugs::hugs::hugs: hope they manage to sort things out for you.


Thanks for ur advice. I was starting to feel a bit invisible tbh. Next time, I will be sure to give more info! :dohh:

Yes, squirming is definately in order with this thing! Especially when 5 different emergency room doctors feel the need to squeeze/poke/stretch it before they decide to put u out of ur misery. I mean, the hairs can't even touch each other down there without it makin me jump outta my skin! (sorry TMI) And that is another source of embarassment: the lack of 'housekeeping' down there when so many strangers will be takin a look! But, I haven't been able to see down there for weeks! OH says they see all kinds of pregnant hairy bushes all the time, so not to worry. Gee, thanks love! :dohh:


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## ShellysBelly

cinnamongirl said:


> ShellysBelly said:
> 
> 
> I've had vulval surgery before so I feel your pain. When you get it removed after the birth you won't know yourself though. Looks like us pregnant girls just have to put up and shut up doesn't it?!
> 
> Read the rest of your second post there. Here have a hug from me!
> 
> :hug::hug::friends::hugs:
> 
> It seems as though it's been over a year since I've had this, and I don't know myself now. This thing and all the procedures I've had to have done has really changed 'the landscape' iykwim?Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm completely different down there now, most of my Perineum is gone (yay, less chance of tearing/episiotomy). I had terrible scarring from a bad infection for years so basically sex was torture. Not anymore!!


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## Ninajewel

Been onto google, had never heard of your condition. Yikes you poor thing that must be sooo painful... I have very sensitive bits and everything seems to leave me sore at the mo but that sounds unbearable. 

I really hope you can get through the last bit of your pregnancy in as little pain as poss (and be able to enjoy it) before getting it removed.

:hugs:


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## nikkip75

ouch! you poor thing:hugs:

hope your feeling ok now and it all gets sorted once baby is born :hug:


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## Septie

Ohhh, that does sound horrendous. I can't even imagine the pain:hug:
I'm glad that they will be able to remove it once the bubs is here...


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## genkigemini

:hugs: :hugs: :hugs:

OMG!! That sounds soooo horribly painful. I am so sorry you are having to go through this but I hope the procedure gives you some relief until your LO arrives. I am sure he is fine. Probably just acting up during the procedure because your nerves and blood pressure were probably elevated.

:hugs: :hugs: :hugs:


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## cinnamongirl

genkigemini said:


> :hugs: :hugs: :hugs:
> 
> OMG!! That sounds soooo horribly painful. I am so sorry you are having to go through this but I hope the procedure gives you some relief until your LO arrives. I am sure he is fine. Probably just acting up during the procedure because your nerves and blood pressure were probably elevated.
> 
> :hugs: :hugs: :hugs:

I had to keep telling myself that he was just trying to tell me that he was ok in there, and he was kicking me so much so that I would calm down and not worry there was something wrong.

I'm feeling a little better, but the recovery period is long and painful also...hopefully I'll be back to myself in the next couple days...


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## littlekitten8

Ooo ouch! That sounds so so painful babe. And I was feeling sorry for myself cos I kept getting ingrowing hairs in my pubic region....not anymore! Massive hugs and hope you are feeling better.


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## mrskx0x0

I think I have had this twice, one when pg once before. Mine never got any bigger than a pea and wasn't painful but I was still very worried about baby. Poor you, can't they do something to prevent this? xxxxx


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## cinnamongirl

According to what the doctors tell me, there is no way to prevent it. I've already switched to all cotton undies, make sure I don't get ingrown hairs down there, and basically that's all I can do. Until I have the surgery that is! My doctor told me that likely we will have to use extra lube since I won't have that gland operating, and that's just fine by me! If that's all it will take for me to be able to enjoy sex again, well...that's a small price to pay!


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## jl.

Hi there, i was just wondering if anyone else has any information on this.

I think this is what i have, a few months back i had one but i decided just to ignore it and it went away, a few days ago it has came back on the same side. I'm now 20 weeks pregnant so worried about going to the doctors. 

It's pretty swollen and it hurts when i sit down and also when walking. It is very uncomfortable and sex is a definite no no. I'm worried about going to the doctors but don't know if this is normal and something that should pass or i should go to the doctors?


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## Sidsapple

Hello,
I guess they don't remove it because it is not dangerous for your baby and can be done after the birth, is that right?
I had a dermoid ovarian cyst removed in April when I was 4 month pregnant. They also took my left ovary and the tube with it but that is because the cyst was 17 cm and baby was crushed on the right, otherwise they would have waited after the birth to get rid of it.
Good luck with it :flower:


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## mavsprtynpink

cinnamongirl said:


> Ok, so I've just come home from the hospital, where I've just had my Bartholin Cyst cut and drained...does anyone else have this condition????
> 
> It is by far the most painful thing I've ever experienced in my life, and I can't possibly imagine giving birth to be more painful that this is (we'll see in October!). Normally, I would go under anesthesia to have this done, but I can't since I'm pregnant, and so instead I had to have a local and could feel all the squeezing/draining of the cyst. I was so looking forward to having the whole damn gland removed, but then I found out I was pregnant, and I'm not able to have it done until after LO is here. I just really hope that this is the only flare up I'll have while pregnant.
> 
> Sitz baths are being recommended by the emergency dr's, and as usual, I have to tell them that that does absolutely NOTHING for me!!! :hissy: They don't seem to understand that I suffer from these so often, it's insane (once a month I would have to have it drained)...I've also had it marsupialized (fancy procedure that did NOTHING), and it's come back thrice since then. My only option is having it removed, as these affect me so frequently and seriously. When I was working, I would have to take 1-2 weeks out of every month to recover from this....obviously, not great if u're looking to secure permanent work...
> 
> I can't tell u how scared I was when they said they had to put the freezing needle right into it! Merely looking at the area is enough to make me climb the walls, and I feel so awful after being poked, prodded, pulled and squeezed in the most sensitive of areas! Then, of course LO was kicking and flipping out, and I worried that I did some damage of some kind to him...I just want him to be ok, and me to not be in pain anymore.
> 
> Just wondering if anyone else has this (either while preg or not), and what your experience has been with it...was it serious enough to warrant removing the whole gland?? How was that surgery? This is the kind of pain I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemy!
> 
> 
> ***https://www.healthline.com/galecontent/bartholins-gland-cyst***
> 
> https://64.143.176.9/library/healthguide/en-us/images/media/medical/hw/n5551136.jpg



YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!

I so far have suffered from this condition 4 times. I pray to god everyday to not let me have one during my pregnancy. The last time I got one the doctor said the next option would be surgery, but obviously as you have stated now that we are pregnant surgery isnt an option. And I know the pain of just being locally "numbed" if thats what they want to call it. I screamed so loud I think the whole clinic heard. And on top of it my husband was out of town at the time so I was on my own. I was begining to feel like I was alone because the few girlfriends I felt comfortable telling had never heard of such a thing. I hope you have a speedy recovery, and I PRAY you dont have another occurance. They are sooo painful, and going to the bathroom after the draining is complete is the worse thing in the entire world. Wet wipes had become my best friend.


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## LolaLou

I suffered greatly from these. With my previous pregnancy I had it drained a catheterized twice, and finally marsupialized. That seemed to work until this pregnancy it got so big and abcessed, I HAD THE MOST PAINFUL DRAINAGE OF MY LIFE. I will have to have it drained again soon, as it is growing out of control again now.:cry:

The next step for me will be removal as well. It has definately cast a dark cloud over my pregnancies. I, also, feel so alone in this. I am sorry your first post got ignored, I rarely visit this forum, but I def do relate.:hugs:

Sorry you have to go through this, too. :nope:


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## Lunatic25

Just found this topic today after finding what I think is a cyst on the inside of vaginal lip, noticed I was swollen looking on one side and then felt this soft squidgy lump, altho cant really see anything obvious, and there is no pain.

I'm currently 30weeks pregnant and never had this before, altho I have had cysts on breasts so maybe im just prone to them.

Should I just leave it or should I bring this up with the doctor. Is it possible that it will go away by itself?


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## Islander

i get them!soooo sore :S i feel so sorry for you hun... i was so embarrased the 1st time i drained it myself :S ouch! so sorry to hear your struggling with this!


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## _Vicky_

I had one when i was pregnant - I spoke to the midwife about it at my 16 week appointment and was told it was quite common in pregnancy and as long as its not in the way of the birth canal and wasnt painful then no treatment would be necessary. 

They were right it went away and hasnt come back since. I am so sorry for you ladies that get then worse as its just awful having any issues xxxxx


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## Tracyface

I had one about 5 years ago and it was the most painfull experience ever - fact!! Mine shot up the size of a golfball within a matter of days. I couldn't sit properly or walk.

I had to have mine cut and drained and there is still a lump of scar tissue, and unfortunately they cut through nerves which means that I have no feeling on the left side of my foofoo (not happy about this).

Awful experience never to be wished on any woman - ouch 

xxxx


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## LolaLou

Lunatic25 said:


> Just found this topic today after finding what I think is a cyst on the inside of vaginal lip, noticed I was swollen looking on one side and then felt this soft squidgy lump, altho cant really see anything obvious, and there is no pain.
> 
> I'm currently 30weeks pregnant and never had this before, altho I have had cysts on breasts so maybe im just prone to them.
> 
> Should I just leave it or should I bring this up with the doctor. Is it possible that it will go away by itself?

So sorry you are having to deal with these now too! Just know they are common, and most often will not get to the point you hear me complaining about! They most often will drain on their own. Definately mention it to your doc, so they can keep an eye on it, but just know that if it is not causing you pain, they will most likely leave it. The good news is, they usually explode during childbirth.....so that is something you can look forward too:winkwink:


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## jl.

bad news after mines bursting it feels like it's now back but at the moment it just feels like a soft ball - not hard and sore like the last time.

It doesn't hurt it's just bigger than the other side. 

These are no fun!

Is there a connection between these and pregnancy?


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## LolaLou

jl. said:


> bad news after mines bursting it feels like it's now back but at the moment it just feels like a soft ball - not hard and sore like the last time.
> 
> It doesn't hurt it's just bigger than the other side.
> 
> These are no fun!
> 
> Is there a connection between these and pregnancy?

For me, there is! I couldn't find any studies to back it up, but mine started with my last pregnancy. Once she was born, I had no problems for a year until I got pregnant again! My doc said maybe because of the extra fluids, but I seem to think there is a hormonal cause:shrug:


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## jl.

LolaLou said:


> jl. said:
> 
> 
> bad news after mines bursting it feels like it's now back but at the moment it just feels like a soft ball - not hard and sore like the last time.
> 
> It doesn't hurt it's just bigger than the other side.
> 
> These are no fun!
> 
> Is there a connection between these and pregnancy?
> 
> For me, there is! I couldn't find any studies to back it up, but mine started with my last pregnancy. Once she was born, I had no problems for a year until I got pregnant again! My doc said maybe because of the extra fluids, but I seem to think there is a hormonal cause:shrug:Click to expand...


I've never had these in my life - I hadn't even heard of them and the first was the sorest thing i've ever experienced, The hospital told me that it wouldn't burst as it wasn't infected - after sitting on an ice pack for three hours it popped and horrible stuff went everywhere but it was instant relief.
Can now feel this one urgh - I've got some epsom salts at the ready to jump in the bath and catch this thing before it gets as bad as the last time!

Not good :(


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## jl.

spoke too soon, it's now sore when i wipe and feels bigger. 

Oh please not again :(


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## jl.

So, it's back in full force, huge. I've never been in so much pain in my life - can't even stand today. Just have to lie down in my bed. My doctor gave me super pain killers that knock me out and help for about an hour and also antibiotics. But I'm in complete agony I've spent the past three days crying I can't handle it - I really really want to just put a pin in - so miserable. 

I just want it to pop - the pain is not bearable. 
Can anyone help :'(

How do I get this stupid stupid thing to pop?! 
The only time it doesn't Hurt is when I sit in the bath. 

I swear I will never have another child in my life :'(


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## Feb4th2011

These cysts are just the worst! I get one at least 1-4 times a year :(I'm on antibiotics right now, and if it doesn't get any better in the next 4 days I have to have it cut open and drained... (do not want that to happen) But i can honestly say, I would take 10 of these abscessed cysts at once if it meant I could have a baby as well. Infertility issues SUCK way more than these cysts.


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