Hi, I just want to get some info going here about breastfeeding and fissures for future breastfeeding mummies that stumble over this forum.
I had heard that breastfeeding may lead to fissures not healing either due to hormones or that milk production makes your body dehydrated and therefore your poops dry and hard. During my days of fissures I almost stopped breastfeeding just to see if that helped my fissures...that's how desperate I was.
I now have the experience to say that fissures can be healed whilst breastfeeding. I am still breastfeeding and have not had my period back yet (so my hormones must still not be back to normal)...my baby is exactly 6 months now..and my first fissure went away 2 months ago, my second 1 month ago. At the moment I feel really quite confident that my bum is better...I can have hardish stools and no tear, eat a lot more no-no-foods and drink less water.
If anyone else in the forum or in the future want to join in here and tell about their experience with breastfeeding and fissures I'm sure this would be a valuable resource for any future mums who are considering stopping breastfeeding to heal their fissures. So, was I just lucky or is it possible to heal whilst breastfeeding???
Have a lovely day all of you, and I've said it a billion times but THANK YOU everyone on this forum and the incredible person who started it...without it I would probably still be in fissure hell and probably not breastfeeding my little boy

i too im dealing with fissures my son is four months old i get a new fissure every month im breastfeeding i use rectogisic and laevolac daily for four months but no change i put it down to breastfeeding and monthly growth spurts my diet has always been the same im wondering and hoping that once i stop breastfeeding and my hormones go back to normal that il stop getting fissures its hard when all you want is the best for your baby i.e breast milk but you have to go through months if fissures as a down fall of breastfeeding it seems so common i don't know why there isnt studys been done to prove its breast feeding and or hormones that's causing fisures then a cure can be worked on because i drink 3 litres of water a day take alot of laevolac and use rectogisic everyday and that doesn't work well no for me anyway .

I'm a breastfeeding mama- our son is 4 1/2 months. I've had this fissure since childbirth and it is still there. I really wondered about the breastfeeding thing, too, and I don't really have any answers about it healing, although I am pretty sure breastfeeding is part of what caused it for me. I definitely wasn't drinking enough water at the time and I was straining hard stools. If someone had warned me about these fissures, then boy would I have been chugging the water hardcore! Interestingly no one I know has ever experienced this horrific pain post-baby so I have felt very much alone here. I've tried diltiazem, Rectiv, watching what I eat, drinking more water, now Im using Nifedipine. I am hopeful it's on it's way to healing since I have has setbacks but the time in between them has gotten better pain-wise. So all in all, yes, I think you can heal whilst nursing.

Hi nursing mothers!
Are you taking calcium supplements while you are breastfeeding? I have found that calcium supplements make me very constipated, even if I take it in orange juice.
Just a thought.

I feel so bad for you guys. Nobody should have to battle a fissure AND look after a baby. I remember very well how hard it was to stay hydrated when nursing, and (thankfully) I didn't have a fissure at that time. I'm sending all sorts of healing thoughts to you and all nursing mothers.

Thanks, Scientist. Appreciate your kind words and support!

I am actually taking calcium magnesium citrate to help with insomnia and interestingly I have found it works as a mild laxative too!

hi everyone ive been battleing fissures since my baby was two weeks old hes now four and a half months old so i know how you feel ive trid a lot of things to try fix them and prevent myself from getting more i drink 3-4.5 litres of water so dehydration is not at fault u can try putting olive old right on the fissure i did that when my first fissure was very painfull it help heal it. ive also heard putting good hunny on it also drinking olive oil its the grossest thing ever but its so good for u. i still get a new one once a month and i dont no what to do anymore im just trying to stay alive til the last 6 weeks is up and my little on goes onto the bottle also try avoid to much dairy
coffee chocolate bananas white bread rice meat apples and toast ive never understood why apples are a no no since
they have fiber and they are a fruit. i use laculose u can get it otc i wouldnt be without it the problem is our bodies are
not putting alot of water in our stools i dont no why my son doesnt drink 3-4.5 litres of milk a day but anyway the laculose
pulls water into ur stools i take about two tbsp half an hour after ever meal ive tried taking it alot of wrong ways but i found that way works best i wil report but when ive weaned my baby off the breast im hoping thats the problem i dont want to live with this forever plus. evertime you take the laculose drink it down with two glasses of water straight away. and ive been using rectogisic for four months
only after i get a fissure il use it three times a day it helps alot and it hasnt effected my son from what i can tell. one other thing i find helps is after u have been to the toilet try not to sit dont try stay on ur feet for as long as u can so theres good blood flow to the area so it can heal. it sux always thinking about ur next bathroom visit worring about everything u eat. be positive and keep going good luck to u all

I'm a nursing mom as well. I was nursing during my first fissure after my first DS is 2011. I took diltiazem while breastfeeding. My doc said it was safe and it didn't seem to bother my baby at all. I was careful to drink a lot of water so I didn't get constipated. I think it was the actual birth that caused the fissure.

This time my fissure was caused by constipation brought on by medication to treat morning sickness. I've just stated taking diltiazem again. I'm still breastfeeding (my baby is 7 months) and I don't plan on stopping because of the fissure. My fissure re-occurred when I was just pregnant (and no longer breastfeeding).

I really don't know if breastfeeding makes one more prone to AFs. I guess it could if it causes you to become dehydrated. I'm taking miralax which is also safe while breastfeeding.

However, my OB did say that when I stop breastfeeding my estrogen will increase and that will help my scar tissue from my episiotomy to become more soft. So I guess that could affect anal tissue as well.

To any nursing moms who read this. I'm so sorry you are suffering with and AF. It is so hard to deal with, especially when you are caring for your baby. You are not alone. Hopefully we all find a cure soon.

Hi just an update im still drinking atleast 3 litres of water a day today onwards my son will only be on formula i got my fissure back today lucky me so now im depressed and not planning on leaving the house today im staying in to deal with pain my son is 6 months old today i eat healthy an drink alot of water so i blame hormones in my case anyway i dont no when this will end i hope soon because its reaking my life i get the fissure once a month so not much happy time anyway if this isn't my last one since ive stopped breast feeding i will look into surgery or something i need something for lifetime can't take softners an cream for ever Il update in another month im off to the bath an cream plus panadol good luck all.

Thank you so much for posting missy moo! I'm also giving up BFing. So sad about it but I can't live this way. Can't wait to hear of your progress.

Hi jbl22424 how are u going r u still breast feeding its now day two with no breast feeding and i got a fissure the day i stopped breast feeding but the thing is i had nOt much pain as it happened then no pain during the day at all then the next day no pain at all swell i dont no why maybe the tear seals much faster without the hormones who knows all i know is im very grateful i hope ur doing ok sometimes i feel sad about not breast feeding and i miss it but then i think about that on going pain and it makes me feel not as bad : )