Is it common to have Hemorrhoids in Pregnancy? Yes, it is quite common to have hemorrhoids in Pregnancy. The leading cause behind this is constipation or irritable bowels. Though they are very painful to deal with but with proper care, you can get some relief within 3 days – 1 week. If your hemorrhoid is extremely painful, have pus and blood then it is best recommended to consult your midwife or OBGYN first before starting any treatment on your own.

What causes Hemorrhoids exactly? During pregnancy your blood volume increases and as your uterus grows in size, it puts a lot of pressure down there. Not everyone gets it in pregnancy but if you get some, please be assured that it is okay and they are treatable. If you are constipating then it is quite easy to get hemorrhoid especially in later stages of pregnancy. Also, some studies suggests that supplements can also cause hemorrhoids. In my understanding, if you taking iron supplements, you can get constipated which can trigger hemorrhoids. Remember, this is not a life long condition, it will go away eventually :).

How to care for Hemorrhoids? Prevention is always better than cure! I advise everyone who is on their pregnancy journey, to keep themselves hydrated, eat a lot of fiber rich food, and limit the intake of caffeine.

Also, do not sit for prolonged period of time. Get up every hour and move as this will help with blood circulation. Walking and prenatal yoga is also very beneficial.

Here’s few things that can help you heal faster if you got hemorroihoids:

DIET:

• Increase the intake of fiber rich foods in your diet. You can also take psyllium husk powder.
  Tip: The best way to take psyllium husk is add a tablespoon powder in half cup warm water, let it sit for a minute. This will allow the powder to rise completely and then add the remaining half cup of water. Always best it to consume it in warm water. You can also take it with milk.
• Eat lots of fruits. Papaya can be helpful too.
• Avoid oily, spicy, or heavy to digest food for some time. As this can make your constipation worse.

Tropical Treatments:

• Take some Vitamin E oil and then apply it on your hemorrhoid directly and then with the help of your finger, try to push the bulge inside. This method saved me from the dreadful pain! It will take real strength to apply pressure on the bulge but trust me, you will get some relief within few days.
• Sitz Bath! They are also very helpful and a must to do. You can do it simply in luke warm water. You can also use Epsom salt. I find sitz bath with Epsom salt more helpful. Herbal sitz bath can also be very soothing. I used Earth Mama Herbal pads as well, which I think was okay but not super helpful. Buy a sitz bath tub as they are super helpful for butt immersion. I got mine from amazon.
• Grated potato can also be applied to get some relief from the inflammation. Grate a potato and put it in between a muslin cloth and apply it directly. This will help with inflammation. You can also chill (not freeze) the grated potato for better cooling effect.
• Neem oil is an excellent source to fight off infections and aids in healing. Do not apply concentrated neem oil directly. I diluted my neem oil with Vit E oil and applied it tropically.
• Rubin supplements, my midwife suggested me to take Rubin supplement to help with inflammation. These are safe to consume and be easily found on amazon. I struggled to find it in the drug store
• Tucks pad can also help for many but I didn’t it super helpful in my case. For my healing, I stick to natural/herbal remedies only. Same goes for tropical ointments, I was at week 30 when I got hemorrhoids, and I didn’t want to take any chance with OTC medications.
• Donut pillow. I personally find it not useful at all. When I sat on it, I felt more pressure down there actually. I wouldn’t recommend it. I ended up returning my donut pillow next day.

It is important to give some time for healing. Hemorrhoids doesn’t go away in a day. With proper care, you can get some relief within few days but do not expect major relief on day 1. Patience is key here.

Hope you find this article helpful.