External Hemorrhoids

Having a baby is supposed to be one of the happiest, most exciting times of life. Unfortunately, it also causes a lot of changes in your body (and in your bodily functions) that may be difficult to deal with, not to mention difficult to live with.

One of the most common complaints among pregnant women and post-partum women is that they have hemorrhoids. There are many reasons that pregnancy has the ability to be a cause of external hemorrhoids. Knowing about the changes that can lead to this problem may actually help you avoid it altogether.

When you are pregnant, you have an increasing amount of weight putting pressure on your lower parts, including your rectum. With all that additional pressure, there is more of a strain put on your bottom, including on the veins and anus. When this pressure causes the veins to become irritated, you may begin to have a slight problem.

Another thing about pregnancy that may cause a hemorrhoid problem is constipation. You will want to make sure you do everything you can to avoid becoming constipated. Drink more water; you need more of it now than you did pre-pregnancy to keep up with the extra water your body needs for the baby to grow inside of you.

If you need to take an iron supplement, as many pregnant women do, you may also want to increase your consumption of vitamin C. It helps your body absorb the iron better and will also give additional fiber to you if taken in the form of fruits or vegetables. This will help keep things moving, making it less likely that you will become constipated from the iron supplement.

Standing for prolonged periods while pregnant may put even more stress on your bottom. Make sure you not only sit down, but that you also put your feet up many times throughout the day. This will help keep the circulation in your legs and bottom moving and help take some of the pressure off.

Labor is often the time when many women develop hemorrhoids. Pushing the baby out may put enough strain on your rectal area that it causes problems. If this happens, it usually will heal rather quickly if you take good care of yourself. Taking sitz baths, wiping with a moist towel (or spraying and patting), and drinking enough water in the weeks following childbirth will all help you recover and heal. If you don’t take care of hemorrhoids when you first notice them, they may actually develop a blood clot and become thrombosed external hemorrhoids.

Enjoying your new baby will be much easier when you are not in the pain that may come with hemorrhoids. Take care of yourself all over, especially in that most delicate area.