Many pregnant women experience hemorrhoids during pregnancy and they can literally be a pain in the butt. They are often something that most cannot avoid because women often are constipated during this time.

Some women will get hemorrhoids for the first time when they are pregnant. Sometimes they come in the beginning or they might happen in the second stage of labor when the woman is pushing to get the baby out. They sometimes will go away once pregnancy is completed.

As the pregnancy continues and the uterus grows to accommodate the baby’s growth it can push on the pelvic veins and other veins in the surrounding area. This can slow the blood that returns to the lower part of your body. This can make the veins more swollen or dilated.

Women also have more constipation during pregnancy because they may be straining to get feces out. The strain can make the hemorrhoids either get more aggravated or can get them started.

Progesterone also increases during pregnancy and can cause the vein walls to relax which allows them to swell. This can also slow down the intestinal tract.

How to Get Relief from Hemorrhoid

There are many ways to relieve the symptoms of hemorrhoids during pregnancy. Here are a few:

Sitz Bath – One way that many women find to help their hemorrhoids is to sit in a bathtub. This is not always possible when you are pregnant so another suggestion is a Sitz bath. This is a small plastic container that you can sit over the toilet and sit your bottom in to sooth the hemorrhoids.

Hot and cold treatments – Some women find relief when they use hot and cold treatments. You can start with an icepack on the hemorrhoids and then sit in a warm Sitz bath afterwards.

Medicated wipes instead of toilet paper – There are some brands of medicated wipes that are easier to use for wiping than toilet paper. Tucks has one brand that can help. Sometimes these are more soothing to hemorrhoids than regular toilet paper.

Creams or suppositories -. There are many topical remedies that you can put on hemorrhoids to stop the itching and inflammation. Preparation-H is one type but you can also find creams or suppositories to help.

How To Avoid Hemorrhoids During Pregnancy

There are many ways to avoid hemorrhoids during pregnancy so that you will not have to deal with them. The first thing to do is to eat whole foods that are high in fiber. Fruits and vegetables are best because they have the roughage you need and they are natural fiber.

Adding more water to your diet will be good for you and your baby. Drinking the 8-10 glasses of 8 ozs of water or at least 3, 24 oz bottles of bottled water will keep you hydrated and stop constipation.

Finally try to get a little exercise even if it is just a walk around the block. This will also help your circulation and help you stay away from constipation.

Vaginal hemorrhoids are not common and many people think that they do not exist. Usually this can happen and it is normally during pregnancy that this can happen. Visit our hemorrhoids during pregnancy page for more information on dealing with hemorrhoids when you are pregnant.

Hemorrhoids are varicose veins that get protracted during the stress of a bowel movement. In pregnancy this can happen when blood vessels get overly swollen due to some type of strain from carrying the baby or from bowel movements.

When a woman is pregnant she may experience hemorrhoids that will make her uncomfortable. She would notice this because of an itchy or burning sensation in the vagina or rectum.

Because pregnancy can produce veins that are swollen because of the increased blood volume in the vagina some of the blood flow can be blocked from the rectum and the lower pelvis. Another example is when Rectoceles happens (bulging of front wall of the rectum into the vagina) and obstructs the veins that go into the wall of the rectum.

In any case this can be somewhat painful for the women experiencing the problem. There are two reasons why hemorrhoids can happen in pregnancy:

• The uterus puts more pressure on veins that would normally bring back blood from the lower body and progesterone relaxes the vein walls. This creates a swelling in the lower half of the body and gravity adds to it. This creates the reason why a woman cannot stand for long periods and can cause the hemorrhoids.

• The abdomen creates more pressure on the veins in the vagina because of the combination of the weight of the baby and constipation during pregnancy. This can create a hard bowel movement and make the veins protrude in the vagina or the anus.

In most cases doctors recommend that you keep your body regulated so that you have easy bowel movements to avoid hemorrhoids from happening. To do this you must eat a good diet of fruits and vegetables that are geared to keep you from constipation. Also, drinking plenty of water when you are pregnant will help keep things moving easily.

Treatment for Vaginal Hemorrhoids

Some of the best treatments for vaginal hemorrhoids are the same as for any other type:

Sitz Bath – Sitting in your bathtub in warm water can do wonders for your hemorrhoids providing that you can get into a tub. If you cannot get down into your tub there are plastic tubs that fit into your toilet for the purpose of helping ease the discomfort from hemorrhoids. You can ask at the pharmacy.

Witch hazel pads – Pads that contain with hazel can be perfect for helping with hemorrhoids. One brand name is called Tucks. These pads are an astringent which means they will help sooth the hemorrhoids and dry them.

If you suspect you have vaginal hemorrhoids it is a good idea to check with your physician before trying any of the remedies suggested for your vagina. The doctor may have a prescription that would work better or they will know something over the counter.