Hemorrhoids And Pregnancy

As we all know, pregnancy is a time of wonder and magic as a beautiful life is blossoming in the mother’s womb. At this time, as the body changes drastically, the mother watches for new problems arising from her new condition as a mother-to-be.

One of the surprising and yet bothering problems occurring during pregnancy is the eruption of hemorrhoids just when we think we have enough troubles to deal with.

Why are hemorrhoids so common during pregnancy?

Pregnancy arrives with a number of hormones that help ease the blood flow and dilates the blood vessels which are required to carry a lot m ore blood for the mother and baby. These conditions make it easy for hemorrhoids to grow.

Early in the pregnancy, the mother sometimes changes her diet because of morning sickness. This change of diet may cause constipation and increase pressure on the rectal area. This pressure may irritate the nerves in the area and encourage the growth of hemorrhoids.

Sometimes mothers-to-be may have digestion problems and they may not eat food containing fiber and bulk producing ingredients. This may induce constipation and stress on the anus which leads to hemorrhoids.

Towards the third trimester, the baby is large enough to press against the nerves and organs of the pelvic area. This pressure may be enough to irritate the pelvic muscles and enable them to lose their elasticity. This weakening may encourage hemorrhoids in the mother-to-be.

Also, childbirth is a time of straining and stress on the lower half of the body. This can also cause hemorrhoids. After the birth of the baby, the mother’s body tries to return the body to its original condition, but with the hormonal changes, physical changes and any difficulties that they may have suffered during childbirth, they may be stressed enough to get more hemorrhoids post partum (after pregnancy).

Due to the weight of the baby, the mother may be sitting down a lot and this pressure on the butt may cause the muscles in the abdominal and rectal area to lose its strength. Hemorrhoids quickly develop.

What pregnant women can do to alleviate the problems of Hemorrhoids

Since the baby is sharing the same blood supply as the mother, it is important that they don’t take any strong medicines to combat hemorrhoids. Usually, hemorrhoids disappear by itself without any treatment.

However, if the mother is uncomfortable and would like to have some relief, she can try the following:

Sit in warm sitz baths (consult the doctor as to how long you can sit in these baths and how warm it can be)

Use medicated creams that are approved by the obstetrician and use only minimal amounts

Try herbal remedies before using chemical medicines

Eat a well balanced diet with lots of fiber and nutrition rich raw foods

Exercise gently and consistently so that your pelvic muscles stay strong. Also do Kegel exercises as much as possible.

For most pregnancies, the symptoms of hemorrhoids disappear soon after the baby is born. So keep up the hope that you will not have to deal with the experience later in life.

Other Related Resources:
babycenter.com
About.com
emedtv.com