If you have haemorrhoids, can you give birth naturally?

Haemorrhoids are common in pregnancy. You can always give birth naturally if you have haemorrhoids. However, if they are too swollen, causing unbearable pain, a surgery may be required.

What is the quickest way to eliminate haemorrhoids during pregnancy?

A haemorrhoid pillow, also known as a doughnut or ring cushion pillow, is helpful. Use them while sitting anywhere. You can always apply witch hazel medicated pads to the anal area. Lastly, consult with your physician for a rectal suppository or haemorrhoid cream, which is safe to apply during pregnancy.

Pregnancy Haemorrhoids: Causes, Symptoms & Relief

Pregnancy is considered to be one of the happiest phases in your life, bringing many physical and physiological changes. You encounter many symptoms like fatigue, mood swings, weight gain, and hormonal fluctuations. But you may overlook dealing with haemorrhoids during this time. Almost 35%

of pregnant women deal with this problem during pregnancy.

The sudden rise of progesterone (a sex hormone) is the reason behind constipation during pregnancy. You may experience this primarily in your third trimester. Eventually, this situation leads to the symptoms of haemorrhoids. A brief knowledge of haemorrhoids is important to understand the symptoms, identify them, and develop a treatment plan.

What are Haemorrhoids?

Haemorrhoids, also known as piles, are swollen veins in and around the anal area. During pregnancy, hormonal changes, especially increased progesterone, cause the walls of these veins to relax, making them more likely to swell. At the same time, your growing uterus puts extra pressure on the veins in the lower back and pelvic area, which can also lead to haemorrhoids.

Common signs include itching, burning, pain, swelling, and sometimes bleeding during bowel movements. Although not usually serious, these symptoms can be very uncomfortable for you and may worsen as the pregnancy progresses.

Who gets Haemorrhoids?

Anyone can suffer from haemorrhoids, but the chances increase when you are pregnant. During pregnancy, your body undergoes several changes. Some of these changes can lead to haemorrhoids. The swelling in the veins can happen because of the following reasons:

Sudden rise in the progesterone level.
The increasing growth of the uterus.
The increasing growth of the foetus.

Sometimes, haemorrhoids don’t appear in the third trimester but show up during labour due to the pressure in the pelvic area.

Types of Haemorrhoids

Haemorrhoids can cause both internal and external symptoms. While it is hard to distinguish between them, a brief knowledge can get you through.

Internal haemorrhoids: Internal haemorrhoids are undetectable in most cases. They mainly occur inside your body, within the rectum. They are mostly unrecognisable. In rare cases, some internal hemorrhoids extend outside of the anal mouth. Internal haemorrhoids can cause bleeding, but they are mostly painless. As long as they are inside the rectum, they cause no pain. But if they prolapse and extend outside the anal opening, they can cause severe pain.

External haemorrhoids: External haemorrhoids are easily detectable as they develop near the anus. They are mostly covered by skin. However, the skin is very gentle and can lead to irritation. External haemorrhoids become painful if they start developing blood clots or become enlarged. A blood clot inside the haemorrhoids can cause unbearable pain in the pelvic area, and it gets severe in the next 48 hours. Eventually, after 48 hours, the pain and sensation get under control.

Common causes of Haemorrhoids

There are many common reasons to develop haemorrhoids during pregnancy. Haemorrhoids occur due to excessive pressure in the lower part of your digestive tract or pelvic area. The reasons that cause haemorrhoids during pregnancy include:

Constipation: A common gut problem that can cause haemorrhoids during pregnancy. No matter how healthy a diet you follow, the hormonal changes in your body slow down digestion. This leads to irregular bowel movements, resulting in constipation. The weight of the long-stored waste in your bowel can cause swelling of the veins in your anal walls. Also, the constant pressure of forceful bowel movements can cause swelling, leading to haemorrhoids.

Your growing foetus: While the growing foetus inside your body brings overwhelming joy, it also gives haemorrhoids a scope for development. This extra weight compresses the anal veins so much that they become unable to circulate blood throughout your body normally. This interruption causes swelling in the anal veins, leading to hemarrhoids.

Blood volume increase: Your blood volume increases during pregnancy to support your foetus. This creates extra pressure in the veins, which carry more blood throughout your body. This increased pressure can also lead to swelling, resulting in haemorrhoids.

Most common symptoms

There are a few common symptoms to understand whether you are suffering from haemorrhoids or not. These include:

Immense pain in bowel movement.
Bleeding (you may notice that while wiping after a bowel movement).
Swelling in the anal portion.
A sudden skin development near anal area.
Itching & burning sensation.

Haemorrhoids and their treatment

While haemorrhoids are common during pregnancy, you can always get rid of them with proper treatment. These treatments involve a healthy lifestyle that can cure haemorrhoids if followed properly. These include:

Increasing liquid intake in your diet.
Adding more dietary fibre to your regular meals.
Stay active. Sitting for too long can be disadvantageous.
Taking a warm bath to ease the pain.

Besides, you can consult your physician about a stool softener to understand its benefits and side effects. You should discuss your symptoms with your physician to have a proper diet and treatment. You can always follow these instructions if you suffer from haemorrhoids, even in the post-pregnancy period. Consider seeking medical help only under supervised conditions.

Haemorrhoids are painful but are manageable. While you cannot prevent their development, you can always develop healthy habits to cure them. Including fibre-rich food in your meals can help you stay away from constipation. This can also help prevent haemorrhoids. However, this is one of the many solutions you can follow to avoid this painful situation. Your body undergoes many different and difficult changes during pregnancy; haemorrhoids shouldn’t add to the difficulties. Whenever you feel any symptoms, consult your doctor and start the suggested treatment to make your journey less painful.

FAQs on Haemorrhoids during pregnancy: What you should know

If you have haemorrhoids, can you give birth naturally?
Haemorrhoids are common in pregnancy. You can always give birth naturally if you have haemorrhoids. However, if they are too swollen, causing unbearable pain, a surgery may be required.
What is the quickest way to eliminate haemorrhoids during pregnancy?
A haemorrhoid pillow, also known as a doughnut or ring cushion pillow, is helpful. Use them while sitting anywhere. You can always apply witch hazel medicated pads to the anal area. Lastly, consult with your physician for a rectal suppository or haemorrhoid cream, which is safe to apply during pregnancy.