Help! Hemorroids!

Witch hazel was the best but it's even better if you take the pads and put them in the fridge and make them cold. I tried freezer but that was too cold for me!

The witch hazel combined with the cold was great.

A donut to sit on definitely helped too.

Good luck!

I'm there with you!! I'm 37wks, and I've had hemorroids since the beginning of the 2nd trimester this time, they're AWFUL!
I use witch hazel to clean, and OTC hemorroid creme. It helps some, but the good news is they do go away after delivery!
Hang in there mama, not much longer now!

Witch hazel pads seem to help. Also, try to avoid sitting on your bum if possible. I know, hard with an older kid! When your first response is to sit, try laying or reclining instead.

Get a cotton ball and put witch hazel on it then put it right on you anus, put a pad on and leave it for as long as you can. Try to do it when your little one is sleeping and again at bed time. Good Luck!

Hi C.,

I had terrible hemorrhoids after the birth of my son almost a year ago. Nothing helped, so I was told I'd have to have surgery to remove them. That scared me, so I searched into some alternatives. I found the Sandy Blvd Clinic East (http://www.hemorrhoidhelp.com/) and saw Dr. Hubbard. They treat hemorrhoids with electrotherapy and basically "zap" them to make them shrink down. It wasn't painful at all, and I definitely preferred it to surgery!! Good luck with everything!

D.

I am happy to offer a suggestion. My friend saved me on this one. I was so embarressed that she went and bought this stuff for me. So, I dont mind sharing. They were a TOTAL lifesaver. The Preperation H Supositories and the wipes. I wont give you all the gory details, but will tell you I was on my "death" bed after having my second c-section with hemroids and this stuff cleared them up almost imediately (as far as pain and such).

Gauze pads saturated with witch hazel...tuck them up in your bottom crack and let them stay awile. Also stay off your feet as much a possible till baby arrives. This too shall pass!!.. Feel better soon.

I hear you C.! I have had them on and off and got them the worst after the birth of our last one. You have got some really good advice. I would like to add that you might want to consider investing in one of those donut seat things (they are in the health section with the knee braces and other health devices) so that when you have to sit down, you have some relief. That was the painful part for me...having to sit on them while nursing! Arrghh! The seats are about $20-25 and totally worth it. Hopefully you won't have them after your birth but you will have it in case. :) Good luck!!!!!

Definetly call your doctor regarding the hemorroid issue. However, I know it may not make you feel any better but I had a similar situation with having my first baby 1 month early, and my second went full term. When I was talking to the doctor about how truly uncomfortable I was feeling I remember that she told me that when women have an early delivery and then go full term those few more weeks seem to be extra hard on them because they didn't go through it the first time so it seems extraordinarily uncomfortable.

I realize that it isn't really very comforting, and at the time I felt like I had been chastized for complaining too much about regular stuff. But based on what the doctor told me it is normal to feel extra uncomfortable during a second pregnancy that goes full term when the first did not because for you it feels like you are weeks overdue. I did not, however, have the hemorroid issue so I'm sure that may be contributing even more. I hope it all goes well for you. Congratulations on your new baby!

Well the good news is you're almost done with your pregnancy. The bad news is, pushing the baby out is only going to make those puppies worse. As for hemorroid advice during pregnancy though, you need to call your doctor. You can use the doughnut shaped pillows and a sits bath. But any and all medications herbal or otherwise need to be cleared through your doctor. So call your doctor. Call your doctor. And congratulatons and good luck with baby #2. Call your doctor.
M.

ah yes, another one of the lovely things about being pregnant. The good news is, they go away over time, or at least shrink. Right now you have twice as much blood in your circulatory system as you normally would, and it does put a stress on that system. And delivery is tough on them because you HAVE to push. I didn't want to use any drugs or steroid creams or anything like that. And I didn't see using suppositories as a long term remedy. So I did a little research and found that witch hazel, an astringent, helps shrink them. So I poured some over an all natural type of wipes, and use after ever bowel movement. Now it does take some time for them to go away, there is not a quick fix, but over time they will get better. Each subsequent pregnancy will make them worse unfortunately. But keep using the witch hazel wipes and not only do the cool wipes just feel better on the poor swollen tissue, but the witch hazel keeps working helping to shrink the tissue as well. It will get better eventually, and you are in the home stretch now. Good luck and good health to you.

One thing that helped soothe (if you can't go to the store for hemorroid stuff) is wiping with diaper wipes.

When you talk to your doctor about it, insist on getting real help with it. Mine didn't go away like they told me they would. I recently read about a small study (very small) that showed that squatting to poo seems to be better than sitting (like how you are on the toilet). I actually squatted on my toilet, but that's unadvisable for your shape right now. ;)

Overall, increase your fiber so that you aren't straining, drink *plenty* of water, avoid soda and other "junk". Get some exercise in every day, like going for a walk.

Do discuss it with your OB or midwife.

Good luck!

Sorry to hear your suffering with hemorrhoids. I just went through this a few weeks ago, as I had my baby girl 12 days ago. Like you it was my second pregnancy and at 38 wees hemmrhoids appeared to make everything more miserable. I had not suffered with them in the 1st pregnancy either.

I used Tucks Pads and Preperation H vigiantly several times to get me through the day. It helped but certainly not a quick fix. At my next appt my midwife gave me a sample of a presecription medicine called RectaGel. It has a bit of lidacaine in it to help numb things a bit. It was a lifesaver. I ended up only needing the sample, but they were willing to write me a prescription. Ask your OB or Midwife about this drug and see if it may help. Its a gel that you just apply topically.

I also took a bath at least once a day to soak which seemed to make me feel better all over at least. Good Luck - in a short time they'll dissapear.

Witch Hazel really helped me. And wiping with baby wipes instead of tp.

Ugh, 'roids....my nemesis! I have found that using the flushable wet-wipes after going #2 really cuts down on flare-ups and they don't irritate the area like toilet paper (no matter how soft it is!) For pain management, I use either ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Witch hazel is wonderful, as is A&D ointment to keep them moisturized. I feel your pain!

the trick to these is that you have to push them back in (gross I know) but every time you feel them or you go to the bathroom, push it back in so they can get reabsorbed....if they are external that is.

keep that area very clean using tucks pads and then you may want to use some aloe gel (you can find it at target) to keep it cool and lubricated. Also, more fiber will help your stools pass easier. there are homeopathic tablets you can get at wholefoods that actually do help but since you are preggers you will want to double check with your doc. also try not to sit too much on that area...maybe laying down or putting more weight on one cheek and switching it up throughout the day.

but pushing them back in is KEY.

Try applying hemorroid cream and using suppositories. That's what my doctor suggested.

Drinking 100% Grapefruit juice and eating them helped me a lot! A tip from my midwife. Apparently the acid in the grapefruit helps your body to shrink them. Ouch! I feel for you!

Hi C.,

My laptop just wigged out, so if you get this twice, my apologies...

along with the witch H. medicated wipes, (the store brand is fine, by the way) I found that the best way to improve what was going on "down there" was to change what was going in "up here", namely, eating to heal. Blueberries were extremely helpful, a suggestion from my midwives, who are also ND's. No more than a cup a day of blueberries, and it really improved things. Also, a teaspoon of psyllium (like Metamucil, but look for a brand that is safe for pregnant women...I found one, but don't remember the name) in a bit of juice or water every day. Flax seeds help; throw a spoonful in with your smoothie or cereal or onto a piece of bread with a nut butter. And eating foods rich in soluable fiber. All of these things will soften the stool and make it easier to pass.

I liked a homeopathic cream by a brand called "Heel BHI for homeopathy" and this was especially helpful after the birth. Using labor/relaxation techniques really helped when using the bathroom after I had my son, when everything was so very sore.

And one more thing: let the colon do the work. Avoid pushing and straining, which can cause more problems. Use the bathroom immediately when you feel you have to go, and get up off the toilet right away. Just sitting and waiting puts more pressure on your bottom and causes more hemmorhoids. It may take two or three trips to use the bathroom if you go with your body instead of sitting there or straining, but it's worth avoiding those nasty pains in the butt!

I too, suffered horribly from hemorroids during and after my 3rd pregnancy. Witch hazel works wonders! And it is much cheaper than buying the Preperation H products. Also, try a sits bath (a bath that only has a few inches of water) or getting a washcloth as hot as you can stand and then apply it to the area. This helps with the throbbing pain. Best of luck to you, and congrats on #2!!