Hemorrhoids are one of the most bothersome and common issues that pregnant women face. Many times women are ashamed to talk about it. Ladies, don’t suffer in silence. There are ways to get some relief and in the long run get it cured. Check it out!

As you might be familiar, the cause is increased blood flow to the pelvic area as well as pressure from the growing baby. It causes the blood veins that run through the anus to swell. Also, due to hormonal changes pregnant women face constipation which can also lead to hemorrhoids.

The trouble started when I was in my fourth month of pregnancy. The first thing I did was to focus on my diet. I added more greens or fibrous food in my diet and increased intake of water. I continued my routine yoga and evening walks. It was helpful but didn’t solve the problem.

As my belly started getting heavier and heavier, it exaggerated the situation. When I spoke to my gynecologist she told me it won’t go away until after the childbirth. So I had to manage it or live with it. Detralex was prescribed for softening the stools. I was also taking the iron tablets which can cause constipation in some cases. It caused some complications instead of help. I stopped taking the detralex pills after a few days. I started tracking my diet closely. I discussed the matter with my yoga teacher, doula and midwife. My yoga teacher recommended a few asanas and practices. I also got some recommendations for home remedies from my doula and midwife. Thanks to these wonderful people, it helped me a great deal in managing the hemorrhoids and being fit for childbirth. With routine yoga and exercises, I completely got rid of the problem within the first 3 months of postpartum.

In this article I am sharing all that I learnt about how to treat hemorrhoids during pregnancy and post birth. Usually the problem might disappear after childbirth. But the main challenge is surviving with this problem during pregnancy and childbirth. The below pointers helped me a lot and I strongly believe it can help you too.

Diet

Rejuvenating the gut flora is the key here. Ensure you are having enough probiotics (yogurt, kefir, kimchi etc), fiber rich food (greens, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes) and lots of water.

For a month, I used to write down what I had for each of the meals every day. I made small changes or improvements to the diet as necessary. This helped me a lot to design a balanced diet.

Super food

Flax or linseeds are that superfood and hence a special mention here. It has good fats and is fiber rich. Also, helps in passing the stools easily. In an empty stomach (before eating or drinking anything or an hour before doing yoga) eat a spoon or two linseeds.

Yoga

My yoga teacher recommended some asanas or practices to help with relieving hemorrhoids. I practiced them regularly during pregnancy and continued practicing them post birth as soon as I was able to do yoga. Please check with a professional before practicing any exercises.

Stomach cleansing

Doing LSP (Laghu Shanka Prakshalasana) or Kunjal Kriya might be difficult during pregnancy. Instead a simple cleansing exercise called TTK (Tadasana, Triyaka tadasana and Katichakrasana - in that order) can be practiced.

When you wake up in the morning, in an empty stomach drink 1-2 cups of warm water (possibly sitting in Vajrasana) and do the listed asanas each 10 times. You need to repeat the set 3 times. This should help to pass the stools with ease usually after a few minutes of doing the asana or couple of times throughout the day. I did this regularly during the last trimester of pregnancy.

After 6 weeks postpartum, once I resumed my yoga practices, under the guidance of my teacher I did LSP a couple of times.

Mudras

Pelvic floor related exercises - Vajroli, ashwini mudra, moola bandha help in strengthening the pelvic muscles. Keeping the pelvic floor strong is important for childbirth. These exercises will help in regaining the energy for the pelvic muscles after birth.

Mula bandhana

This helps the blood flow in the affected area and cures the hemorrhoids by restoring the strained blood vessels. After passing the stools, use the index finger or a turmeric root of about 5 cm into the anus and rotate clockwise 10 times and anticlockwise 10 times.

Mulabandhasana

It was hard for me to perform this asana but I did to the extent my body allowed me. Check out how to do this online or talk to a professional for clear instructions.

Relax

Sitting or standing for long hours will worsen the problem. It’s important to relax as much as possible.

From my experience, yoga nidra and gentle walks helped me a lot. During other times, I used to walk while reading books inside the house and take a break for sitting a minute or two every 30 mins.

Home remedies

There is no quick fix. It is likely you will have hemorrhoids for the rest of your pregnancy and post birth if you leave it untreated. Thanks to my doula and midwife who shared some of the simple home remedies which can help you get some relief and manage hemorrhoids so that it doesn’t cause a problem during birth. With these home remedies the target is to,

• Cool the affected area
• Stop the hemorrhoids from exaggerating or in simple words, from growing bigger.

With regular attention you could get the hemorrhoids reduced to smaller size and less painful in the best case.

Strachova mast (cz) / Scratch Ointment (en)

It’s the best of all. Unfortunately, this is a best kept secret of the pharmacy that belongs to Milosrdných bratří hospital in Brno. It’s not available widely within Brno or elsewhere. You need to apply a thin layer of the ointment on the affected area regularly at least 1-2 times a day. This helps with cooling the affected area and reduces the hemorrhoids. If it’s not in your reach, sorry! Try your luck with other remedies.

Zelený jíl / Green clay

The wonder clay. My doula introduced me to this magic clay. I heard in Czechia they use it for many things like healing wounds, cooling a bruise etc. It has good healing power. Helps with cooling the affected area and helps with shrinking the hemorrhoids.

You need to make a paste of green clay with just enough water (too much water will make it like a soft mud which is hard to bind or apply) and apply it on the affected area. Leave it there for at least 2-3 hours.

Dubová kůra (cz) / Oak bark (en)

It helps with cooling the affected area and thanks to its astringent properties it will help in reducing the hemorrhoids. It is available as cut bark pieces or as ointment.

There are different ways you can use the cut pieces of the bark. You can make a tea of it and set aside for cooling. Then use the cold tea in a sitz bath. You could also freeze the tea in an ice tray and then use the ice cubes for cooling the affected area.

With these home remedies, if done regularly, you can expect some relief within a few days and in a month or so, you could get hemorrhoids under control.

Dear moms, I hope you find it helpful. Don’t give up on it. It will take time but eventually it will all be fine. Good luck!