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Ask A Midwife

Q. Hello, I am a Mom for the second time and am 32. It seems with this pregnancy I am getting hemmoroids. Anything I can do to ease the pain or prevent the severity of the problem? Food...Exercise? Help

Michele
Tacoma, WA

A. Hi Michele,

There are some practical things.

1. Look at your diet and be sure you are getting your 8 glasses of water, lots of fruits and high fiber vegetables.
2. Try to get some exercise. This too helps to keep things going smoothly. Prolonged sitting also contrubutes to the development of hemorrhoids.
3. Avoid constipation, as this contributes to hemorrhoids. The changing hormones can affect gastric motility. Occasionally supplemental iron might contribute to constipation, and some of the iron preparations have stool softeners (eg Ferrous-sequals).
4. If they are really painful and these things aren't helping, try Anusol-HC . Of course, discuss this concern with your Health Care Provider and see what they recommned.

Sometimes this is temporary, for the first few months of the pregnancy, and sometimes improves once you get more active again. some folks find a bulk forming agent such as Metamucil keeps them regular, but dietary changes usually do the trick.

Pat Sonnenstuhl is a semi-retired nurse midwife with over 30 years of experience in health care (first as an RN, then as an ARNP, CNM). She has experience with hospital nursing/midwifery and home and birth center midwifery.

Two areas of special interest to her are GBS and nutrition.

She is about empowerment, and helping folks find their own answers, what is right for them, not what is right for her. But, she wants you well informed.