Hemorroids

My midwife told me about Rutin. You can get it at a health food store. It is a pill that you take for any kind of varicose veins. It will help tremendously!

This part may sound crazy but really helps. (I speak from personal experience) insert a garlic gel capsule rectally in the evening before bed. You may need to lubricate it with some olive oil or KY.
Take a sitz bath every day or sit in a hot bath every evening for at least 15 minutes.
You can also use a little Preparation H or a Tucks medicated pad fro itching.
There are great Homeopathic remedies that are safe for pregnancy that you can find at Whole foods, Central Market or Sunflower Shoppe in Fort Worth.
*finally I would recommend some Senna tea. (only drink 1 cup daily as needed) This is a safe herbal tea that will help you not get constipated. It reduces the discomfort when you have to go. This was a life saver after birth when I was really sore.

Congragulations on your girl! I also had 3 boys first before I got our girl. They are fun. I am sorry about the pain. I agree with Reba S. Water is so important. Please check out the site. I have six children and did not get hemorroids, I believe it had to do with the water I constantly drank. It does make you have to use the bathroom alot(pee wise)but will help to keep you regular. If you plan to breastfeed, then water will be so important then too. Dehydration causes so much havoc on our bodies. Start drinking lots and lots and see how that will help. Good Luck and Many Blessings.

I know exactly what you are going through. After the birth of my son, I was never the same in that area. What has worked for me to keep from having a flare up is to eat ground flax seed EVERY single morning. I do not skip a day. If I don't eat breakfast one morning, I will have it for lunch. What I do is add 2 tbsp. of the flax seed to my cold or hot cereal. This has helped tremendously, AND there are so many more health benefits that come from taking flax seed regularly.
Hope this helps.
Congratulations on the blessing of a daughter!

To shrink them: try Preparation H suppositories.

Then try the prevention of constipation route: diet changes and supplements as suggested by the others.

Good luck!

By the way, lots of things are "normal" (read as "natural/common...") but not desirable. Many people get constipated so it's "normal" but do we want to be constipated? No way! That's why you'll want to look into preventative measures as well as relief measures! Diet! Exercise!

You might want to try witch hazel pads (like "Tucks") which will help cool the itching, and I think decrease the swelling a little too. You might also try a Sitz bath or soaking in a warm bathtub. I don't know how to make them go away though. I hope you are able to find some relief. :)

I've struggled with hemorrhoids since the birth of my first child 12 years ago and can count on a flare up a couple of times a year. I've been to a surgeon for consultation and ruled that out as unnecessary even though my flareups are bad. This is what I've learned: a hemorrhoid is really just a blood clot, either internal or external, and it will recede with time. Hot baths are great, sleeping on your left side, heating pads, whichever cream or suppository works for you (I use Annusol HC suppositories RX), and plain ol' ibuprofen or aspirin (it's a blood thinner so maybe it'll clear the clot quicker).

You could check into having them surgically removed some time after birthing. My mom had it done, but it was a very painful recovery (at age 60.) If you are suffering alot then, it might be worth checking into the procedure. I am sure some of the other suggestions will help you through the rest of your pregnancy. I wish you well!

This sounds kinda wierd, but I would take the witch hazel pads and actually leave one on them all the time. Kinda folded in half against them. I know your just supposed to wipe with it and then throw it away, but it gave me a ton of relief just leaving it there and changing it out every hour or so. Hope it helps!

Hi B....sorry to be late in my answer, I somehow skipped this in my inbox.

Hemorroids were a problem form me after my second baby...they continued to get worse. I found something that worked great for me. I don't work there, and I don't sell it...I tried a number of things and this one worked really well, the hemorroids are gone and haven't returned.

I found this product after researching online...it's a natural remedy, check with your doctor to see if you can take it if you're breastfeeding.

http://www.hemorrhoidtreatmentonline.com/HowItWorks.html

Like I said, I don't work there, and don't sell it...I just saw your post and thought it might help...it certainly did for me.

Good luck,

S.

Something that helped me get rid of these was eating All Bran cereal. Try adding more fiber to your diet--that will help. Also, flaxseed oil--the actual oil, not the milled seeds, can help to lubricate and it is a great source of Omega 3's. You can find the cereal at any grocery store, and the flaxseed oil at a Health food store like Whole Foods. My son has had problems recently with hard poop and the flaxseed did the trick for him...oh, and prunes always can help. The best way to eliminate stuff like this is by eating a healthy diet that is full of lots of fruit and veggies...try cutting back on the breads and processed stuff. I hope it works, let me know if you need any more help!

B., I am so sorry for your pain. I know exactly how you feel! I have 5 kids (4 boys and 1 girl) and my last pregnancy my hemmoroids were so bad I could hardly walk. The doc basically said the same thing as yours. Nothing really shrinks them but you may find relief with creams and such. Just try not get constipated and stay off your feet when you can. I know it sucks but my all but disappeared (shrank) right after Sam came out (6 months agao). Good luck!

WATER, WATER, WATER... and some more WATER!!! Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water each day. So if you weigh 140, you would need to drink 70 ounces minimum and 140 ounces maximum. Check out thewatercure.com if you want- I read this author's book on water drinking. And drink purified water if you can. They sell it in the Culligan machine at Wal-Mart. Bring your own jugs and it's only 25 cents per gallon, you can't beat that. If you hate the taste of water, gradually work yourself up to larger amounts. Add lemon if you need a little more flavor. Avoid sugars and processed foods. Eat more fiber like fresh ground flax seed!!!! And, cut back on all meats.
Email me if you want more info on anything I've stated!

Ditto the witch hazel - the only effective thing I ever found. If they do continue too long post partum, you might consider that your adrenals are overstressed (not surprising when you have 3 boys!). To help support your adrenals you need lots of vitamin C, B vitamins (way more that are in most multis, in particular B5/pantothentic acid). The only B vitamins that you need to be careful with taking too much are B3 (pure niacin and not niacinamide) and B6. Other than that the other B vitamins are water soluble, so if you take a bit too much, you just pee out the excess. I find that taking a good co-enzymated B vitamin (far more easily processed by your body) and extra B5 helps my adrenals tremendously.

I also do not believe your OB is correct - I did not have them during pregancy despite carrying a 9 lb baby. I only had them later when I reached the latter stages of adrenal stress.

I had hemorroids for the first time with my 3rd pregnancy. My ob perscribed a cream that shrunk them and make them less itchy that helped TREMENDOUSLY. I don't know what it was (the name I mean), but if they bother you that much I would ask your OB what you can take.

I have dealt with hemorroids with all 6 of my children. Laying on your left side helps to shrink them. Take Metamusil ( not sure about the spelling) daily as it will help you to have softer more regular bowel movements. Sit in very hot water, as hot as you can stand it, for 15 minutes a couple of times a day. You don't have to fill up the tub, just enough to take care of your behind. I have tried just about every prescription cream out there and they really never worked for me.

J.

Hello B.! I know what you're going through and it is really a pain in the butt (all puns intended!) I have one child and am currently expecting my second and have had them since I gave birth. I too asked my obgyn about them and she too was completely unhelpful. She just said it was normal and that there are specialists that deal with them. It was like she didn't even want to answer my question. I hope you find an answer, I'll be checking back. And congratulations on having a girl! They are so much fun!

Try Butt Paste. It is a diaper rash cream made by a pharmacist in LA. It works on Hemorrhoids and other weird skin rashes as well as diaper rash. Helped my hemorroids within 24 hours after my kids were born.

I have a prescription for proctofoam and it's the only thing that helps me with mine and mine are HORRIBLE so I'd try this!!! I had it with a previous pregnancy and got it again with this one. I"m 32 weeks along and its a life saver. Good luck!

I got them when delivering my first child. They never bothered me during pregnancies just after delivery. I agree with Tucks pads and very warm water to cleanse the area thoroughly. Someone said use a diaper cream and this does help, but Vaseline does, too. It doesn't make them shrink, but it helps when you are up and around so they don't rub against your skin and make them more irritated. Hopefully they will get better after your daughter is born. Congratulations!!!

When I was in the hospital after the birth of my second child, the nurses had me put cortizone cream on a witch hazel pad (Tucks) and leave it on the hemorroids like a compress for a little while. I did this several times a day for a few days. Best advice I ever got. It was the only thing that worked for me.

use preparation h and preparation h wipes