Do Hemorrhoids Go Away? A Painful Postpartum Reality

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If you’ve never experienced the painful burn of a hemorrhoid, count yourself extremely lucky! Many women manage to go their entire lives without one and then BAM! Pregnancy brings these little nightmares to your nether regions.

Naturally, one of the first questions women have, (well, after the question, “WHAT FRESH HELL IS THIS?!”) is, “Do Hemorrhoids Go Away?”

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So, I have good news and bad news.

The good news is, yes, in general, hemorrhoids do go away.

The bad news is they have a tendency to return.

Just when you think you’ve turned the corner on hemorrhoids for good, Satan’s little blood vessels will pop back into your life.

For this reason, managing and treating hemorrhoids becomes very important.

If you want hemorrhoids to go away and stay away, you need to act accordingly.

Most importantly, avoid straining during bowel movements. This is the #1 most recommended tip for getting hemorrhoids to go away — or even better, avoiding hemorrhoids in the first place.

Now, this may be easier said than done.

If you’re pregnant, your hormones slow digestion and constipation is a frequent result. Even more so, if you’ve taken morning sickness remedies, like Zofran, a common side effect is additional constipation. Add these up and using the bathroom isn’t exactly a walk in the park.

Still, do whatever you can to keep your bowels moving regularly and with (relative) ease.

Drink plenty of water and eat a balanced diet high in fiber.

Get light to moderate exercise, assuming your health care provider says it’s okay.

Eat a greasy serving of fast food hashbrowns. (Ok, seriously — laugh all you want, but I know several pregnant moms who swore by these!)

Hemorrhoids can be a delightful postpartum surprise, thanks to delivery.

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Even if you managed to get through an entire pregnancy hemorrhoid-free, delivery involves an ungodly amount of strain and pushing. Hemorrhoids are a fairly common, even expected consequence of that.

Your doctor can advise you about what’s normal, but in general, small to moderate postpartum hemorrhoids will go away on their own. Your provider may recommend an over-the-counter medication, such as Preparation H , or they may prescribe something a little stronger.

Regardless of the medication, the process is generally the same: Apply a few times each day. Wait. Rest. Hope for the best.

do hemorrhoids go away

While you’re waiting for hemorrhoids to go away, try to make yourself comfortable.

Medications and creams may help. Sitz baths may help (if you’re newly postpartum, be sure to follow your doctor’s advice about actual baths, which generally aren’t recommended in the first few weeks).

Sitting on one of those ridiculous donuts (or even your child’s boppy pillow) may also provide some relief.  Even better, avoid sitting too much in the first place. Sitting increases the pressure on your bottom (and postpartum stitches, if you have them). Instead, rest by lying down whenever possible.

Over time, you’ll hopefully notice your hemorrhoids decreasing in size. Eventually, you’ll stop noticing them at all and realize your hemorrhoids have gone away — at least, for the time being.

What if my hemorrhoids keep coming back and I can’t take it anymore?

Hemorrhoids are one of those postpartum body changes that many women just learn to deal with. They’re unpleasant when they flare up, but manageable in most cases.

But if you’re one of the unlucky women who continually suffer from severe hemorrhoids, you may want to consider more permanent treatment options. There are several medical options to permanently remove your hemorrhoids. If this is something you’re considering, you should definitely talk to your doctor.

Hang in there and try not to lose your sense of humor!

I know hemorrhoids are no fun, and talking about them is even less so. But if you want to read an absolutely hilarious piece from a woman who’s been there, done that, I can’t recommend this piece about her proctologist visit more highly. I laughed so hard, I was crying.

I hope it makes you smile because, if you’re dealing with hemorrhoids that just won’t go away, you truly deserve all the laughs you can get!

As always, remember: this isn’t medical advice, it’s just helpful information. For actual medical advice and treatment, talk to your health care provider.

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