Women have to make a lot of adjustments right after giving birth. Their bodies change dramatically in that process. While many of the alterations are nature’s way of helping a mother nurture the infant, some aren’t helpful at all. The development of painful hemorrhoids is one such change.
What Can a New Mother Do About Painful Hemorrhoids?
Q. Right after I delivered my baby, I realized I had hemorrhoids. It felt like an entire bunch of grapes, and it made bathroom visits very painful-worse than childbirth.
The doctor recommended a sitz bath. It is a basin to put under the toilet seat, so that warm water can gently clean that area. It was wonderful.
He also prescribed lidocaine. I applied it once I had my bottom dry.
When I needed to sit, I used a hemorrhoid circle, like a big doughnut, to make sitting more comfortable. The other thing that helped while I was recovering from labor was stool softeners. They definitely made it easier while the hemorrhoids were healing.
I hope this helps other new mothers who find all that pushing brought out the hemorrhoids as well as the baby.
Soothing Sitz Bath:
A. Painful hemorrhoids are a common complication of pregnancy and delivery. Many women have found a sitz bath soothing. You can even get the benefits of soaking in warm water by sitting in the bathtub.
Lidocaine is a topical anesthetic, so we are not surprised that you found it helpful. Other readers have found relief from hemorrhoid pain with witch hazel or zinc oxide. Sometimes a dietary supplement such as horse chestnut may also ease the pain (MacKay, Alternative Medicine Review, April 2001).
