How to Get Rid of Hemorrhoids While Pregnant | Safe Relief

Pregnancy hemorrhoids can be managed with fiber, water, sitz baths, and pregnancy-safe topical treatments — always check with your provider.

You expected a glowing third trimester. What you got instead was an itching, burning, swollen sensation that makes sitting feel impossible. Many pregnant people assume hemorrhoids are just something you have to endure until the baby arrives — a secret misery you don’t talk about at prenatal appointments.

The truth is, there are several well-supported steps you can take starting today. From warm baths to simple diet tweaks, most cases of hemorrhoids during pregnancy respond well to conservative care. This article covers the remedies a large body of research supports, the ones your OB or midwife is most likely to recommend, and what to watch for if home treatment isn’t enough.

Understanding Pregnancy Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels around the anus and lower rectum. During pregnancy, they become extremely common — partly because your growing baby puts steady pressure on the anal area, and partly because pregnancy hormones slow down your digestive tract, making constipation more likely.

The pressure from the uterus plus harder, drier stool is a recipe for those veins to bulge and become irritated. Most pregnant people first notice them in the second or third trimester, though they can appear earlier. Mayo Clinic confirms that pregnancy is one of the most frequent common causes of hemorrhoidsin women of childbearing age (though that exact tag is not allowed — we’ll use a different anchor. Actually, we’re not linking that source; instead use the Mayo source in ).

Who Gets Them Most?

You’re not alone. Some estimates suggest that up to half of pregnant women experience hemorrhoids, especially in the third trimester. Previous pregnancies, carrying multiples, and a history of constipation all raise the odds.

Why These Swollen Veins Are So Common During Pregnancy

It’s easy to blame the baby, but there are actually several forces working together. Understanding the “why” helps you target the right remedy instead of guessing.

• Growing uterus pressure: As the baby gets bigger, the uterus presses directly on the veins that drain blood from the lower body. That backup of blood makes the rectal veins swell.
• Hormonal slowdown: Progesterone relaxes the walls of your blood vessels and also slows down your intestinal muscles. Slower digestion means more water gets pulled out of stool, making it harder.
• Straining on the toilet: Constipation from those slower bowels leads to pushing. Straining dramatically increases pressure inside the hemorrhoidal veins, making existing hemorrhoids worse and triggering new ones.
• Increased blood volume: During pregnancy your total blood volume expands by roughly 50%. More blood moving through the same veins can cause them to distend, especially in the pelvic area.

Knowing these triggers helps you realize that small changes — like drinking more water or not lingering on the toilet — can make a real difference in how you feel day to day.

Safe At-Home Remedies That Actually Help

The good news is that most hemorrhoids during pregnancy can be managed without leaving your house. Many of the same tools that help outside of pregnancy are considered generally safe while pregnant — provided you check with your obstetrician first. The hemorrhoids during pregnancy guide from Mayo Clinic lists several first-line options.

A small clinical trial published on PubMed compared sitz baths directly to ano-rectal cream for pregnancy hemorrhoids and found that a three-times-daily warm salt-water soak was an effective first-line conservative option. That study aligns with what many providers already recommend. Some sources also suggest adding a tablespoon of baking soda to the bath water to relieve itching, though this is not a standard recommendation from major medical centers — you can try it if plain water doesn’t help.

Lifestyle Changes to Prevent and Ease Symptoms

Topical treatments treat the symptom, but what you do between baths matters just as much. These daily habits help prevent new flare-ups and shorten the time it takes for existing hemorrhoids to settle down.

1. Add more fiber slowly. Aim for 25 to 30 grams of fiber each day from foods like oatmeal, berries, lentils, and whole-grain bread. Increase gradually over a week to avoid gas and bloating.
2. Drink eight to twelve cups of water daily. Fiber without enough water can actually worsen constipation. Cleveland Clinic emphasizes that adequate hydration paired with fiber is one of the most effective ways to soften stool and reduce straining.
3. Use the toilet as soon as you feel the urge. Waiting allows more water to be absorbed from stool, making it harder. Avoid pushing; let gravity and time do the work.
4. Move your body regularly. Walking for 20–30 minutes most days improves circulation and helps keep the bowels moving. Leg propping — lying on your left side with a pillow between your knees — can also reduce pelvic pressure.
5. Avoid prolonged sitting or standing. If you have a desk job, set a timer to stand up and walk for a minute every 30–60 minutes. Long car rides also aggravate symptoms.

When to Call Your Provider and What’s Ahead

Most pregnancy hemorrhoids improve significantly with the measures above, but certain signs should prompt a phone call to your OB or midwife: bleeding that is more than a few streaks on the toilet paper, severe pain that doesn’t respond to sitz baths, or a lump that feels hard and extremely tender (which could be a thrombosed hemorrhoid). Cleveland Clinic notes on its fiber and water intake page that a healthcare provider can also evaluate whether something else — like an anal fissure — is causing your discomfort.

If home remedies aren’t cutting it, your provider may recommend a stool softener or a prescription topical that is safe in pregnancy. Rubber band ligation — a procedure to cut off blood flow to the hemorrhoid — is considered safe and effective for grade I and II hemorrhoids but is rarely used during pregnancy because the condition usually resolves after delivery.

One of the most reassuring facts about pregnancy hemorrhoids is that they tend to shrink or disappear entirely in the weeks after birth, once the baby’s weight is no longer pressing on those veins. That doesn’t mean you have to suffer now. Postpartum care resources from major hospitals also highlight many of the same sitz baths and witch hazel pads for the recovery period.

The Bottom Line

Pregnancy hemorrhoids are uncomfortable but very manageable. Focus on fiber, water, and warm soaks as your first line of defense. Witch hazel pads and ice packs can calm a flare-up quickly, and an OTC hydrocortisone cream that your OB approves may help with persistent itching. Most importantly, don’t strain — let your diet and hydration do the heavy lifting.

Your obstetrician or midwife can tell you which specific stool softener dosage matches your trimester and any other prenatal medications you’re taking. If your symptoms don’t improve after about a week of consistent care, a quick call to the office is all it takes to adjust the plan.