Hemorrhoids in Pregnancy: Treatment and Prevention
There is no saying how many women exactly experience hemorrhoids during pregnancy (BMJ Clinical Evidence). However, it’s a fact that this condition occurs very often, so you need to know exactly what to do about it. It’s essential to avoid specialized topical hemorrhoid treatments because they contain ingredients that can potentially harm the baby. Therefore, only dietary interventions are allowed. And as those don’t produce immediate results, you should rethink your diet as soon as you get pregnant in order to reduce the risk of the condition.
Dietary Changes for Safe Treatment and Prevention of Hemorrhoids in Pregnancy
The exact causes of hemorrhoids in pregnancy (or at all) are unclear. Unfortunately, this means that treatment and prevention techniques that you can use don’t offer a 100% guarantee of cure. However, today medical professionals believe that constipation is one of the main causes of the condition. Therefore, the best way to avoid this problem is to make sure you don’t become constipated.
The regular rules for achieving this are:
- Eat more high-fiber foods.
- Drink more water.
Both of these steps will help soften and loosen the stool and thus reduce the risk of constipation. However, you shouldn’t forget that a pregnancy diet needs to be carefully balanced.
Simply eating more foods rich with fiber might result in gaining an unhealthy amount of weight. The products might also upset the nutritional balance that you need to maintain to ensure healthy fetus development. Read about: 2 Things You Need To Know About Peri-menopause That May Save Your Life.
What you need to do is to develop a meal plan that will provide all the necessary nutrients without adding more calories. Reducing your carb intake might be a good choice at this time. In fact, you can try variations of the keto diet in order to build a perfect meal plan. This means cutting carbs and increasing healthy fat intake. If you look into the relationship between the keto diet and hemorrhoids, you’ll see that it’s easy to tweak this meal plan to contain more fiber and remain healthy and balanced. And that’s exactly what you need during pregnancy.
As to drinking more water, you should do this regardless of whether you are trying to prevent or treat hemorrhoids in pregnancy. Staying hydrated is a vital requirement for health, especially when it’s not only your health that’s at stake.
Hemorrhoids Treatment in Pregnant Women: Extra Tips
- Complete at least one set of Kegel exercises a day.
These are pelvic exercises recommended by the American Pregnancy Association and medical experts from all over the world. The exercises aim to strengthen muscles in your lower abdomen, which can help ease the labor. Note that you should stick with the exercises even after giving birth to speed up your recovery.
- Move as much as you can (unless your doctor says otherwise).
While pregnant women should avoid heavy workouts, walking is the type of exercise you should practice as long as possible. The less ‘sedentary’ your pregnancy is, the better as sitting long hours is one of the main risk factors for hemorrhoids.
- Keep yourself clean.
Clean yourself up thoroughly after bowel movements. Use warm water and soft toilet wipes for maximum efficiency and minimal irritation. Read about: 15 Ways to Earn Money from Home
