How to cure hemorrhoids after childbirth?
After childbirth, the magic of birth gives way to various ailments, some of which are particularly unpleasant, such as trenches (the retraction of the uterus), pain related to the rising of milk or the (re)appearance of hemorrhoids, these highly vascular pads. A set of disorders that you should never hesitate to talk about with health professionals.
Why can we suffer from hemorrhoids after childbirth?
Hemorrhoids and motherhood are closely linked. It is therefore common to suffer from it during pregnancy, due to repeated constipation, hormonal impregnation and modification of venous return to the heart, upset by the weight gained and the growing volume of the uterus.
During childbirth, the thrust promotes the externalization of part of our hemorrhoids usually located in the anal canal. They then find themselves strangled by the anal sphincter causing pain or even bleeding during bowel movements. But the push of deliverance is not the only source of external hemorrhoids. The latter being riddled with hormonal receptors put to the test during pregnancy, their supporting tissue is no longer able to ensure its function.
“Hemorrhoids can occur during pregnancy and/or after. Future mothers who suffer from it often dread childbirth,” confirms Rachel Halimi, midwife. Reassuring, however, she specifies that the pain of uterine contractions during childbirth is not reinforced by the presence of hemorrhoids, “it is not correlated”. As for the fear of seeing hemorrhoids reappear during a second pregnancy, when one was subject to them during a previous pregnancy, it can be appeased. “There is a risk of recurrence in subsequent pregnancies. But we may very well have had very painful hemorrhoids during the first pregnancy and absolutely not during the second” confirms the expert.
How to treat postpartum hemorrhoids?
To cure hemorrhoids, different solutions can be considered, depending on their intensity and the duration of their presence. Thus, we find:
At the same time, it is necessary to limit the pressure on the intimate area by wearing loose clothing, and to use gentle cleansing products, with an alkaline pH, such as HydralinGyn®.
At night, it can be appreciable to leave the perineum in the open air, by putting a mattress pad on the mattress. This again avoids any pressure on the intimate area, ensures better comfort, and promotes the healing of any perineal tear.
Some practitioners also recommend wearing compression stockings. If their effect on hemorrhoids is discussed among the nursing staff, this can only be beneficial to the body, since it helps venous return.
Among the most common grandmother's recipes to soothe hemorrhoids is the one that consists of taking water and Dakin baths after a bowel movement. An amazing idea for Rachel Halimi “it seems strange to me, because Dakin is an antiseptic. On the other hand, we can recommend applying ice in a glove to cool and soothe the area, and in particular the oedemas, often present in the perineum next to the hemorrhoids, postpartum. Our expert also points out that in the event of failure of the treatments suggested by the midwife or the general practitioner, do not hesitate to make an appointment with a proctologist. This specialist can then prescribe an even more suitable treatment, even if it means considering surgery if necessary.
How long can a hemorrhoidal attack last after childbirth?
By gradually regaining its shape, the vagina can accentuate intimate pain. After 15 days, everything is supposed to be back to normal. But constipation and hemorrhoids are two words that go together and it is very rare that a woman who has hemorrhoids and is not constipated. “After childbirth, there is often apprehension about returning to the saddle. Everything is disturbed at the transit level. However, the main treatment when you suffer from hemorrhoids, and to do everything to avoid constipation" explains Rachel Halimi, before continuing: "We do not dare to say it enough, but to leave the perineum at rest, and not force after childbirth, do not hesitate to take laxatives continuously, without guilt. Because what makes hemorrhoids stand out is certainly constipation, but also the fact that women grow for a long time. A relief lever for all new mothers, including those who are breastfeeding, breastfeeding does not prevent the laxative from being taken for a limited time, until everything is back to normal.
What activities to practice in case of hemorrhoids after childbirth?
A vein that dilates is a vein that is or has been compressed by something, possibly by the baby. However, if a woman remains standing or sitting too long, without being in a walking dynamic, this accentuates the compression towards the perineum and the hemorrhoids. It is therefore advisable not to stay several hours in one of these situations.
“Hemorrhoids are a problem of venous return, and we know that postpartum, there is a hormonal problem but also a static problem. A woman who has just given birth, we cannot recommend that she go for an hour's walk to activate her blood circulation. Walking and swimming helps, but it is not possible after childbirth, you have to wait a bit” advises the midwife.
External hemorrhoidal thrombosis after childbirth
As blood circulation is disturbed during pregnancy, it encounters difficulties in the hemorrhoidal pads, where a blood clot can then form. This is called hemorrhoidal thrombosis, a common pathology after childbirth, favored by difficulty in passing stools and late delivery.
In a publication published on its site, the French National Society of Proctology also explains that a large baby (due to the significant pressure exerted) and a too long pushing phase during childbirth, are factors of thrombosis external hemorrhoid. She also reports that a caesarean section reduces the risk of developing one to 4%, when a vaginal delivery has a rate of 20%. A point that Rachel Halimi, wishes to clarify and recalling that a cesarean does not bring immunity to proctological and sexual problems. “It is possible to develop hemorrhoids despite a caesarean section. On the one hand, because some women have an emergency caesarean, during labor, which means that they have had the baby pressed, creating pressure, which was also the case throughout the nine months. In addition, they may suffer from constipation, which can very well happen after a cesarean section. Caution therefore, in the face of elective caesarean sections, which are not without consequences for the body.
Hemorrhoids are transient and can be treated, provided you talk about it. It is therefore important to keep in mind that there is no shame in suffering from it, and to share it with your specialists, in order to find appropriate treatments as quickly as possible.
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