Nobody's Favorite Topic: Hemorrhoids!
Consider this the space where you can look for answers to all those embarrassing topics that you don’t feel super comfortable bringing up with a friend over coffee or even in front of an entire prenatal yoga class.
I have yet to have someone raise their hand in front of a group and declare they’re dealing with hemorrhoids.
The truth is A LOT of people will deal with hemorrhoids at some point in their adult life. This annoying issue is not exclusive to pregnant and postpartum folks, but there are some unique factors that make hemorrhoids a common issue during this time.
Let’s take a moment to chat about what exactly hemorrhoids are. Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in and around the anus and can be internal or external with symptoms that include pain, itching, bleeding after bowel movements or may go completely undetected.
There is a major connection between your pelvic floor muscles and these annoying and uncomfortable little friends.
Your pelvic floor muscles span the entire base of your pelvis, from public bone and the front, to your tailbone and the back. And they wrap around your urethra and anus and help support your bladder and rectum.
During pregnancy your pelvic floor muscles are under a lot more load and strain than they were pre-pregnancy which can result in excessive tension and gripping in the pelvic floor.
Couple that extra load your muscles are experiencing on a regular basis with even more pressure during bowel movements, especially if you’re dealing with constipation, then viola 〜 the perfect opportunity for hemorrhoids to pop up…pardon the pun!
I found there to be a total lack of information beyond the traditional information- try this cream, drink more water and don’t strain when having a bowel movement.
Although I noticed the appearance of a hemorrhoid after the birth of my first son, it really didn’t both me much until almost 11 years later. One random, beautiful spring day, after a long family bike ride, I experienced a major flare up!
I immediately reached out to my naturopath and pelvic health physiotherapist and continued to deal with this incredibly uncomfortable situation for months. And I can say, when you’re experiencing this issue it can feel really overwhelming and frustrating. I didn’t want to depend on creams and tucks pads for the rest of my life (although they were helpful for managing discomfort) and I found there to be a total lack of information beyond the traditional information- try this cream, drink more water and don’t strain when having a bowel movement.
Although dealing with my own flare up was incredibly frustrating, I am happy to pass on the information and tips that I received from health care professionals including a nutritionist, pelvic health physiotherapist, family doctor and hemorrhoid specialist (who of all of these was the absolute least helpful).
1. Reduce the pressure
As I mentioned above your pelvic floor muscles are under a lot more stress and strain than they were before you got pregnant. And while the extra pressure is basically impossible to reduce because of your growing baby, it is possible to minimize the amount of extra pressure being placed on these muscles.
Straining while having a bowel movement is one of the major contributing factors to hemorrhoids as well as increasing the pressure on the pelvic floor muscles and here are two strategies for minimizing the amount of pressure on your pelvic floor and anus when having a bowel movement.
Breathe. Try not to hold your breath or bear down when having a bowel movement but instead use your exhale and think of the breath moving down and through the pelvis, nudging everything downward. Holding your breath actually increases the tension in the pelvic floor making it more challenging to soften and release. BONUS TIP: Be sure to relax your jaw as you exhale to further reduce tension and promote softness and release.
Put your feet up. Using a Squatty Potty or a small stool will change the angle of your colon and make it easier for your poop to pass through. This is a HUGE help especially with the reduced space in the abdomen.
2. Support your Digestion
It’s common for your digestion to be a bit of whack during pregnancy due to the change in hormones and your baby taking up extra space in your abdomen which decreases the amount of space for your stomach. Try to get lots of leafy greens and fibre in your diet and drink lots of water to help things move as easily as possible! I found smoothies to be a great way to get extra fibre and greens into my diet and adding chia seeds can be helpful to get things moving smoothly and keep you hydrated.
If you’re struggling with constipation you may want to check in with a health are provider to support your digestion through diet or supplements.
3. Create balance in the pelvic floor
Pelvic floor symptoms such as hemorrhoids can be impacted by both too much stress and strain on the pelvic floor AND weakness.
Focus on movements and breathing practices that promote balance in this group of muscles, rather than only focusing on the engagement, which is typically what kegels do.
TRY THIS: Think about lifting a marble up into the anus with each exhale AND lowering and letting the marble go with each inhale. Follow along with the Core Breath here (5:40) and practice engaging and releasing the pelvic floor muscles.
4. Keep Moving
Sitting for long periods of time not only puts extra pressure directly on your pelvis and pelvic floor but can restrict the flow of blood and oxygen to this area. Try taking walking breaks or work standing up to increase your circulation.
Check out this video for 2 of my favorite movements that help reduce restriction in the pelvic floor and ease the strain around the rectum.
If you’re coming across the information and you’re not pregnant or you had a baby, whether months or years ago, all of this same information and tips apply to you as well. Many of us struggle with excessive tension in the pelvic floor from stress, improper breathing, digestion issues and more.
Hemorrhoids are one indication that the pelvic floor muscles are imbalanced and need some attention. These tips are a great place to start but seeing a pelvic health physiotherapist may you more insight into what’s happening internally.
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Dealing hemorrhoids, pelvic pain, achey lower back or an intense urgency to pee? These may seem like normal pregnancy issues that you just need to put up with but are actually treatable! Find out more about how your pelvic floor is impacting you and what you can do about it NOW!