Hemorrhoids during pregnancy, is it okay to give birth normally?

Complaints of hemorrhoids during pregnancy are common. This complaint will increase, especially in women who already have a history of hemorrhoids before pregnancy.

Well, for mothers who already have a history of hemorrhoids before pregnancy, during pregnancy, the hemorrhoids will have a higher grade (the bulge is getting bigger). If you have this, it is not uncommon for many pregnant women to be anxious and worried about the birth process later. Can those who already have a history of hemorrhoids before pregnancy give birth normally? Read on to find out.

What are hemorrhoids?

Hemorrhoids or hemorrhoids, in medical language are called hemorrhoids, are veins that swell and stick out in the rectum area. These swellings come in various sizes, can range from the size of a pod to the size of a grape and can develop in the rectum or protrude through the anus. Because of this swelling, you are prone to bleeding when you have a bowel movement, which makes you feel uncomfortable during or after you have a bowel movement.

Hemorrhoids can appear during pregnancy or after giving birth in those of you who have never had hemorrhoids before. If you had hemorrhoids before becoming pregnant, then you are more likely to get them again during pregnancy or after giving birth.

Why do hemorrhoids during pregnancy often occur?

An enlarged uterus, constipation, and an increase in the hormone progesterone will all make you more prone to developing hemorrhoids during pregnancy. In addition, you will also be prone to varicose veins in the legs and sometimes even on the vulva of the vagina.

While pregnant, your uterus continues to expand putting pressure on the pelvic veins and the inferior vena cava, which is the large vein on the right side of the body that receives blood from the legs. This pressure can then slow the return of blood from the lower part of the body, thereby increasing pressure on the blood vessels under the uterus and causing them to enlarge or swell.

In addition, the increase in the hormone progesterone during pregnancy also causes the walls of blood vessels to relax, making them swollen more easily. The hormone progesterone can also cause constipation by slowing down your bowel movements.

Constipation during pregnancy or after childbirth can put pressure on the blood vessels, which can lead to or worsen hemorrhoids. You can also develop hemorrhoids because you push too hard during labor.

So, can women who have a history of hemorrhoids give birth normally?

Actually, hemorrhoids do not prevent a person from giving birth normally. It's just that if a mother with hemorrhoids during pregnancy wants to give birth normally, this will create more discomfort during labor due to straining.

The hemorrhoids will not have a bad effect on your baby, but later on, the hemorrhoids will increase in severity during childbirth. Now this makes many pregnant women who already have a history of hemorrhoids before pregnancy choose to do a caesarean section so that the hemorrhoids they suffer do not interfere with the later labor process.

Even though in some cases individually and under certain conditions the obstetrician decides to do a c-section during delivery, there are many mothers who have hemorrhoids who can still give birth normally.

Most of the hemorrhoids will generally return to normal (if you do not have a history of hemorrhoids before) or return to the state they were before pregnancy (if you have a history of hemorrhoids before pregnancy). Even so, you should discuss this with an obstetrician and gynecologist to get appropriate and optimal action, so that the birth process that will be undertaken will be safe for both you and the baby.

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