When a woman becomes pregnant, the uterus and foetus will grow larger with time and that causes the veins in the pelvic floor to engorge. It is common for haemorrhoids to enlarge during pregnancy due to engorgement of the pelvic veins, coupled with reduced mobility for some women in the third trimester of pregnancy.
If the haemorrhoids are engorged, it may cause a burning discomfort at the anus or make it difficult to sit down. You can try to use an inflatable cushion/ring to reduce discomfort. You can apply topical haemorrhoid creams (which are available over-the-counter) purchased from a pharmacy. You can also apply an ice-pack to the anus to reduce the swelling of the anus. When the pain is reduced or if the anus feels too cold from the ice-pack, you can remove the pack and lie down for a while.
If the haemorrhoids are bleeding, speak to your obstetrician. He/she may prescribe you an oral medication (such as Daflon) to stop bleeding from the haemorrhoids. Your obstetrician will make sure the medicine is safe for you to consume during pregnancy.
It is not advisable to undergo surgery for haemorrhoids during pregnancy. This is because surgery may irritate the uterus and trigger premature uterine contractions, especially in late pregnancy. Furthermore, many drugs may have unknown side effects during pregnancy and we wish to avoid surgery and anaesthesia whenever possible. As the haemorrhoids tend to reduce in size and settle after pregnancy, surgery may be completely avoidable in a large majority of women with haemorrhoids during pregnancy.
