Hemorrhoid Treatment

Dear Gloria, I had a great birth with my second baby and didn’t even tear. Next problem, what do I do for a hemorrhoid though? Decent sized one, too. I’ve been putting ice and witch hazel on it. Do you have any tips??

Dear Catherine,
Yes, actually, we’ve just had a big discussion on that subject on the Ancient Art Midwifery list. After you’ve gone pee, got yourself a drink, and have 1/2 hour of “lying on your side nursing the baby” time, get a warm soapy facecloth and towel and get into bed with baby. Then, with just your finger, gently push the bumpy veins inside your bum and clench your bum cheeks tight to keep them in for the 1/2 hour. Clean your hands with the facecloth and dry them and then lie on your side, like that, with babe feeding/cuddling and you clenching tight for 1/2 hour. This allows the veins to be placed where they are supposed to be, reduces the swelling and allows the blood flow to resume properly. You may have to do this more than once but it brings instant relief.

Dear Gloria, Oh that’s great!! Will try this today as it’s the only part of me that’s sore!

I just put the witch hazel on it to reduce the size and did exactly what you said – I already feel better! Now I can enjoy my baby properly! I couldn’t sit at all. . . You have no idea how much you’ve helped me. . . I could burst into tears! Thank you!

Dear Catherine, Glad that helped, you’re welcome. I know you’ll pass the info on to others and help other women recover from birth smoothly. Love Gloria
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2016 Update: Just looking through some old emails and found this comment from a reader about using a tip in the comments of this article:

“An update about my behind… because I’m sure you’re dying to know 😉 The potato poultice that one of your commenters mentioned has been sent down from heaven on the wings of angels. I’m left with some extra ‘skin’ but most of the inflammation and pain is gone. All the blood has drained as well.”

end of quote.
So nice to know that this exchange of info really helps someone who is suffering. Keep the comments coming, please. Gloria

12 thoughts on “Hemorrhoid Treatment

  1. My favorite remedy is geranium essential oil and lavender essential oil. You can mix a few drops of each in a carrier oil like almond oil, make a calendula balm and add the oils to that, it’s nice right out of the fridge, or add a couple drops to your witch hazel prior to cleansing with that.

  2. yes they heal ! after having a bowel movement, wipe gently,then wash with warm damp rag. Then with a cotton ball or q-tip apply a little ” real lemon ” or witch hazel and then apply a little comfrey-calendula salve.
    Keep stools soft and easy to pass by adding ground flax to diet and taking a couple capsules of flax seed oil at bed time so that there is no straining. Drink plenty of liquid too. You’ ll see how wonderfully our bodes heal !
    Friday at 19:06 · Like

  3. Shredding a potato and placing it directly against the hemorrhoid for half an hour or so shrinks the hemorrhoid greatly! Works great if you have very large ones.

  4. Pingback: Hemorrhoid treatment for a new mama! - AllDoulas.com

  5. Yes, I have also used potato….but a little differently. Slice a potato into the size of approx a pencil in width, the size of a suppository. You can insert this into your rectum, and this shrinks the swollen tissues…and will pass with the next BM. Also, another one of my very favorite treatments is Rutin 500mg once a day until gone. Usually, no matter how bad the hemorrhoids are, it will shrink them within 1 or 2 days. If they are severe, you can take it 2-3 times a day at first.

  6. I have recommended the “potato trick” (the way Colleen described above) for years to clients who suffer from hemorrhoids during pregnancy. One in particular was suffering so badly she was petrified of trying to give birth. She tried a few different remedies I suggested but said the potato was a miracle worker! (And went on to have a beautiful, peaceful home waterbirth.) I still see her recommending it to people online some ten years later. 🙂

  7. I have learned that a sea salt and herb bath twice a day with baby at the breast works wonders….. they shrink right up and “pop” in, often times before even getting out of the tub. I will never be without my twice daily baths ~ “due” again this summer with #11.

  8. During my second pregnancy I had a swollen vein that ran from back to front. Baby’s position apparently was putting pressure on that vein and blood pooled. It was extremely painful and uncomfortable. I tried laying on my side, baths, ointments, laxatives. Nothing worked. The dr wanted me in a special support device but I couldn’t afford it. The hemorrhoid went away a bit after my daughter was born, but I’ve had recurrence of it since she has been born. It is impossible to push back in since it runs the length. Not sure what to do about it- have seriously thought about asking dr for surgical options.

  9. Nearly 6 years ago when my son was born in a traumatic way, I sustained significant trauma through a 4th degree tear and many other complications, including hemorrhoids that left large “tags”. Back then, a detachable shower head was a super help every time I used the bathroom, because not even baby wipes could go there. It was just too painful. Baby wipes are now a constant resource in our bathroom. Tea bags soaked and put on a pad were also helpful at the beginning, as was witch hazel (though that stung at times). I found Balneol, a soothing cream you can get in the States, very helpful. It was recommended to me by the amazing surgeon in the USA who did a surgery on me to alleviate one of the birth trauma complications.

    But for flare-ups and times when scarring from hemorrhoids and the other complications I went through remind me painfully that they were a part of my story, I have another remedy that has become my go-to. This past winter, after a day of nordic skiing and snowshoeing many miles, my entire perineum and anal area was painful to the point that sitting and walking were impaired. I had some essential oils and coconut oil on hand, and used those. Intuitively, I grabbed Myrrh (the mother oil), Lavender, a blend I love called Immortelle, and Frankincense (the father oil). I put a drop of each in my hand with a good bit of coconut oil and applied it to the entire area. The relief was incredible. I’ve since learned that cypress essential oil is also a great option, though I love my original mix.

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