Nobody mentions this part at the baby shower: a large share of women deal with hemorrhoids during pregnancy or after delivery. They're one of the most common — and least discussed — postpartum complaints. So let's just answer the questions new moms actually type into their phones at 3 a.m., one-handed, while feeding a baby.
Three forces gang up on you. During pregnancy, the growing uterus presses on the veins that drain blood from your lower body, so the veins around the rectum swell. Pregnancy hormones also relax vein walls and slow digestion, which means more constipation and more straining. Then comes delivery: the pushing stage of labor puts enormous pressure on those same veins. Many women who sailed through pregnancy meet their first hemorrhoid in the hours after a vaginal birth.
Add in postpartum iron supplements (famously constipating), dehydration from breastfeeding, and long stretches of sitting while feeding, and it's no mystery. This is a plumbing problem with several contributing causes — not something you did wrong.
For most women, postpartum hemorrhoids shrink noticeably within a few weeks as pressure normalizes and swelling goes down. Ones that formed during delivery often improve fastest. That said, "a few weeks" feels like a very long time when sitting hurts and you're recovering from birth on no sleep — which is why the comfort measures below matter.
This is the workhorse of postpartum bottom care, and hospitals send many moms home with a sitz basin for good reason. Ten to fifteen minutes of warm water, two or three times a day, relaxes the area, eases pain, and supports healing — helpful for hemorrhoids and for perineal soreness in general. Adding a purpose-made soak like this sitz bath soak can make the ritual more soothing. Pat dry gently afterward; don't rub.
Dry toilet paper on swollen, tender tissue is misery. A hygienic cleansing lotion lets you clean the area gently without the friction, which matters when you're going through the postpartum bathroom routine many times a day. A peri bottle of warm water works alongside it.
The first postpartum bowel movements are intimidating enough without hard stool. Drink more water than you think you need (especially if breastfeeding), eat fiber-rich foods — fruit, oats, beans, vegetables — and don't delay when the urge comes. Straining is exactly what an irritated hemorrhoid doesn't need. If constipation persists, ask your provider about a stool softener; they're very commonly recommended postpartum.
Try not to stand or sit in one position for hours (easier said than done with a newborn, we know). Lying on your side while feeding takes direct pressure off the area. When you do sit, a soft cushion helps.
Here's the honest answer: creams with active ingredients like lidocaine and phenylephrine — such as our Advanced Hemorrhoid Cream or a 5% lidocaine numbing cream — provide temporary relief of hemorrhoid pain, itching, and swelling, and topical use means very little is absorbed into the body. But postpartum and breastfeeding are exactly the situations where you should run any medicated product past your OB, midwife, or pediatrician first. It's a 30-second question at a checkup or through the patient portal, and every mom's situation is different. Ask, then treat.
Postpartum recovery involves enough discomfort that women often under-report real problems. Call your provider if you notice: a hard, intensely painful lump (possibly a thrombosed hemorrhoid, which sometimes benefits from a quick office procedure); bleeding that's more than streaks on the paper, or any bleeding you can't clearly attribute to a hemorrhoid; pain that's getting worse instead of better after the first couple of weeks; or any fever or discharge that seems off. None of these mean something terrible — but all of them deserve a professional look, and your six-week visit is not too soon to bring it up if symptoms linger.
Postpartum hemorrhoids are common, usually temporary, and very treatable at home: warm sitz soaks, gentle cleansing, soft stools, pressure off the area, and provider-approved relief products for the rough moments. You're caring for a newborn around the clock — you're allowed to care for yourself too.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider about your specific situation, especially during postpartum recovery and breastfeeding.