Haemorrhoids after childbirth: gentle, safe ways to help yourself

2026-11-12

• Haemorrhoids after childbirth are common: pregnancy, pushing during labour and early constipation all play a part.
• The basics are soft stools without straining, water, fibre, gentle hygiene and warm sitz baths.
• While breastfeeding, use ointments, suppositories or tablets only on a doctor's advice.
• According to the instruction, Phlebodia 600 is not recommended during breastfeeding.
• Heavy bleeding, black stools, fever or severe pain mean you should seek medical help urgently.

Your baby has finally fallen asleep, and you are quietly dreading your next trip to the toilet: burning, itching and a streak of blood on the paper. Many new mothers put up with it in silence and feel too shy to mention it even to a doctor, because right now every conversation is about the baby.

Yet haemorrhoids after childbirth are one of the most common complaints of the weeks after birth, and there is nothing to be embarrassed about. Gentle measures at home usually help, and a doctor can choose treatment that is compatible with breastfeeding. Let us go through it step by step.

Why do haemorrhoids appear after giving birth?

Haemorrhoids are cushions of blood vessels in the lower rectum, and everyone has them. Problems begin when they become engorged, swell and slip downwards. Pregnancy and labour create almost perfect conditions for this.

• Pressure from the growing womb. In the second half of pregnancy it presses on the pelvic veins and slows the flow of blood away from the rectum.
• Hormones. Progesterone relaxes vessel walls and slows the bowel, which is why constipation is so common in pregnancy.
• Pushing. During labour the pressure in the abdomen and pelvic veins rises sharply, and haemorrhoids can swell or prolapse within a few hours.
• The first weeks after birth. Fear of pain because of stitches, not drinking enough while breastfeeding, and disrupted meals and sleep all keep constipation going.

You can read about other aspects that matter for women in our article on haemorrhoids in women.

How can you tell it is haemorrhoids?

Typical signs are itching and discomfort around the anus, a feeling of incomplete emptying, and bright red blood on the toilet paper or on the surface of the stool. External haemorrhoids feel like soft lumps at the edge of the anus. If a lump suddenly becomes hard, bluish and very painful, a clot may have formed inside it, and it should be seen by a doctor soon.

Similar complaints can have other causes. For example, sharp, cutting pain during and after a bowel movement more often points to an anal fissure, which is also common after childbirth. We explain the difference in our article anal fissure or haemorrhoids. Only a doctor can make the diagnosis after an examination.

What can you do at home, starting today?

Home care for haemorrhoids after childbirth has one aim: to keep stools soft and to stop the haemorrhoids from being injured or overfilled with blood.

1. Drink enough. Breastfeeding increases your fluid needs, so keep a bottle of water wherever you feed your baby and drink to thirst. A glass of warm water in the morning helps many women get the bowel moving.
2. Add fibre gradually: porridge oats, vegetable soups, stewed vegetables, apples, pears, prunes, dried apricots and wholegrain bread. A sudden jump in fibre can cause bloating, so take small steps.
3. Do not strain and do not ignore the urge to go. Put a low footstool under your feet so your knees are higher than your hips, and do not linger on the toilet with your phone.
4. After a bowel movement, wash with cool or lukewarm water instead of using rough paper, then pat the skin dry with a soft towel.
5. Take warm sitz baths for 10–15 minutes a few times a day, using plain warm water with nothing added. If you have perineal stitches, ask your obstetrician or midwife first when you can start.
6. If the haemorrhoids are swollen, a cold compress for a few minutes can ease them, for example an ice pack wrapped in a clean cloth.
7. Rest lying on your side. Breastfeeding while lying on your side is comfortable and takes pressure off the perineum.

If food and water are not enough, do not buy laxatives at random: your doctor can choose a gentle option that is compatible with breastfeeding. Our article on constipation and haemorrhoids explains how to get your bowels working without harm.

Which medicines are safe while breastfeeding?

Many substances pass into breast milk, so after childbirth any ointment, suppository or tablet should be used only on a doctor's advice. Avoid risky home remedies too: burning or irritating substances can damage the delicate lining.

If you have heard about venotonic medicines, it is important to know that, according to the official instruction, Phlebodia 600 is not recommended during breastfeeding. Once you have stopped breastfeeding, treatment can be discussed with your doctor. Before using any medicine, read the instruction leaflet and consult a specialist.

When do haemorrhoids after childbirth need a doctor?

Book an appointment with a proctologist (colorectal specialist) if home measures have not helped after a few days, if blood on the paper keeps coming back, or if lumps come out and do not go back in on their own. You can also start with your obstetrician or GP, who will examine you and refer you if needed. The examination is quick and done discreetly.

How can you stop haemorrhoids coming back?

Once the acute symptoms settle, keep the helpful habits going: sleepless nights and a whole new rhythm of life lie ahead, and your bowel and veins appreciate stability.

• Eat regularly, and make vegetables, fruit and pulses part of every day.
• Keep moving: once your doctor says it is fine, short walks with the pram gently get both your bowel and the circulation in your legs working.
• Lift your baby and the pram while breathing out, without holding your breath, so that pressure in the abdomen rises less.
• Pelvic floor exercises are often recommended after childbirth; start them after talking to your doctor. There is little direct evidence that they prevent haemorrhoids, but they help the pelvic floor recover.
• If you are planning more children, tell your doctor that you have had haemorrhoids after childbirth: preventing constipation in the next pregnancy is best started from the early weeks.

Be kind to yourself

Haemorrhoids after childbirth are not a life sentence and nothing to be ashamed of. For many women the symptoms gradually settle over a few weeks as bowel habits return to normal and the body recovers. Care for yourself as tenderly as you care for your baby: water within reach, a warm sitz bath, an unhurried trip to the toilet. And do not put off seeing a doctor if something worries you.

Sources: 1. van Tol RR, Kleijnen J, Watson AJM, et al. European Society of ColoProctology: guideline for haemorrhoidal disease. Colorectal Dis. 2020;22(6):650–662. 2. Davis BR, Lee-Kong SA, Migaly J, Feingold DL, Steele SR. The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Hemorrhoids. Dis Colon Rectum. 2018;61(3):284–292. 3. Instructions for medical use of Phlebodia 600 (Republic of Uzbekistan).

• Anal fissure or haemorrhoids: how to tell the difference
• Fibre for haemorrhoids: how much you need and where to find it
• Exercise with haemorrhoids: which activities are safe and which to limit