"The average woman does NOT develop haemorrhoids from childbearing"...

[Jacksmania]

Said to me with great conviction by someone I know.

I disagree, based on my own experience, what I've read here on MN, and from what I know of among my friends (not that we sit around discussing each other's arses I only do that on the Ragged Bits thread :o).

What says MN? Is this acquaintance full of it? I suspect she may suffer from a bad case of wishful thinking.

Not sure really, as I have never asked anyone in real life about piles. Ever.

I have a few children, and no piles.

I do appreciate my good fortune though, some of the stories on here make me want to weep.

Pushing them back inside? Feeling them hanging out? Eye-watering agony on the loo, and weird potions, lotions and ice-packs..

I'm glad I knew nothing of this before having children - it would certainly have made me think twice.

No piles here either - thank goodness they sound horrific

I've had 2 DSs, and no piles, thankfully

OH hasn't ever heaved and infant out of his fanjo, but has a fairly regular round of them, requiring long and delicate trips to the toilet but if I want a poo the only way I can find uninterrupted time is to wait until every one of them is in bed

I have two children, and have never had piles due to pregnancy.

I suffer from piles when pregnant.

The rest of the time they don't trouble me much.

I think it's pretty clear that pregnancy, which increases constipation and varicose veins is going to increase incidents of piles.

Got piles in my first pregnancy from being constipated.

Two children, nary a pile in my life.

Doesn't happen to me but obviously happens to plenty of women judging by all the threads about it on here.

One child. No piles.

I just presumed, given that prior to having dd everybody said you did get piles with childbirth that I would.

But I didn't.

No, I didn't get piles in either pregnancy thank goodness. Managed to avoid them after despite a bit post birth constipation (third degree tear after ds1, ds2 was CS).

DH suffers terribly, but I suspect that's from a childhood with no fruit and veg and too much bran fibre.

I got a thrombosed hemorrhoid with DS NOT GOOGLE
Twas horrific and needed lancing.

However, apart from right at the end of subsequent pregnancies I haven't had them. I think it was the pregnancy iron supplements that did a number on me.

That is --

[DO NOT GOOGLE]

DS1 - no piles during pregnancy, but took a healthy crop home with DS1 from the hospital.

No further piles with DS2 - but had a CS so no pushing thank you god

Got them badly with my second pregnancy and still flare up now and again 6 years on.

I never had one throughout any of my 4 pregnancies, even the twins didn't give me any trouble. I got one though from dd5's birth (10lb baby). I will NEVER make a joke about piles again as that made me realise how unfunny they are.

People I know do not talk about such things.
4 children, no piles.
I think weight & lifestyle are bigger risk factors?

OP - perhaps this NHS page on piles in pregnancy will dispel your friend's ignorance.

It's the hormonal changes of pregnancy which precipitate piles - just like morning sickness, HG, SPD etc. Does your friend think all hormone related conditions are somehow mythical? Or is she so self-centred that she just thinks that because her hormones didn't give her one specific condition (of the several which are cause that way) it somehow can't possibly affect other women?

When I had two children, I never got piles.

Then I had my third child. Never had them since.

Yes, I've had them pretty much relentlessly, since giving birth the first time.

Nobody tells you. They're grim. I hate them.

On the plus side, my pelvic floor is as intact and unflappable as it ever was. Even the nurse commented on it, when doing a smear. Can they really tell its state, just by looking...?

Anyway... Small mercies.

I have a BMI of 21 so while it might be a weight-related issue, it isn't necessarily so.

My best friend's sister had baseball-sized ones that needed to be operated on. She's whippet thin.

I'm a midwife and I got internal piles postnatally.

It's not often that I see any piles with women giving birth and its not that often that in the immediate postnatal period anyone complains about them. So I'd say the majority don't get them.

Christ, really.....?!

None here, two babies, both BF.