"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 why I put BF, just been reading something else about it. Both vaginal deliveries.

According to this site 20% to 50% of women get piles when pg.

I had them with my second and third pregnancies. I think with my first too. They clear up between pregnancies though.

www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/symptoms-and-solutions/hemorrhoids.aspx

2 children & no piles. Thankfully.

I didn't get them either, at least I haven't noticed any pain, I haven't looked either.

I more surprised at how many pregnant people complain of heartburn etc. Ive never had that either, but it seems almost EVERYONE else has.

Maybe its only with big babies, mine were really average.

I'm 34 weeks pregnant.

I have piles, heartburn, stretch marks, a spotty bum, sore nipples and a whole host of other stuff.

Can't wait until it's born!

I've had two dds. Not one pile. Average? No clue. Just my experience.

I had them in all 3 of my pregnancies,particularly bad with 2nd baby when I had a horrendously painful and huge thrombosed pile.My GP said the size of the baby was contributory (10 lbs) The pain of the piles postnatally was worse than the stitches! Still suffer to this day,they flare up with monotonous regularity and are not a pretty sight-am slim and active btw so not weight or lifestyle related in my case.

I had piles with both pregnancies, and are more prone to them since. Never had them before.

I am not overweight, and eat a healthy diet....but I did have excess fluid with dd1, and hence was humungous, which probably didn't help!

The truth is, genetics play a part. Some people have more elastic, resilient blood vessels than others. I clearly don't (neither does my mother).

But OTOH I never had any stretch marks

My daughter is 18 next month and I still have the piles which developed during pregnancy. I can't cope with any kind of bum poking (can't let a dr near them) so have just soldiered on with creams and it is miserable.

I pushed for only half an hour and I am underweight if anything.

Damn hateful things. I think if I got pregnant again I would ask for a Caesarian just because of the piles because I wouldn't want to make them worse by a vaginal birth.

Yes, the size of baby must have some bearing surely. Mine were just over 6lb Sea so that is rather different to carrying a 10lber - never mind pushing one out.

And I cant help thinking most women with awful pregnancy symptoms such as piles have probably eaten too much and not exercised enough.

Not all of course.

According to the mw who checked me after delivery I did get piles but its never caused me pain or even discomfort after the whole area bruising died down.

Blimey Cher... how unfair... Ill probably get some now and itll serve me right!

My daughter was 6 lb 14 and I was very fit, walked 3 miles to work and back every day, didn't drive so walked everywhere.

I also didn't put much weight on, back in pre oregnancy jeans a few weeks after birth.

But the pain of the bloody piles was worse than the birth, cracked bf nipples, the vaginal graze I had, everything.

Perhaps it is genetic.

My mother and gran had awful varicose veins and had them stripped. So deformed legs are coming my way in my 50s as well!

Perhaps then it's crappy old veins which cause piles.

I would love to be rid of them but I can't even show the dr, and I read a horror story thread on here where someone had an operation to remove her piles and said it is a common belief that that operation is one of the most painful to recover from. So that has scared me from having them seen as well.

It has also been a major contributory factor to my decision to have just the one child.

Which sounds ridiculous. Piles! But the pain and awkwardness is awful. I constantly have to take laxatives to ensure that I don't have trouble for to the toilet which makes my bottom bleed.

Good lord what a confessional, sorry.

I'm so glad I'm not an "average woman" then. Well, I'm not glad I got piles cos they were bloody horrible, but I like to be different

((Cher)) yes, 'crappy old veins' is the real culprit. Especially if they don't go away post pregnancy. There is definitely a genetic component.

Though blaming 'poor diet'/'overweight'/'lack of exercise' probably makes others feel safer - along the lines of 'I won't get xyz illness because I don't smoke/drink/eat butter/take hrt etc'

That said, I'm sure unhealthy lifestyles don't help. But the underlying culprit is not within our control.

(shuffles over to join Team Piles)

The truth is, genetics play a part. Some people have more elastic, resilient blood vessels than others. I clearly don't (neither does my mother).

That's interesting. Grandma had really bad varicose veins, and I think my mum had some that were operated on. She has quite prominent varicose veins on the back of her hands, and I appear to be developing the same. I have never asked my mum if she suffers from piles- and don't particularly want to!

got piles with both pregnancies; I think they were post-natal. the pain of it was worse than the actual recovery from labour. I'm 5"1 size 10, fairly healthy and had never had piles before then. My two babies were small babies too. Nearly put me off having a second child, as I was bleeding every single time, felt like shrapnel, awful awful awful

Cher,I think it is genetic,my Mum also had them although we have both had big babies so that must be a factor.And yes, I too have read some horrific accounts of haemmerroidectomy ops which are said to be extremely
painful during the healing process.I have been offered this procedure but couldn't face it-will just have to live with the nasty things!

Oh god yes the shrapnel pain, such a good description. Years of feeling like you're pooing broken glass.

I don't know what age my relatives developed varicose veins as neither set around any more. I am in my 30s. My gran had terrible bunch of grapes on the backs of both calfs (or is it calves?), had terrible thrombosis and phlebitis as well. She was a heavy smoker and I am hoping that my giving up smoking will help.

I wish there was a magic wand for the piles. I have suppositories in the freezer but I can't use them! I am such a wimp.

Cher, do try the supps! They don't hurt, and they do help, honestly. At least, that was my experience.

I'm now feeling lucky, in that mine haven't come back painfully/badly since dd2 - except when constipated, which is rare and I try to avoid.

That shrapnel feeling is a pg memory, and awful - sympathies.

I have tried, I just have a real fear of going anywhere near it with anything. I'm bloody hopeless

I've had 2 vaginal births.

No piles.