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Piles in Pregnancy

As many new mums know, piles can be an unpleasant part of pregnancy. But with up to 1 in 2 people suffering at some point in their lives, it's certainly nothing to be embarrassed about.

Why do piles pick this time to make an unwelcome appearance? It all comes down to abdominal pressure, which can make your blood vessels stretch and swell. The most obvious cause: the weight of your ever-growing bump! Then there's all that pushing during labour.

Constipation plays a big part in it too. This can be the result of doing less exercise than normal, changes in your diet, and the weight of your bump pressing on your bowel. These things can all block you up, and straining when you go to the loo is a very common cause of piles.

In some cases, piles occur with such mild symptoms that you may not even know you have them.

But if they flare up and become more painful, there are various treatments you can use to ease the discomfort.

In addition to treating them with a medicine, there are some simple things you can do to ease the symptoms.