In addition to the number of bowel movements you have per week, there are other symptoms of chronic constipation as well. For example, you may find that your stool is very dry or hard. Or, even though your stool may be small, it may be difficult to expel from your body and you may experience painful bowel movements or straining excessively in order to eliminate waste.

Many people that suffer from chronic constipation also have a feeling of fullness even after having a bowel movement. It is also common for sufferers to experience bloating.

If left untreated, chronic constipation can cause a number of side effects. Some people that are chronically constipated experience moodiness and excessive fatigue. Chronic constipation can also lead to body odor and to bad breath. The sufferer may also experience a loss of appetite.

Hemorrhoids are the most common potential side effect of chronic constipation. Although researchers are still unsure of what exactly causes hemorrhoids to develop, most believe that the straining and pushing associated with constipation is a primary aggravation of this condition.

Hemorrhoids can be quite painful, as can the anal fissures that can develop from the straining caused by constipation. If anal fissures develop, the sufferer may need to have damaged tissue around the anus removed. In some rare occasions, the straining can also lead to rectal prolapse. When this happens, a small amount of the lining gets pushed out of the anus.

Whether you have chronic constipation or not, there are many things that you can do to support your digestive health:

Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. As the saying goes 5 is fine, 9 is divine.

Drink lots of water each day. A few glasses is not enough. Most adults need at least 6-8 tall glasses of water per day.

Take nutritional supplements designed to support and improve your digestive system’s functioning. Examples would be fiber, probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes, etc. Just be sure you use quality products.

As a certified nurse midwife I have treated many cases of pregnancy and hemorrhoids. It was not until I personally experienced hemorrhoids during pregnancy that I understood how painful these little monsters can be.

Hemorrhoids are swollen varicose veins on or around the anus. The veins within the anal canal become swollen because of weakened vein walls allowing blood to pool. This causes the walls of the vein to expand creating the visible ball on the outside of the anus called a hemorrhoid.

Pregnancy requires a woman to increase her total blood volume by 40% to accommodate her growing baby nutrition and circulatory needs. This increase in blood volume requires that the pregnant woman’s blood vessels relax and expand to hold the extra blood. This is one of the major reasons why pregnant women are prone to blood clots, varicose veins and hemorrhoids.

Pregnant women are also prone to constipation due to extra fluid absorption and relaxation of the bowels.

Constipation combined with the increased pressure on the rectum and perineum due to the growing baby is another reason for hemorrhoids during pregnancy.

Types of pregnancy hemorrhoids:

Internal hemorrhoids during pregnancy:

You can’t see or feel these hemorrhoids, but straining or irritation from a passing stool can injure a hemorrhoid’s delicate surface and cause it to bleed. You may notice small amounts of bright red blood on your toilet tissue or in the toilet bowl water. Because internal anal membranes lack pain-sensitive nerve fibers, these hemorrhoids usually don’t cause discomfort. Occasionally, straining can push an internal hemorrhoid through the anal opening. If a hemorrhoid remains displaced (prolapsed), it can cause pain and irritation.

External hemorrhoids during pregnancy:

These hemorrhoids tend to be painful. Sometimes blood may pool in an external hemorrhoid and form a clot (thrombus) causing severe pain, swelling and inflammation. When irritated, external hemorrhoids can itch or bleed. The pain of hemorrhoids may be comparable to being stabbed in the rectum by a knife or hot poker.

What can you do to treat hemorrhoids during pregnancy?

The good news is that hemorrhoids usually improve after the baby is born. In the meantime, there are a number of things you can do to treat hemorrhoids. Any one or more of the following may help relieve hemorrhoids during pregnancy:

Take a warm bath with baking soda or place baking soda (wet or dry) on the area to reduce itching.

Use witch hazel to reduce swelling or bleeding.

Use Tucks Medicated Pads.

Avoid sitting or standing for long periods.

Drink plenty of fluids.

Drink prune juice.

Do not delay going to the bathroom.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

If you are suffering very badly from pregnancy hemorrhoids please consult with your obstetric provider for hemorrhoid medication.

Mangosteen and minerals, 2 ounces twice a day has helped many pregnant women relieve inflammation and pain from hemorrhoids during pregnancy. Mangosteen is a fruit that has been used for hundreds of years as an all natural, pregnancy safe anti-inflammatory and a pain blocker. Mangosteen also supports you body to the demands of pregnancy.

Wondering where to get more information about a high quality mangosteen and mineral product then go to my pregnancy web site at http://www.VemmaMidwife.com

You may also be very interested in an amazing message that was telepathically dictated to me for humanity from my son when he was seven-weeks old. Yes you read correctly! I have the ability to communicate with baby’s emotions from inside and outside the womb. Down load this AMAZING MESSAGE FREE at http://www.PregnancySuccessCoach.com/Message_For_Humanity.html

If you wish to ask me a personal question about your pregnancy or an issue in your life then visit http://www.PregnancySuccessCoach.com/Ask_Hannah_Section.html

Hannah Bajor. C.N.M.,M.S.N.

Certified Nurse Midwife

Pregnancy Success Coach

With the first cry, your baby will bring in his or her first breath of air. This is normal and expected for healthy babies to cry and should not upset the mother, father and family members; though it sometimes does. If, by chance, your baby doestn’t cry upon arrival into the world, the doctor will then initiate a reaction from your your baby. The normal practice is to clean air passages and pinch or gently strike his or her feet, thus surprising the baby into crying.

It is understood and accepted, babies can not express themselves with words early in life. First and for most, your baby will cry to communicate with you and others he or she will come into contact with. There may be other physical ways he or she will communicate, such as kicking feet, waving harms, moving his or her head. As you and your baby learn this wordless form of communicating, crying will be most effective.

Since the crying habit varies from baby to baby, how do you explain ‘excessive’ crying? As some babies are easily soothed, while others are more difficult to calm. You and your baby will learn the different types of cries for the different needs that arises. Excessive crying of distress will be very distictive.

A sudden burst of excessive crying will indicate the urgency of your baby’s needs. The cause can be as simple as parental seperation or as extensive as life threatening situations; in which case needs immediate attention. Quite often it is difficult to determine the cause of his or her crying, here are some common reasons…

1) hunger – your baby will cry on a regular schedule of maybe three to four hour segments, at first, to feed. Here the adage ‘crying baby gets the milk’ rings true.

2) wetting – when your babies diaper becomes wet and soiled, it causes discomfort and he or she will respond by crying until the diaper is dry again.

3) company – the higher percentage of babies and children alike strive on the stimulation of compnay. Feelings of being alone or dropping a favorite toy will be cause to cry.

4) tired – anytime of tiredness will bring on a wimper, whine or cry. From being tired after traveling, being sick or just growing spirts, babies need sleep and they also fight sleep to see what is happening around them.

5) heat and cold – if your baby becomes too hot or becomes very cool he or she will become restless, then cry for relief. Having good ventilation is important for your chld’s comfort.

6) tight clothing – Tight fitting clothes, particularly in warm climates or during warm seasons, is hard on children. Too tight of elastic in dresses and waist bands; or around wrists and ankles, can cause soreness and discomfort. Crying will express these feelings.

7) dark room – When a baby awakes in the night, in a dark room, he or she will cry and disturb mother and father. then becomes further distressed when the strong light comes on and cries louder. A good practice is to have a dim light on in your baby’s room.

mosquito – The surprise of the sting from these insects will result in a crying baby.

9) nasal blockage – Stuffed or blocked nasal passages will result in your baby crying until these passages are cleared for proper breathing.

10) phlegm in throat – This too will cause crying to occur, phlegm makes for difficult breathing. This condition can often be heard as your child breaths.

11) General aching – During the stages of flu or other infectious diseases, the body aches and becomes restless resulting in possible continual crying.

12) hibitual crying – Occasionally, much to the parents agony, babies cry without a cause. Often a call to the doctor is pursued for help.

13) nappy rash – This can result if, for long periods of time, the nappy is wet. Allergic reaction can also be the cause of a rash. With the appearance of a nappy rash, your baby becomes restless and cries from lack of sleep and discomfort. Other conditions that also causes this problem would be eczema, ecthyma, candidiasis, ect.

14) earache – This is most common in wet climates. Often times this infection will start in the throat. Ear infection can become risky and cause the ear drum to rupture and discharge pus, if not taken care of properly. An earache will eueally become worse at night when lying down. Some children will frequently rub the infected ear, trying to communicate the discomfort. Crying is most assured to occur and when vary painful, won’t allow you to touch the ear.

15) colic – This is connected to rumbling and cramping of the abdomen while in a parallel position and is relieved slightly is an upright or vertical postion. Some children will find relief while lying on their abdomen. This condition is hard to diagnose and the exact cause is uncertain. If your child continuously cries consult your doctor.

16) Infections – All infections result in pain or irritation one way or another causing your child to cry. This can occur anywhere on the body or inside the bady. Most often joined with fever, redness and swelling.

17) reactions to certain foods – One adage to keep in mind ‘one man’s food is another man’s poison’. Some foods are connected directly to allergic reactions. Reactions such as redness, breathlessness, gastric symptom and continual crying should alert parents to a posible health problem with the child and consult your doctor.

18) hard stools – Constipation in babies can cause him or her to cry when the urge for stool arises. Occassionally a child may try to hold back their stool due to pain.

19) gastro exophagial reflex – When your baby cries after burping up right after eating; if this is a regular occurrence it could be gastroesophageal reflex. When the lower part of the esophagus fails to close after food resulting in regurgitation from the stomach. However; it is hard to diagnose this condition. Doctors will start by prescribing antireflex medicine.

20) dentition – When a child experiences dentition or teething he or she will become restless and cry often. This condition is also connected to gastric troubles and diarrhoea.

Rare causes maybe…

1) bowel obstruction – Bowel obstructions will cause severe pain and vomiting. Your child’s abdomen can be swellen and rumbling with discomfort. Baby will be constipated and the absences of stomach acid.

2) septicemia – Organisms, such as pathogenic micros, invading the blood with accompanied fever.

3) torsion of testes in male children – When male babies cry continuously, check his scrotum. This condition produces severe pain and worsens at the touch. If the testes are pressed upward toward the body will relieve the pain. Proper treatment is required, if steps are not taken the affected testes can become damaged by lack of circulation and blood supply.

4) meningitis – Fever may not be present with this condition. If your baby cries with alternation vacant stare and irritability consult your doctor promptly. Other sympoms will follow, such as, rigid neck and may be seizures.

5) retention of urine – If your child retains urine, the blatter becomes overly full causing intense pain, resulting in restlessness and crying.

6) major injuries – Major injury, anywhere on his or her body results in pain. On occasion a child may fall resulting in a head injury. This can be connected with reflex vomiting and convulsions.