For many new mothers, it's a common ailment, though one most don't enjoy discussing. Kiera Jackson's* experience was much the same, complete with the discomfort, awkwardness and itching. In other words: the joy of hemorrhoids.

"With my first child, I could have handled the contraction pains much easier if it weren't for the pain from the hemorrhoids that developed before I even got to the hospital," says the Mesa, Ariz., mom. "It was an especially painful trip to the hospital sitting in the car and going over any bump."

To treat her discomfort, Jackson relied on an all-natural product her sister gave her for – of all things – varicose veins. "I placed a small amount of the product on a cotton pad soaked with witch hazel and left it on the affected area for a couple of hours," says Jackson. "It felt a little funny, but the results were worth it. I didn't have a lot of itching, just pain when I sat and walked. Within two weeks, the hemorrhoids went away."

With Jackson's second son, she didn't experience any discomfort – until after the delivery. "I had three separate hemorrhoids this time," Jackson says. "It's not fun. A friend of mine described her experience in a hysterical way: 'I needed a double stroller. One seat for my child and the other for my hemorrhoid!'"

Refreshing motherhood humor may help for the short term, but hemorrhoids can be an all-too-common and painful ailment. Hemorrhoids are the result of varicose veins that happen to be located in or around the rectum, says Barbara Dehn. Dehn has authored a variety of guides on pregnancy, fertility and menopause at Blue Orchid Press and works as a nurse practitioner at Women Physicians OB/GYN Medical Group in Mountain View, Calif.

"As pressure builds from the growing uterus, venous return of blood from the rectal area back to the heart is impeded," says Dehn. "The vessels near the rectum stretch, and as they stretch, so will the surrounding skin or mucosa (if it's internal). The skin contains a vein that may or may not have clotted blood in it. If it's purple in color and extremely painful, it's a good indicator that there's a lot of blood trapped in the hemorrhoid."

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