Constipation During Pregnancy
This is not a substitute for direct care by YOUR doctor. Confirm with your doctor before following any of the listed recommendations.
Women are more likely to get constipated during pregnancy, in part, due to hormones like progesterone. There is also a large amount of pressure on the pelvis during the third trimester. This increases the chance of hemorrhoid issues.
If Fiber is not enough
Unfortunately, most medications have not been fully studied during pregnancy to evaluate safety. You can check on LactMed for data on specific medications. Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®) - NCBI Bookshelf
Lack of data does not mean that all medications are dangerous, but rather that nobody has studied them enough to evaluate them. Ginger, which is safe, can help gut motility and nausea. The combination of fiber supplementation and ginger can help but may not be enough. The constipation treatment algorithm on this website is PROBABLY safe but lacks large studies showing safety.
Hemorrhoids
Most surgical hemorrhoid treatments are avoided in pregnancy because the treatment can be more painful or problematic than the issue. The best treatments are fiber and Sitz baths. If these are not enough, you are having rectal bleeding, and/or if you are worried, then talk to your doctor.
Powers EA, Tewell R, Bayard M. Over-the-Counter Medications in Pregnancy. Am Fam Physician. 2023 Oct;108(4):360-369. PMID: 37843943.
Pregnancy Constipation: Pain, Causes, Treatments & Relief
Rungsiprakarn P, Laopaiboon M, Sangkomkamhang US, Lumbiganon P, Pratt JJ. Interventions for treating constipation in pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Sep 4;2015(9):CD011448. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011448.pub2. PMID: 26342714; PMCID: PMC8958874.