I have hemorrhoids and was wondering if I could still take a bubble bath with bath salts or if I need a soap-free bath?

Hello Ma'am,

Hemorrhoids in late pregnancy are common since the size of your belly induces pressure on the blood vessels responsible for "pumping" blood up to the heart. This should resolve once you give birth.

In the meantime (😊), you can take a bath with no problem. In an ideal world, however, you would take your bath with a "donut", which is a circle of foam with a hole in the middle so you don't have to sit directly on the hemorrhoids. This "doughnut" also helps to relieve some of the pressure on the veins. In the water, you could put soap, but also salt. In fact, the more salt in your water, the more it will help reduce the size of the hemorrhoids (especially if they are external).

Once you get out of the bath, try a Hammamelis and Zinc Oxide (Preparation H™) product to reduce the pain.

Does this answer your question well?