Also referred to as “hemmies”, hemorrhoids are unfortunately a common part of pregnancy for many women. They can also appear during labor and cause trouble for women after the baby is born. What is a hemorrhoid?

A hemorrhoid is an enlarged vein that develops in and around the anal canal in both men and women. They are caused by excessive pressure to the pelvic and rectal areas. As pressure increases, blood builds up in the veins causing painful distention of the veins, leading to hemorrhoids.

The pressure that helps create a hemorrhoid is generally caused by rushing to complete a bowel movement, or from constipation. Constipation is a very common problem in pregnant women both in the first trimester, as first their organs start moving around to make space for the uterus, and in the third trimester as their intestines get cramped and crowded. Because of constipation, many women get hemorrhoids for the first time during pregnancy.

Hemorrhoids often develop during labor as a woman strains and pushes her baby out. A woman is normally told to “push like your are having a BM”, which is effective in helping the baby come down the birth canal, but it often also puts extreme pressure on the veins in the area.

Once they appear, hemorrhoids can be very painful even while you are doing the simplest things, like sitting. There are different suggestions your doctor may have to help you control and ease the henorroids. Pads soaked in witch hazel, like Tucks, can be used to wipe your hemorrhoids in an effort to help them decrease in size faster and be less painful. Some women will actually place a Tucks inside a maxi-pad in their panties so that it will sit on the hemorrhoid constantly.

Another option to help with hemorrhoids is to take a “sitz bath”. A sitz bath is a type of bath where only the woman’s hips and butt sit in warm water or a saline solution. It is used for people who have hemorrhoids or other issues like a recent surgery in the rectal area.

If your hemorrhoids do not seem to be going away, or they are increasingly painful, ask your doctor or midwife if they have any further ideas for relief.

You have heard those stories about the toddlers who are completely potty trained at 18 months old. Their mothers walk around bragging and all smug, while you sit there looking at your 2 1/2 year old, wondering why he isn’t interested at all. Some mothers worry that there is something wrong developmentally with their child if they aren’t potty trained and seem to have no interest in potty training. In reality, this is perfectly normal.

A study put out by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia states that the average age for a child to start potty training is 27 months. This being the average age, there are a lot of toddlers that won’t be completely potty trained till after their third birthday.

You can try to encourage your child to potty train, but you shouldn’t push them or get mad as it could only slow the process for them. When your child starts to show interest in YOU going potty, ask them if they want to sit down and try. Many kids might be scared or might just say no. Try to put them on their own potty chair or on the toilet before and after baths, right before bed, or first thing when they wake up in the morning. Some kids will be more comfortable on their own potty chair, others will want to try it like a “big person”.

If you have a child that just doesn’t “get it”, see if you can get them to sit on the toilet or potty chair and try giving him milk, juice or water. Have him sit there till he goes, as the urge might still be involuntary. When he does go applaud and cheer, make a big deal out of it. Chances are he may not know the jist of what he did, but he will know that he pee’d in the potty and you are happy. This praise from parents can often help a child along.

Dr. Phil has his own advice and tips when it comes to teaching your child the art of potty training. Several celebrities have used his methods and believe that they worked in helping them succeed in training their child, including Holly Robinson Peete and Vanessa Marcil. His method includes getting a doll that wets letting the child see this doll going potty and getting praise, so that the child wants the praise as well.

Often times, subsequent children potty train faster than your first. Seeing an older sibling running around is often encouragement for a toddler to hurry up and get there. They want to be like their older sibling. Also, getting a child to not only pee, but poop on the toilet can be a challenge in itself, especially for boys. For some reason boys seem to find it harder than girls to get fully potty trained.

There are no concrete methods that will guarantee your 2 year old will potty train when you are ready for him too, if he is not ready. It is best to remember that you just not push him, get mad, or yell if he isn’t doing it fast enough. Don’t make it seem like a big deal so that your child doesn’t fight the effort to learn. Eventually something in your child’s head will “click” and your child will be ready to potty train. After all, how many kindergarteners do you know who start school still in diapers?