I was always quite regular before pregnancy and was very disturbed about getting constipated while pregnant. Fortunately, I was so paranoid about being constipated - I just couldn't stand it at all! - that I was very diligent about preventing it. I swear, at times, it was worse going to the bathroom than giving birth! My doctor suggested using stool softeners, but I just didn't like the idea of taking any meds, even OTC, if I could help it. Plus I was worried about dependency on them :(
I think that preventing constipation is a big reason why I did not get the hemerrhoids that so many pregnant women find to be common. And even after 30 hours of labor and prolonged pushing that involved a 2nd degree vaginal tear, I still did not end up with them. I will also add that I am quite overweight and gained 40 pounds while pregnant, so that added additional strain to the area.
I tried drinking tons of water and found that it just made me go pee, but did not help with constipation. The ONLY combination that worked for me was that I tried to find the highest fiber content cereals I could find that I enjoyed. These were primarily any of the Fiber One cereals and raisin bran, for me. I scanned the fiber content on the labels and found the ones that were highest or similar to Fiber One. I ate a large bowl every single morning (probably close to 2 servings). Or if I didn't feel like cereal for breakfast, I made sure I ate a good size bowl as a snack sometime that day.
I also ate one cup of Yo-Plus yogurt every single day. I tried using other brands like Activia and found they did not work as good for me as Yo-Plus.
I also stocked up on Fiber One granola bars and ate those as snacks or whenever I was on the run and didn't have time to eat. At the time I really enjoyed them as a nice treat. The chocolate and oats one tasted like a candy bar :)
If I skipped the cereal or yogurt more than one day, I noticed a BIG difference in my stool. It made such a difference. I will warn you, however, to be prepared for MAMMOTH bowel movements that might require manual removal from the toilet LOL
My reason for sharing this is that although it's not going to provide you immediate relief, like maybe a topical treatment, following a diet high in fiber and rich in probiotics, like what is found in the specialty yogurts, might help with healing and to alleviate them over time and may even prevent flare ups, especially as your body gets back to normal after pregnancy. Because, the constipation issues doesn't go away right after birth. If hemmorrhoids, are in fact due to a lot of straining, then you want to do whatever necessary to alleviate that. And a high fiber diet will help tremendously.
Good Luck!