Mine were awful and made no worse by giving birth vaginally. If embarrassment is a reason you are looking for a CS then please speak to a midwife about it for some reassurance as they are (usually) the most comforting people and have seen it all before, they will not be shocked or embarrass you in any way.

In general, a CS is riskier to both mum and babe, not to mention a longer recovery time, so unless there is a medical reason I doubt they would be encouraging you to go down that route. However everyone's circumstances are different and if your hemorrhoids are severe then perhaps they would advise against a vaginal birth. The only way to know is to discuss this issue with your midwife and go through all the options.

One thing to mention though, if you go for a vaginal birth then try to avoid the *chin on chest take a deep breath and puuuuush now puuuuush and another puuuuuush* that some midwives will encourage for the pushing stage. (The Valsalva tecnique) This is more likely to put pressure on your pelvic floor and on your hemorrhoids, and despite being proven to cause more harm the good unless the baby needs to come out in a hurry, is frequently used by many midwives still. Now is a good time to make sure your care provider is aware that this is something that would not be a good idea for you.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy

T
xx