Help for swollen feet during pregnancy

Swollen ankles, feet and fingers in pregnancy

It's normal to get some swelling in pregnancy, particularly in your legs, ankles, feet and fingers.

It's often worse at the end of the day and further into your pregnancy.

Swelling that comes on gradually is not usually harmful to you or your baby, but it can be uncomfortable.

A sudden increase in swelling can be a sign of pre-eclampsia, a condition that needs to be monitored as soon as possible.

Non-urgent advice: Call your midwife, GP or labour ward immediately if you have:

a sudden increase in swelling in your face, hands or feet
a very bad headache
problems with your vision, such as blurring or flashing lights in your eyes
severe pain just below your ribs
vomiting with any of these symptoms

These could be symptoms of pre-eclampsia, which can lead to serious complications if it's not monitored and treated.

Normal pregnancy swelling

Swelling is caused by your body holding more water than usual when you're pregnant.

Throughout the day the extra water tends to gather in the lowest parts of the body, especially if the weather is hot or you have been standing a lot.

The pressure of your growing womb can also affect the blood flow in your legs. This can cause fluid to build up in your legs, ankles and feet.

What can help to reduce swelling

Try to:

avoid standing for long periods
wear comfortable shoes and socks – avoid tight straps or anything that might pinch if your feet swell
try to rest with your feet up as much as you can
drink plenty of water – this helps your body get rid of excess water
exercise – try to take regular walks during the day or doing foot exercises

Foot exercises

You can do foot exercises sitting or standing. They improve blood circulation, reduce swelling in the ankles, and prevent cramp in the calf muscles:

bend and stretch your foot up and down 30 times
rotate each foot in a circle 8 times one way and 8 times the other way

Get more tips on exercising in pregnancy.

Page last reviewed: 10 March 2021
Next review due: 10 March 2024

5 ways to manage swollen legs and feet during pregnancy | Your Pregnancy Matters

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MedBlog

Your Pregnancy Matters

September 14, 2021

Your Pregnancy Matters

Robyn Horsager-Boehrer, M. D. Obstetrics and Gynecology

The additional weight and hormones you experience during pregnancy can cause swelling and structural changes in your feet.

Of all the body parts you expect to get bigger during pregnancy, feet might not be at the top of your list. But most pregnant women experience swelling in their lower legs and feet.

If your ankles appear puffy and your shoes don’t feel quite right, you’re not imagining things. The additional fluid and blood your body creates to support healthy fetal growth also slows down blood circulation. That can cause blood to accumulate in your lower extremities, causing swelling.

During pregnancy, you also produce more relaxin, a hormone that helps your tendons, ligaments, joints, and muscles – you guessed it – relax. While relaxin helps your pelvis open to give birth, it also loosens the tendons and ligaments in your feet.

The combination of extra weight and hormones during pregnancy can cause your feet not only to widen but also flatten and lengthen. Leg or ankle swelling likely will decrease a week or two after your baby is born, but your feet may never be the same again.

Studies have shown that pregnancy can cause a permanent decrease in your arch and increase in foot length – typically only after a woman’s first pregnancy.

While more research is needed to determine whether these structural changes can be prevented, there are a few things you can do throughout your pregnancy to reduce swelling and feel more comfortable.

Coping with swollen legs and feet during pregnancy

1. Wear compression socks

Wearing 15-20mmHG compression socks that end at your knee can help alleviate achiness. The socks gradually increase pressure in your legs and move some of the excess fluid back into your blood vessels and the rest of your body.

Avoid socks with a tight band at the top. The tightness might worsen swelling by blocking blood return. That can increase your risk of developing a blood clot – which is already five times higher during pregnancy. You don’t need to purchase medical-grade socks, but you can find a good pair of compression socks for $10-$20.

Compression socks also can prevent the formation of new varicose veins, which occur in 15% of pregnant women for the same reason that causes swelling. The risk doubles after your first pregnancy and is four times higher in women over 35. These veins start out as little bumps under your skin; the socks squeeze them just enough to prevent backward blood flow and bulging. Existing varicose veins aren’t likely to shrink, but compression socks can reduce the pain and discomfort they cause.

2. Rest efficiently

You can easily improve blood circulation during downtime and sleep:

Elevate your legs above heart level while reading, watching TV, or doing other seated activities. The simple change in body position decreases pressure on your veins, which no longer have to work against gravity to send blood to your heart. Use cushions for comfort and elevate in 15- to 20-minute intervals a few times a day.
Sleep on your left side. While you can safely sleep on either side during pregnancy, the left side is often recommended to avoid putting pressure on the inferior vena cava, a large vein that carries blood from your lower extremities to your heart.

3. Get your feet wet

Immersing your feet and ankles in cool water for 20 minutes a few times a week can minimize swelling, whether you use a pool, bathtub, or even a large bowl. Bonus: It’s also a great way to deal with the Texas heat if you’re pregnant during the summer.

Be sure the water temperature is moderate and not ice cold. Cooler temperatures cause the smaller blood vessels close to your skin to constrict, which reduces blood flow to and swelling within the affected area. Water that is too cold can have the opposite effect. Whether you stand and sway or sit and dangle your feet, water therapy is a great way to relieve stress and pain.

Related reading: Water immersion during labor

4. Invest in supportive shoes that fit.

Unsupportive and uncomfortable shoes can cause even more leg and foot pain, plus backaches. Even if your feet return to their pre-pregnancy size, you’ll feel more comfortable in shoes that fit your feet and support your additional body weight. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends wearing shoes that:

Have a low heel but are not flat
Provide good arch support, such as athletic shoes

Many patients prefer shoes that have mesh, which allow their feet to breathe, and can easily slip on and off to limit bending over while pregnant. More shoe brands are merging comfort and style, so even the most fashionable patients will have no problem finding footwear they feel good about wearing.

5. Visit a podiatrist or pedicurist.

Another reason to wear shoes that fit: Stress from tight shoes can cause ingrown toenails, and so can infrequent nail trimming. In the first two trimesters you probably won’t have any difficulty trimming your toenails. But once you reach the third trimester, it might get more challenging.

Try propping up your feet on a stool or ask your partner to help trim your toenails. Nail salon gift cards are a great item to add to your baby shower (or sprinkle!) registry, too.

Seeing a podiatrist is another option to prevent or treat painful foot conditions, such as ingrown toenail, bunions, or plantar warts.

When swelling becomes serious

While gradual swelling in your lower and upper extremities is normal, sudden or severe swelling in your face, hands, or feet might be a symptom of preeclampsia. This pregnancy complication involves very high blood pressure.

If you have preeclampsia, you may need to stay in the hospital until you give birth. Delivery is the only way to “treat” preeclampsia. Left untreated, the condition can cause seizures, kidney or liver damage, and in rare cases, death.

Related reading: Postpartum hypertension: When a new mom's blood pressure is too high

Talk with your doctor about foot and leg swelling, as well as any other pregnancy symptoms. The more we know about your current condition, the more we can help reduce your risk of future complications.

While we can’t fully prevent foot and leg swelling, we can recommend ways to reduce your risk, such as:

Regular exercise
Good-quality sleep
A healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables

Discomfort during pregnancy is to be expected, but our goal is to partner with you to minimize it – as well as the risk of more serious conditions.

To discuss your pregnancy concerns or symptoms with an expert, call 214-645-8300 or request an appointment online.

Pregnancy edema, pregnancy edema

Pregnancy edema is mainly divided into generalized (widespread) and local (local).

Edema is a symptom that occurs in various conditions of the body, characterized by the accumulation of excess fluid in the tissues and / or cavities of the body.

Accumulation and stagnation of fluid in tissues is the release of fluid from a vessel or cell into the intercellular space.

With generalized edema, fluid can accumulate not only in the tissues, but also in the cavities - abdominal, pleural, pericardial. Such edema in pregnant women is rare. More often, swelling is local, for example, they affect the nasal mucosa, the so-called rhinitis of pregnant women) and even the inner ear (feeling of stuffy ears). With swelling of the legs during pregnancy, pressing a finger on the lower leg causes the formation of a hole that does not smooth out for a minute, or even a few. nine0019 decrease in plasma protein levels occur when the level of protein in food falls below the usual level. These edema are characteristic of starvation, stressful extreme situations. For example, in the Leningrad blockade or in concentration camps, the vast majority of people had such edema. 3 Osmotic decrease in blood plasma salt levels and release of salts (usually sodium) into the intercellular space edema associated with malnutrition - both with an excess of salts, and with their deficiency. They occur as a result of the unreasonable use of diuretics for edema during pregnancy and diuretic herbs. nine0019 4 Membrane increased vascular (capillary) permeability Inflammation, intoxication, disorders of nervous regulation.

It must be understood that the very fact of pregnancy and the presence of sources of progesterone provokes the appearance of edema. First, the corpus luteum, then the placenta, produce progesterone, the hormone of the second phase of the menstrual cycle. By itself, progesterone contributes to the accumulation of fluid in the tissues.

Some women have swelling in the second phase of the menstrual cycle - they have a high sensitivity of the receptors even to the small level of progesterone that the corpus luteum produces. At the end of pregnancy, progesterone provides fluid accumulation in the extravascular (interstitial) space. The accumulation of fluid during physiological pregnancy usually ranges from 1-2 kg. , But it can be up to 4 kg. nine0003

Part of the edema can compensate for excessive blood loss during childbirth and is the supply of fluid that will enter the bloodstream if necessary. Parturient women with moderate edema can tolerate blood loss more easily and recover faster.

What to do about swelling during pregnancy (general recommendations)

Urine analysis in the 3rd trimester should be checked every 2 weeks. It is necessary to ensure that there is no protein in the urine, and the level of leukocytes does not rise above "5". nine0079
Almost all edemas are treated with contrast procedures, a contrast shower, and best of all, a bath followed by dousing with cold water or a font. This improves the functioning of peripheral capillaries and enhances the outflow of fluid from the intercellular space.
Never limit fluids and exclude salt from the diet.

Diaphragmatic breathing (abdominal breathing) allows you to increase the flow of lymph and its return to the venous bed.

Causes of edema in pregnant women and help in case of their occurrence

Lymphostasis Asymmetric edema (for example, swelling of one leg). Physical therapy, compression stockings, osteopathic consultation, bandage can help. Diaphragmatic breathing.

Varicose veins The deep veins of the lower extremities and the veins of the small pelvis suffer. Help is the same. Phlebologist, hematologist consultation.

Edema associated with incorrect position Swelling of the fingers during pregnancy in the morning ! with a decrease in mobility during sleep (usually a month before delivery). Swelling of the legs from habit of sitting cross-legged or on a chair with a hard edge. Help - Rest against the door jamb, make several circular movements in the shoulder joints.

Edema associated with nutrition With a sharp decrease in protein in the diet, after 2-3 weeks, Braxton Higgs contractions may become more frequent. It is necessary to introduce vegetable and / or proteins into the diet. See Nutrition for pregnant women. nine0019

Swelling of the nose Often associated with sleep disturbance. Help – sauna visits, yoga breathing practices, aromatherapy – Breathing oil, inhalation of lemon peel, bird cherry branches, Rinorin, homeopathic preparations – Fleming’s ointment, Euphorbium compositum nasentropfen C. consumption of clean water in the morning. Cucumbers - as a source of mineral salts. Raw beets in the form of salad or diluted juice - as a source of potassium. Mineral water, fruit drinks, dried fruit compote. Decrease in the diet of dairy products and, especially, milk. Diet for edema during pregnancy, using buckwheat with vegetables. (see "Unloading diet"). nine0019

What conditions are accompanied by edema in pregnant women

There are threatening conditions during pregnancy, which can also be accompanied by edema. The most formidable are preeclampsia and eclampsia . This condition is not always accompanied by significant swelling, but they can accompany it. For control, it is necessary to take a urine test in the 3rd trimester every 10-14 days and control blood pressure every 3-5 days.

The appearance and increase in the level of protein in the urine, an increase in blood pressure, and in some cases the development of edema require careful observation by an obstetrician-gynecologist and, often, hospitalization in the pregnancy pathology department. Preeclampsia goes away only after childbirth, you can try to restrain its development with the help of treatment, but this condition does not reverse. The trigger mechanism for preeclampsia is not exactly known in medicine.

Often before childbirth, edema decreases due to hormonal changes, weight is reduced by 1-2 kg without dietary measures. It's good. nine0003
Sometimes, on the 3rd day after childbirth, edema of the lower extremities may appear, associated with an increase in prolactin and a rush of milk. These edema will pass for 10-14 days.

We wish you a harmonious pregnancy!

Author: Lidia Shenderova, midwife. Family Childbirth Center "Rainbow", St. Petersburg.

what to do if legs and arms swell during pregnancy

Edema during pregnancy, few people manage to avoid. According to various sources, only a fifth of future mothers are lucky. For the rest, this unpleasant phenomenon causes a lot of moral and physical suffering. What to do? Let's try to explain. nine0003
What is edema?

Edema is an excess of fluid in the tissues. The place where it accumulates looks swollen, puffy. In the early stages, the problem is almost imperceptible or it does not exist at all, which cannot be said about edema during pregnancy in the second and third trimesters.

Pay attention! Hot flashes during early or late pregnancy and swelling are two different things! In the first case, we are talking about a sudden fever (less often chills), and not about the accumulation of fluid. nine0003
Why pregnant women have swollen legs

In fact, understanding the cause of edema is very important, because they are both natural and pathological. The latter are quite rare, but are the causes of severe violations.

Natural or physiological edema during pregnancy begins due to a changing hormonal background, when sodium salts linger in the tissues and do not go away. In another version, the growing uterus, while the woman is lying, occludes the inferior vena cava and does not allow blood to leave the femoral veins. nine0003
Pathological swelling during pregnancy may indicate the presence of:

Disease

Description

Deep vein thrombosis

Blockage of the vessel, which leads to death. Risk factors: trauma, venous insufficiency, smoking, physical inactivity, oncology. nine0003

Preeclampsia

It occurs in approximately 2% of pathological edema. It is characterized by increased blood pressure and high levels of protein in the urine. The disease has varying degrees of severity. The most terrible consequences are a stroke, the death of a mother or child, fetal pathology. Risk factors: chronic hypertension, adolescence or women over 35 years of age, hereditary predisposition, first or multiple pregnancies, diabetes mellitus, etc. nine0003

Phlegmon

Acute infection, usually caused by streptococci; characterized by skin lesions and inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue.

Types and features of edema

Edema begins in the lower extremities and gradually moves up to the face. We’ll talk about the dangers of edema during pregnancy a little later, but for now it’s worth understanding if there is any difference between them at different times. Note that we will talk about pathological situations when the accumulation of fluid exceeds the norm by 30%. nine0003
Early

Edema is not as common in early pregnancy. The weight of the child and the volume of the uterus are not yet so large as to interfere with the full functioning of the body. However, if they occur, then you should pay the attention of your doctor to this, since such deviations may indicate serious illnesses. In particular:

hypothyroidism - insufficient production of thyroid hormones. nine0079
kidney problems - that is why it is very important to take urine for analysis every two weeks.

Second trimester

In the middle of pregnancy, this pathology can signal the onset of varicose veins, in which case the doctor will send the woman for a consultation with a phlebologist.

Another pathology that causes the disease is heart failure. The disorder is also accompanied by shortness of breath and cyanosis of the mucous membranes. Such problems will have to be treated together with a cardiologist. nine0003
But a much bigger problem when carrying a baby is preeclampsia. Its onset can be seen already at 18-20 weeks, although the disease is gaining full strength in the third trimester. It will only have to be treated in a hospital.

Late term

Here it is worth dwelling in more detail on gestosis. So called late toxicosis. Together with edema, a woman is tormented by high blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, drowsiness, weakness, fever, or excessive emotional arousal, which affects the physical condition. nine0003
The condition has four levels of severity:

Severity

Description

1 degree

edema directly

nine0002 2 degree

protein in the urine and problems with pressure are added to them

3 degree

preeclampsia

4 degree

eclampsia, in which strokes and placental abruption are possible nine0003

Case study:

A woman was observed in our hospital with complaints of severe swelling of the legs during pregnancy. The lower limbs were indeed swollen, which was noticeable to the naked eye. During the survey, it turned out that the woman's blood pressure began to rise regularly. Since she was already in her 3rd trimester, the patient was recommended to immediately go to the hospital for preservation and additional examination. As a result, the patient was diagnosed with preeclampsia. nine0003
How to get rid of swelling during pregnancy

Physiological edema can be prevented or at least reduced. For this you need:

reconsider your diet - there should not be fried, smoked, salty or spicy.

treat water more carefully - drink only clean, non-carbonated and, preferably, most of it before lunch.

less to be in the heat and in stuffy rooms - you will certainly want to drink. nine0079
wear comfortable shoes.

lie down daily for about half an hour so that the legs are located above the head.

walk more - light physical activity is good for everyone, but in this case there is a need for the approval of a doctor.

Your doctor may give you other recommendations. It is important to take into account all the factors of pregnancy and choose the most effective therapy within the given framework. Our doctors can advise you remotely and draw up the right treatment regimen. nine0003
FAQ

Swollen legs during pregnancy - how to fix?

+

You need to discuss this with the doctor who manages the pregnancy. Edema can be both physiological - then you will simply be given a number of recommendations for their elimination, and pathological - when it comes to certain disorders in the body.

What is "internal edema" during pregnancy? nine0003
+

Internal or hidden edema during pregnancy is invisible externally. Here we are talking about swelling of the internal organs. A violation is calculated by exceeding the norm of weight gain in the last terms.

How to eliminate swelling at 37-39 weeks of pregnancy?

+

Follow the recommendations of the doctor and, if necessary, undergo a course of treatment. In any case, your doctor will answer all questions in more detail. Do not self-medicate. nine0003
We publish only verified information

Article author

Menshikova Maria Viktorovna obstetrician-gynecologist nine0003
Experience 38 years

Consultations 1816

Articles 46

Specialist with extensive practical experience.
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