How to prevent water retention 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 Reduce Pregnancy Puffiness and Swelling
Category: Pregnancy
March 26, 2019
If you have already had one child, then you know the drill. Pregnancy puffiness and swelling are all part of the deal that comes with bringing new life into the world. With all the joys of waiting for your baby to arrive, including the so-called glow, you also experience the annoying puffiness and swelling.
If you are pregnant and uncomfortable, consider these 5 ways to reduce said pregnancy puffiness and swelling.
Why Does Pregnancy Cause Fluid Retention?
The typical places that become puffy and swollen are the ankles, feet, legs, fingers, and even the face. Fluid retention is annoying, to be sure, but it’s a necessary evil. Extra fluid builds up during pregnancy as hormones change, which helps to soften the body so it can more easily expand as the baby and uterus grow.
This normal swelling is known as edema and it begins about halfway through pregnancy with the worst symptoms in the third trimester.
Reduce Pregnancy Puffiness and Swelling by Eating Right
Yes, you hear this all the time, but it is especially important when pregnant. So, what exactly does “eating right” mean?
Reducing your salt (sodium) intake will go a long way to keep down the swelling. Be especially conscientious about eliminating prepackaged foods. It may seem easy to grab them when fixing a quick meal, but they are loaded with salt, fat, and sugar. Canned foods, snacks, chips, and luncheon meats should be off the menu during pregnancy.
Sorry, ladies.
It is also recommended to avoid caffeine and carbonated drinks as they tend to cause water retention.
Try to eat more lean proteins like fish, poultry, turkey, or beef. You can also pair these proteins with lots of fresh or frozen vegetables.
Increase your potassium by eating bananas, sweet potatoes, avocado, and kidney beans. Potassium helps to reduce swelling by keeping your body chemically balanced.
Stay Hydrated
Choose healthy and natural diuretic foods when the urge to snack hits you. It may seem counterintuitive, but staying hydrated is an easy way to keep fluids moving through the kidneys and out of the body.
Cranberry juice, asparagus, celery, artichoke, carrots, watermelon, cabbage, apple cider vinegar, and lemons are all natural diuretics.
Of course drink water, the best of all your hydration options.
Keep Your Blood Flowing
Regular and simple exercise like swimming and walking can help with fluid retention.
Standing in water for 20 minutes will decrease swelling.
Ditch your heels for now and wear comfortable shoes, and don’t stand on your feet for long periods of time without moving. Use orthotic inserts in your shoes to reduce leg and lower back pain, and avoid crossing your legs while pregnant as it restricts blood flow.
Other tips include sleeping on your left side to encourage blood to return to the heart, and elevating your legs whenever possible. Swelling gets worse at the end of the day so take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to put some pillows under your legs and relax. You deserve it.
Stay Cool Whenever Possible
Being pregnant during the summer heat makes for a tough couple of months. The heat will help everything to “balloon.” Rings that fit – won’t any more. Even your shoes will get tight. The best remedy is to stay indoors if possible and remain cool.
Feel free to use cold compresses and cool towels.
Reduce Pregnancy Puffiness and Swelling with Massage
Massage is truly the trifecta of relief for a puffy pregnant lady.
It will make improvements in your circulation as it aids in blood flow to the heart. In addition, it helps to excrete water and impurities through the kidneys.
Choose a soothing oil you like. Cypress, chamomile, or lavender oil are all very relaxing and calming. Find a professional masseuse or sweet talk your spouse into giving you regular massages to relieve your discomfort throughout pregnancy.
Make an appointment to see one of our expert obstetricians if you have concerns about pregnancy puffiness and swelling, or if your face becomes excessively swollen.
Edema during pregnancy
Edema during pregnancy- Phlebology Center >
- Pregnancy and varicose veins >
- Edema during pregnancy
Article content:
- Pregnancy and edema
- Why does swelling occur during pregnancy?
- When does edema occur during pregnancy?
- What factors can affect the appearance of edema during pregnancy
nine0003 What can be done to get rid of edema during pregnancy?- Questions from patients about edema and pregnancy
Pregnancy and Edema
Swelling during pregnancy is normal because the body produces approximately 50% more blood and body fluids to meet the needs of a developing baby.
Edema during pregnancy
Edema during pregnancy occurs on the hands, face, legs, ankles and feet. nine0014
Why does swelling occur during pregnancy?
This extra fluid retention is needed to soften the body, allowing it to expand as the baby develops. The extra fluid also helps prepare the pelvic joints and tissues for reopening for childbirth. Additional fluids make up approximately 25% of a woman's weight gain during pregnancy.
When does swelling occur during pregnancy?
Swelling can appear at any stage of pregnancy, but it usually starts around the fifth month and may worsen while you are in the third trimester.
What factors can affect the appearance of edema during pregnancy
The following factors can also affect edema during pregnancy:
- Varicose disease
- Summer heat
- Standing for a long time nine0003 Prolonged physical activity
- Low potassium diet
- High caffeine intake
- High sodium intake
Moderate swelling occurs during normal pregnancy, however, if you feel a sudden swelling of the hands and face, this may be a sign of preeclampsia.
Pregnancy and thrombosis
Severe swelling of the distal lower extremities may be due to thrombosis. In these cases of sudden swelling, it is important to see a doctor immediately. nine0014
What can I do to get rid of swelling during pregnancy?
Swelling during pregnancy can be reduced by eating high potassium foods such as bananas, dried apricots, prunes and by limiting caffeine.
Here are some more helpful tips for managing swelling during pregnancy:
- Avoid prolonged standing.
- Minimize your time outside in hot weather. nine0003 Rest with your legs elevated.
- Wear comfortable shoes, avoiding high heels if possible.
- Wear special compression stockings or stockings.
Pregnancy Compression Stockings
- Avoid clothing that is tight around your wrists or ankles.
- Relax or take a dip in the pool.
- Use cold compresses on swollen areas.
- Drink water that stimulates the kidneys and helps reduce water retention. nine0004
- Minimize sodium (salt) intake and avoid adding salt to food.
Pregnancy Swelling Prevention
These simple guidelines will help reduce swelling during pregnancy and make this period more comfortable and safe.
Questions from patients about edema and pregnancy
What to do with swelling of the legs during pregnancy?
Edema during pregnancy is most often a physiological phenomenon, but often a sign of serious clinical situations. It is important to tell your doctor, a gynecologist, about the edema that bothers you. It makes sense to consult a phlebologist in order to exclude the pathology of the veins of the lower extremities. nine0014
How to deal with swelling during pregnancy?
Combating edema during pregnancy will help adhere to a certain regimen, indicated above.
It is also necessary to follow the recommendations of your obstetrician-gynecologist and phlebologist.
Can swelling be avoided during pregnancy?
It is almost impossible to completely avoid swelling during pregnancy. You should pay attention to the regimen and follow the recommendations of your doctor. Also, it is useful to pay attention to the dynamics of edema, its symmetry. If in doubt, voice them to the doctor. nine0014
Which doctor should I go to if swelling occurs during pregnancy?
If edema occurs during pregnancy, you need to contact an obstetrician-gynecologist, as well as a phlebologist.
Are swelling during pregnancy dangerous?
Physiological swelling is inevitable during pregnancy. However, swelling should be kept under control and if in doubt seek medical attention.
Treatment of edema during pregnancy. Article
Edema during pregnancy can be physiological (caused by natural causes) and pathological.
About 80% of women in the position face their first variety, and often the mild forms of this condition disappear even without the use of medicines. But sometimes swelling can significantly worsen the well-being of a pregnant woman and be the first signs of preeclampsia. Therefore, when they appear, you can not delay the visit to the observing obstetrician-gynecologist. The doctor will examine the patient, explain the possible causes of edema and, if necessary, prescribe treatment, and recommend additional studies. If you are interested at pregnancy management in Poznyaki , we advise you to contact the "MD clinic" - highly qualified doctors with many years of experience are welcome here, and the clinic has all the conditions for a comfortable visit.
Swelling of the legs and pregnancy: how to help yourself without medication?
Physiological edema appears due to the increased need of the pregnant woman's body for fluid and sodium retention in the tissues, which prevents the removal of water.
Puffiness can occur in almost any part of the body, but most often it appears on the legs, arms and face. Edema can also occur after a long walk, at the end of the day in the late afternoon and after eating salty, pickled foods. nine0014
To improve well-being, first of all, you need to follow a rational drinking regimen and limit the amount of salt consumed. It is necessary to drink daily the amount of water recommended by the observing doctor. Both a lack and an excess of fluid can lead to edema, so it is important to follow an individual norm, and not drink water through force or intentionally limit yourself to it. The allowable daily amount of fluid is calculated based on the characteristics of the physique, gestational age, the presence of concomitant extragenital pathologies, etc. nine0014
It is advisable to minimize the amount of salt in the diet, and in case of severe edema, it is better to completely eliminate it. It provokes fluid retention and can cause severe edema, which leads to weight gain and high blood pressure.
Salt can be replaced with other seasonings: fresh or dried herbs, aromatic spices, lemon juice. Cranberry juice, a natural and healthy drink with a slight diuretic effect, can help reduce swelling and saturate the body with vitamins. nine0014
It is better to sleep and lie on your side with a roll under your feet or using a special curved pregnancy pillow. If there are no contraindications, the severity of edema can be reduced by performing light physical exercises. Moderate physical activity is beneficial for pregnant women, as it reduces the risk of congestion in the pelvic area and improves blood circulation.
Medical treatment of edema during pregnancy
There are danger signs in which a pregnant woman with edema should urgently see a doctor for examination and treatment recommendations. These include the following situations:
- in addition to edema, a woman is concerned about high blood pressure;
- edema occurs not only in the evening, but immediately after waking up in the morning;
- rapid weight gain;
- swelling not only of the legs or arms, but also of the face, lumbar region and abdomen.
nine0004
Pregnant women should not take any medication without a doctor's prescription. Self-medication is dangerous for all people in principle, and while waiting for a child, it is strictly contraindicated. After the examination, the gynecologist may recommend taking medications from such groups as natural diuretics, herbal medicines, vitamins, and antispasmodics. For each patient, an individual scheme for taking medications is selected, in addition, the treatment is carried out under the control of analyzes. nine0014
It is important to recognize signs of possible gestosis in time, which include severe swelling of the fingers and toes, high blood pressure, protein in the urine. Preeclampsia is a dangerous complication of pregnancy, which is also called "late toxicosis." Pregnant women with this pathology need hospital treatment and constant medical supervision in order to avoid the development of serious health problems on the part of the mother and fetus.
If you are concerned about swelling or want to consult on any other issue regarding pregnancy, we suggest you contact the doctors of the MD clinic.
