Right foot more swollen than left pregnancy
Swelling during pregnancy | Pregnancy Birth and Baby
Swelling during pregnancy | Pregnancy Birth and Baby beginning of content3-minute read
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Most women get swollen ankles and feet while pregnant. It’s natural to have concerns about swelling since it can be uncomfortable, make your shoes tighter and possibly make you feel embarrassed. Knowing what to look for and how best to manage it can help you stay as comfortable as possible.
Why do women experience swelling during pregnancy?
There are 3 main reasons women experience swelling while pregnant.
- Throughout pregnancy, you produce more blood than usual to help your baby grow.
- As the baby grows, your uterus presses on and slightly blocks the veins that return blood from your legs to your heart.
- Your hormones make the walls of your veins softer, which makes it harder for them to work properly.
For these reasons, your blood tends to pool in your legs. There, a small amount of blood leaks through tiny blood vessels into the tissues and produces the swelling you can see and feel.
Where and when will I get swelling?
The swelling should be only in your feet and ankles. Your fingers might get a little larger — enough to make any rings feel tight — but they shouldn't be obviously swollen.
Your feet and ankles are likely to swell later in the day. This is mainly due to gravity — any extra fluid in your body will sink to your feet and ankles, especially if you spend a lot of time on your feet.
Swelling is also more likely to happen later in your pregnancy.
Gradual swelling isn't harmful to you or your baby, but it can feel uncomfortable.
How can I reduce swelling?
Some simple things can help you feel more comfortable and can also aid in preventing swelling.
Try to:
- avoid standing for long periods without moving
- wear comfortable shoes (avoid tight straps or anything that might pinch if your feet swell)
- put your feet up as much as you can
- limit salty foods and excessive salt in your diet
- sleep on your left side, which will help blood return to the heart
- exercise regularly by walking or swimming — this helps keep your circulation going
If you need to stand for long periods, try to move around and change position regularly.
Compression stockings can help the blood flow back to the heart and limit how much swelling you get. Massage and reflexology might also help reduce swelling and associated symptoms.
Even if your swelling is bothering you, remember to still drink plenty of water. Keeping your fluids up is important to avoid dehydration and stay healthy.
Normal or abnormal swelling?
Most pregnant women have swollen feet and ankles at some point, and this is perfectly normal.
However, there are times when swelling could indicate something more serious.
Contact your midwife, doctor or hospital immediately if:
- swelling is there at the start of the day or doesn't go down when you rest
- your face or hands are swollen
- the swelling is more than you have had before
These are warning signs for pre-eclampsia, which is high blood pressure caused by pregnancy. This is a very serious condition both for you and your baby, so call your doctor or midwife as soon as possible. Don't wait for your next regular appointment.
If one leg is more swollen than the other, this could suggest a more serious problem with one of your veins, such as deep vein thrombosis. Again, contact your doctor or midwife as soon as possible.
Most swelling is a normal part of pregnancy and will usually go away after you've given birth. However, if you're concerned about anything, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, talk to your doctor or midwife.
You can also call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436 to talk to a maternal child health nurse.
Sources:
NSW Health (Having a baby), The Royal Women's Hospital (Active pregnancy), The Royal Women's Hospital (Common concerns in early pregnancy), Cochrane (Interventions for varicose veins and leg oedema in pregnancy), King Edward Memorial Hospital (Pregnancy, birth and your baby), Department of Health (Clinical practice guidelines: Pregnancy care), King Edward Memorial Hospital (Minor Symptoms or Disorders in Pregnancy King Edward Memorial Hospital Clinical Guidelines: Obstetrics & Midwifery), The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists - Pre-eclampsia and high blood pressure during pregnancy (The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists - Pre-eclampsia and high blood pressure during pregnancy)Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: February 2020
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- Leg cramps during pregnancy
- Varicose veins
- Common discomforts during pregnancy
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When to worry about swelling during pregnancy
Photo: iStockPhoto
First-time mom-to-be Sarah Mahimwala was shocked to look down one afternoon during a heat wave this past July and see that her feet were dramatically swollen and had ballooned in size.
“I couldn’t see my tendons or ankle bones, even when I flexed my toes,” she says. “I was shocked.” Although some swelling during pregnancy, called edema, isn’t usually cause for alarm, it’s important to keep an eye on your symptoms.
What causes swelling during pregnancy?Edema (or swelling) in the hands, feet and ankles is very common (especially during the heat of summer). Puffiness in the face and neck can also occur—especially after the 20th week, says Andree Gruslin, interim chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Ottawa and Ottawa Hospital. “Virtually every woman will experience it to some degree.”
Changes in blood chemistry cause some fluid to shift into your tissues, and by the third trimester, the weight of your uterus puts so much pressure on your pelvic veins and the vena cava (the large vein on the right side of your body that carries blood from your legs and feet back up to your heart), that blood can pool, forcing fluid retention below the knees.
Edema accompanied by certain other symptoms can signal more serious underlying problems. Be on the lookout for more swelling in one leg than the other, accompanied by pain, which can signal a possible blood clot. A headache that won’t go away, along with vision changes (like blurriness or sensitivity to light), can be signs of preeclampsia (pregnancy-specific high blood pressure), and swelling accompanied by chest pains or difficulty breathing could mean heart trouble. Contact your health-care practitioner immediately if you experience any of these additional red flags.
How can I treat my swollen ankles, feet and legs?As common as run-of-the-mill swelling may be, getting used to unsightly cankles and brick-like feet that no longer fit into your shoes is another story. “I’m down to one pair of ballet flats and even they’re starting to feel tight,” confesses Stephanie Plow, who’s in her eighth month of pregnancy.
“I don’t know what I’m going to wear for the next few weeks.”
Despite the relentless puffiness, Plow has been doing the right things to keep swelling under control, as much as possible. “I prop my feet up on a box under my desk at work, get up and walk around as much as I can, and try to drink lots of water,” she says. “I think it’s been helping a bit.”
Massage therapy, swimming and not crossing your legs are additional ways you can ease signs of edema. But don’t bother slashing your salt. “It’s a myth that sodium has anything to do with it,” says Gruslin. You may hear that increasing your potassium intake can help, but Gruslin says this is also an ineffective pregnancy legend. “I don’t recommend compression socks, either; they’re too difficult to get on and off, and can be uncomfortable.”
When will pregnancy swelling go away?So when will the swelling finally subside? “Within about 24 hours after delivery, most women will notice a big difference,” says Gruslin.
“In the meantime, just remember that what you’re experiencing is normal and try not to worry about it too much. Take advantage of this opportunity to put your feet up—while you still can.”
This article was originally published on Apr 01, 2018
Swelling of the left leg during pregnancy In this article, we will explain why swelling occurs, in which cases the left leg swells more than the right during pregnancy, and we will explain what to do if one leg swells more than the other during pregnancy.
Why does swelling occur during pregnancy?
As the fetus develops, the edema becomes more severe. This is due to the fact that in the second trimester, an increase in body weight and volume of circulating blood is added to the hormonal factor that provokes slight swelling of the legs in the first or third month of pregnancy, and in the third trimester, the mechanical pressure of the uterus, which compresses the deep veins of the legs.
In the first trimester of pregnancy, slight swelling occurs due to the action of the hormone progesterone, which relaxes the smooth muscles of the uterus, preparing it for the adoption of the fetus. Since the hormone weakens the smooth muscle walls of the venous vessels, women who suffer from vascular problems may experience aggravated varicose veins and edema.
In the second trimester of pregnancy , the veins weakened by progesterone are subjected to increased physical activity due to an increase in body weight by 7-15 kg. At the same time, the volume of fluid circulating in the blood increases by 30%. Because of this, the pressure inside the vessels increases, the veins begin to stretch and let blood flow back into the superficial veins of the legs.
Stagnation in the legs, venous blood stretches the superficial veins . The growing pressure gradually forces the liquid part of the blood out of the veins into the muscles and subcutaneous tissue.
This is how edema is formed in the second trimester of pregnancy.
In the third trimester of pregnancy, the enlarged uterus compresses the veins of the legs, disrupting the normal outflow of blood. This aggravates the stagnation of blood in the legs, and increases the blood pressure inside the veins. Because of this, more and more liquid part of the blood gets into the soft tissues of the legs, forming the most severe edema for the entire period of pregnancy.
When does swelling of the left leg occur during pregnancy?
Isolated swelling of the left leg in pregnant women occurs much less frequently than swelling of the right leg. This is due to the fact that when the placenta is located in the right part of the uterus, signs of varicose veins are observed on the right leg, and when the placenta is located in the left part of the uterus, varicose veins affect both legs.
If only the left leg swells in a pregnant woman , this may be due to the peculiarities of the work, in which the left and right legs have different loads (for example, dressmakers).
A more dangerous situation is when swelling of the left leg caused thrombophlebitis - blockage of a superficial vein by a blood clot (thrombus) that arose due to a slowdown in blood flow in the legs in the third trimester of pregnancy.
What should I do if my left leg swells during pregnancy?
In case of isolated swelling of the left leg, you should immediately see a phlebologist. The phlebologist will conduct the necessary studies, find out the cause of the edema and prescribe the correct treatment.
If it turns out that swelling of the left leg is not caused by thrombophlebitis, but by occupational
Russian company Intertextile Corp. developed compression stockings for pregnant women "Intex".
The distributed pressure that medical stockings exert on the legs stimulates the outflow of blood from the legs. Due to this, intravascular pressure decreases, and the formation of edema stops.
If the edema affects only the left leg but does not affect the right leg, it is recommended to wear the Intex compression stocking on one leg only. If you put on stockings in turn, one pair is enough for the entire duration of pregnancy.
what is the reason and what will help
July 08, 2020 12:17
On the air of the Russia 1 TV channel, rehabilitation doctor Sergei Agapkin and obstetrician-gynecologist, head of the Center for Gynecology, Reproductive and Aesthetic Medicine Ekaterina Zhumanova told what to do with edema (and, first of all, with swelling of the legs), and how to understand, in than their cause.
On the TV channel "Russia 1" doctor-rehabilitator Sergey Agapkin and obstetrician-gynecologist, head of the Center for Gynecology, Reproductive and Aesthetic Medicine Ekaterina Zhumanova told what to do with edema, and first of all - with swelling of the legs, and how to understand, in than their cause.
For some, doctors say, it is enough to lift up - throw your legs over your head, for someone - to drink more water. However, if such simple tips do not help, there are reasons for this.
Agapkin explains that the appearance of edema is always based on some conditions that make it difficult to remove fluid from the body. And leg swelling is no exception.
Ekaterina Zhumanova, for her part, says that women should not attribute everything to hormonal changes (including menopause).
First of all, edema occurs with excess weight and a sedentary lifestyle.
However, at childbearing age, adds Agapkin, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can lead to such consequences.
Among the possible causes of edema are also ovarian dysfunction, impaired lymph flow, thrombosis.
In this case, there is only one recommendation: go to the doctor, take a blood test and do an ultrasound of the veins of the lower extremities in order to understand if there are any problems with the venous outflow.
Another cause of edema is kidney failure, says Dr. Agapkin.
Doctor Zhumanova adds that she (as well as kidney problems in general) is characterized by swelling of the face.
In this case, you need to take a urine test to determine if there are problems with the kidneys.
If they are, the expert explains, then only raising your legs and drinking more will not help in this case - this is treated in a completely different way.
It's very difficult to figure this out on your own, Zhumanova adds.
Experts explain: if swelling does not occur every day (for example, when it's hot, you sat more, moved less, or this is clearly the second phase of the cycle), then most likely this is some kind of physiological process that can be controlled.
If it occurs every day, increases, or (as with thrombosis) one leg swells more than the other, then in no case should you self-medicate - you need to urgently go to the doctor.
