Swollen Feet During Pregnancy, What To Do?

Enlarged legs and feet during pregnancy are generally standard; we should perceive how to intercede with the super regular cures valuable for depleting and collapsing maintenance and edema. The reasons for enlarged feet during pregnancy incorporate hormonal, vascular, and mechanical variables. The unsettling influence is more expected in the late spring; however, the intensity happens with a particular recurrence in different seasons.

Causes Of Swollen Feet During Pregnancy

Normal pregnancy changes the lady’s life form at a hormonal, vascular, and biochemical level. Beginning from the principal months, the tissues undergo a course of imbibition because of the expansion in chemicals: estrogen and progesterone, most importantly, are the variables that change the design.

Likewise, at the vascular level, there is an expansion in the fluid part contrasted with the protein part of the blood and development in vascular penetrability with vasodilatation and subsequent arrangement of oedemas. The last option deteriorates over the most recent three months of pregnancy, close to conveyance, or more all, at the level of the feet and lower legs because of the expansion in uterine weight, which decides a pressure on the venous vessels with the ensuing trouble of the venous return.

An extreme summer intensity might be added to this. The circulatory hardships become more intense with stagnation even at the lymphatic level, and we frequently end up with enlarged feet toward the beginning of the day.

Swollen Feet During Pregnancy, The Remedies 

Some simple natural remedies can help against swelling of the feet and legs in the nine months of gestation.

1. Lymphatic drainage massages help unblock stagnant liquids and drain them towards the lymphatic ganglia; they lighten the legs and help venous return. It is essential to contact expert operators. It is recommended to continue the massage even at home: dedicate 5 minutes daily, working from the feet towards the thighs, spreading a gel or cream with a vasoprotective and refreshing action.
2. Foot baths: in the evening, at the end of the day, dissolve two or three tablespoons of coarse salt in warm water, then finish with a rinse in cold water. The “Kneipp” effect of the footbath, with vasodilating hot water and vasoconstrictive cold water, and the osmotic effect of the salt, which drains the excess of interstitial fluids, is undoubtedly a panacea for feet and legs.
3. Regular physical activity: helps improve circulation. Choose a type of movement appropriate to your specific condition: even short daily walks can help improve circulation and the well-being of feet and legs.
4. Keep your feet raised by placing some cushions under your legs which must be kept higher than your pelvis when you lie down for a moment of relaxation. This position favors the return of venous blood from the lower limbs toward the heart; ideally, it would be advisable to assume it for at least an hour a day.
5. Drink a sufficient quantity of still water to promote diuresis and fight water retention, and follow a diet low in salt and animal fats.

There are herbal draining remedies, but it is best avoided during pregnancy as a precaution and, in any case, must be advised by your gynecologist based on your actual conditions. Remember that a swollen foot during pregnancy is considered normal, especially in the last month.

Prevent Swollen Feet In Pregnancy

It is possible to activate some simple practices to prevent swelling of the feet and legs, generally, but especially during pregnancy.

1. Avoid tight shoes. It may seem trivial, but wearing comfortable shoes is an excellent way to prevent and relieve swelling of the feet during pregnancy. The ideal shoe has a three or 4-cm heel and a wide insole.
2. When the temperature allows it, it may be helpful to wear graduated compression stockings.
3. Pay attention to body weight gain. During pregnancy, it is essential to limit weight gain for many reasons, including preventing swollen feet. Excessive body weight worsens the compression of the vessels. Furthermore, body fluids tend to stagnate, especially in the adipose tissue, and water retention is the basis of swelling of the feet and legs.
4. Avoid standing for too long.
5. Avoid sweltering rooms or rooms with underfloor heating.
6. If you are not yet on maternity leave and spend several hours sitting in front of the computer, make it a habit to have a stool under your feet to keep them off the ground.

Swollen Feet During Pregnancy, When To Worry

Slight swelling of the legs and feet is widespread in pregnancy and is not a significant concern. A pronounced bulge, however, should prompt you to seek your doctor’s advice, mainly when it is not limited to just the feet and also involves the hands and face. Significant edema can be a symptom of ketosis, a severe pathology of the third trimester of pregnancy, which must be kept under strict control. 

After giving birth, swollen feet usually resolve independently within a few days. Suppose the problem persists for more than a week, especially if you experience pain and severe headaches. In that case, it is essential to contact your doctor, who will evaluate the clinical tests to undergo.

After Childbirth

Giving birth is a considerable expenditure of energy and strength; sometimes, it can also be experienced as a trauma. Postpartum edema (swelling) is widespread and can occur with both cesarean delivery and natural childbirth.

This is usually a buildup of fluid because the body continues to retain fluid due to increased progesterone. Hands, feet, and ankles may be swollen, including arms and legs. Hormone levels must stabilize, and only then and gradually does water retention begin to reduce. The swelling usually worsens within a week after delivery and gradually improves over time, returning entirely within a few week

But be careful because some signs should not be underestimated, and it is essential to call your doctor if they occur:

1. difficulty breathing and chest pain (possible pulmonary edema );
2. Pain, redness, warmth, or tenderness in the legs, especially the calves (possible deep vein thrombosis ).

After childbirth, it is advisable to implement some strategies to reduce edema, lighten the legs and drain excess fluids:

1. drink a lot: the expulsion of excess liquids, which cause swelling, is facilitated;
2. walking and moving: it is essential to take a walk every day to combat fluid stagnation.
3. eat potassium-rich foods such as bananas, potatoes, avocados, and spinach ;
4. wear comfortable shoes and compression socks;
5. avoid salty foods because sodium retains fluids.

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