What to do for swollen feet during pregnancy?

(May 4, 2010)

The moment you realize that you are pregnant, you are on top of the world. However, this happiness is often short-lived as you start suffering from pregnancy symptoms like nausea, morning sickness, fatigue, tender breasts, and swollen hands and feet. It is common for most of the pregnant women to have swollen hands and feet during pregnancy. But it is equally important to monitor the swelling as it can be a sign of edema during pregnancy.

During pregnancy, your body tends to retain lot of fluid. As a result there is fluid retention in your body that leads to swollen feet and hands. The growing uterus pressurizes the pelvic veins which cause a back flow of blood from your legs. This causes the fluid from the veins to seep into the tissues of your hands and feet, leading to swelling.

Swelling can happen at any point of time during pregnancy. However, it is more noticeable in your second trimester as by this time the uterus grows in size in proportion to the growing baby.

Swelling during pregnancy happens due to the following reasons:

•   Excessive intake of salt in food
•   Standing continuously for long durations
•   Deficiency of potassium
•   Less intake of water
•   Excessive coffee consumption.

If you are suffering from swollen feet during pregnancy, here is what you can do to combat the problem:

•   Avoid standing or sitting for long durations. Instead take frequent breaks.
•   Avoid wearing high heels during pregnancy. Instead opt for comfortable footwear.
•   Try to keep your feet elevated as often as you can. This helps in avoiding the swelling and also brings down the swelling if you are suffering from one.
•   Limit the intake of salt in your daily diet.
•   Apply cold compression to the affected areas to find some relief.
•   Try to avoid caffeine completely.
•   Follow a light exercise regime like walking which will facilitate good blood supply.
•   Wearing supportive tights or stockings at night will help reduce the swelling.
•   Avoid wearing clothes that are tight around your legs or ankles.
•   Keep your body well-hydrated. Drink plenty of water. This will help in flushing the toxins from your body.

Edema, when it gets severe, is a sign of preeclampsia. So it is a wise idea to get your blood pressure checked by a doctor and make sure that this possibility is ruled out. The swelling usually begins to subside once the first trimester is over.

Submitted by P T on May 4, 2010 at 12:41

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