Do You Know Why Your Feet Are Swollen?

Pregnancy is an experience that comes with several clashes of feelings. Trimester by trimester, you notice and experience different symptoms. On the one hand, you are happy that you are carrying your child.

On the other hand, you are experiencing all sorts of symptoms like food aversions, excess fatigue, constant sleeping, and nausea, among others.

As much as these feelings might wear off as the pregnancy grows, it does not change the fact that hormones will continue to rage, with more symptoms developing as you climb up the ladder of pregnancy development.

In the second semester, you may begin to feel like you have overcome all pregnancy symptoms, and you cannot wait for the third trimester to come to deliver your bundle of joy. Your third trimester has finally gotten here, and you are all filled with joy and smiles.

You may even want to dance a bit out of excitement and also as a means of mild pregnancy exercise, but you notice you are having difficulty raising your feet. You also notice mild aches that are not going away in your feet.

Out of curiosity, you looked down at your feet to check what it could be that was interrupting your happiness. Upon a glance at your feet, you notice that they are unusually big. At this point, beads of sweat begin to form on your forehead, with a series of questions building up in your mind.

What is this? What could this be? What could be the cause? Why now that I am almost done carrying this pregnancy? Am I sick? Do I need to see a doctor?

If you currently are in this situation and you need answers to these questions with healthy tips to help you manage those swollen feet till you are put to bed, then you are in the right blog.

What Causes Swollen Feet During Pregnancy

The first thing to know about the swollen feet that come with pregnancy is that it does not happen to everybody. This is why most pregnant women with swollen feet get scared that their friends who are also pregnant do not have swollen feet.

Thus they might think they are sick or they have pregnancy complications. However, studies have shown that during pregnancy, the fluid in the body increases. This is to help supply the fetus with enough fluid to keep it alive.

Due to this additional fluid in the body, some symptoms like swollen feet and ankles may begin to surface. The ankles and feet swell out of the excess fluids that got deposited in them as a result of pregnancy.

Although, the kidneys regulate the fluid in the body with or without pregnancy. Thus, sometimes when fluids get retained in the feet, it may be a serious medical condition or damage to the kidney, and this needs to be checked by professional medical practitioners.

However, in the case of pregnancy, swollen feet are almost always inevitable. It does not imply that your kidneys are bad. It only implies that your body is trying to produce enough fluid for both your baby and you.

In other words, if you experience swollen feet, put your mind and rest because there is nothing to worry about. Also, you should continue going for your antenatal so that you can always get checked from time to time until you deliver. If you experience any other weird symptoms, report them immediately.

According to research, most pregnant women do not experience swollen feet until the third trimester.

Tips for Reducing and Relieving Swollen Feet During Pregnancy

Although there may be absolutely nothing to worry about when your feet are swollen during pregnancy, nonetheless, it does not change the fact that it comes with aches and discomfort. This part of the article emphasizes tips that you can follow to reduce the ache you feel in your feet and also reduce the swelling, as the case may be.

Studies have shown that simple changes to lifestyle and diet can help reduce swollen feet in some cases and also reduce the ache that comes with it. The following are healthy tips that can help;

Reduce Your Sodium Intake

Consuming excess salt causes your body to retain fluid. Thus, when your body produces more fluids to sustain yourself and your baby, consuming salt can make your body hold on to more fluid than normal. In other words, you should reduce your salt intake during pregnancy.

Experts have suggested the total and complete avoidance of salt during pregnancy. To avoid eating bland foods, you can add healthy and natural food spices like thyme, rosemary, and curry, among others.

Also, you should avoid processed and canned foods, this is because these foods have high amounts of sodium. Following this diet measure will help reduce your swollen feet and the pain associated with them.

Engage in Mild Pregnancy Exercises

As much as your doctor may not want you to lose weight during pregnancy, it is best to keep a healthy weight during pregnancy. This will, on the one hand, keep you strong and fit, while on the other hand, it will help reduce your swollen feet, if there are any.

Some of the mild physical exercises you can engage in include taking short walks, taking mild yoga sessions, and mild swimming, among others. Do not lift heavy objects. Also, stop any physical exercise that causes you pain after engaging in them.

This will prevent your body from storing fluids in your ankles and feet. In other words, ensure that you do not sit for long periods.

Cabbage Wrap

Studies have shown that more women who wrapped cabbage leaves around their swollen feet during pregnancy have experienced significant improvement both in pain and the size of their feet.

Experts who went further to investigate how possible this could be reported that the cabbage leaves, when wrapped around the feet, can help draw out or extract the excess fluid in the feet, such that the swelling reduces and the pain follows suit.

To get the best out of this experience, experts suggest refrigerating the leaves before placing them on your feet. Continue with this until you feel more comfortable.

Stay Hydrated

You might be wondering what you need water for again since your body has enough of it, to the extent that it gets retained in the body. This is a logical way to think. However, you still need to drink water and stay hydrated even if your ankles and feet are retaining fluids.

This might sound counterintuitive, but it works.

If you allow your body to get dehydrated because you think the fluid in your body is excess, you are sending a signal to your kidneys. This signal can cause severe damage to your kidneys. Thus, to avoid this, you have to stay hydrated.

Dehydration causes the kidneys to think that it is important for them to retain more water in the body since the water in your body is not enough. When this happens, more water will get retained in the body, and it will strain the kidneys by making them work harder than normal, and this could cause damage to them.

Increase Your Potassium and Magnesium Level

Potassium and magnesium are two minerals that can help in the reduction of excess body fluid and, invariably, the reduction of swollen feet. In addition, one of the side effects of magnesium deficiency is fluid retention.

Thus, you do not want to add to the already existing fluid retention in your body by reducing your magnesium intake. Rather than taking magnesium and potassium supplements, you can eat foods that are rich in these minerals.

Some rich food sources of potassium include; figs, bananas, cabbage, avocados, and spinach. While rich food sources of magnesium include; cashew, almonds, tofu, broccoli, and dark chocolates.

Comfortable Footwear

One of the things that contribute to pain in your swollen feet is the kind of shoes you wear. It is best to keep all your favorite shoes aside until you deliver. Wear more comfortable shoes and ensure that you do not trek long distances.

Also, do not stand for so long and do not sit for so long. To further reduce the pain and swelling, you can use compression socks. This sock is different from regular socks. You should wear these socks for some hours in the morning immediately you wake up.

In other words, you should change your footwear if you experience pain after wearing them.

Conclusion

Swollen feet during pregnancy are normal. Although it does not happen to everybody. Following the above tips can help reduce the swelling and also the pain alongside.

It is important to also eat healthy meals and engage in healthy and mild physical exercises during pregnancy.