Need Advice on Swollen Feet

Hi V.,

Wow, you sound like I did when I was pregnant. Sadly, I think you are doing everything that I did at that time, but I think that sometimes you just get swollen toward the end. I remember spending a lot of time with my feet up in the last few weeks. I wore flip-flops for the last month since I couldn't get my shoes on. You could try drinking lots of water, but I think what will really end the swelling is having the baby! Take heart--you don't have that much longer to go!

:-) D.

V.,

Have you been to the docter for this swelling? It could be hypertension due to being pregnant.

Does your doctor know it's in your hands and feet? Have you been checked for preeclampsia/toxemia (simple 24-hour urine test and blood test). If you suddenly gain weight and/or the swelling is in your face-go to the nearest emergency room or to your Labor and Delivery Department at your hospital. If it's just normal swelling, I would try cutting back on canned foods, don't drink any diet soda's and only drink water or crystal lite.

You need to see your OB before you do anything else. I was swollen and saw the ER Dr. and they said it was just from being pregnant and it was OK, well a week later, I was almost dead. I had HELLP Syndrome and the swelling was so severe by the time I got to the hospital that I could not make a fist or even put my fingertips on my palms of my hands. My feet were so bad that we could not get a Qtip between my toes. My blood pressure was within normal limits and there was not any protein in my urine so my OB's fill Dr. because he was gone that week, sent me home. The next week I turned 37 weeks pregnant and delivered on that day by emergency C-section put under general anesthsia and did not get to meet my daugther until 24 hours after she had been born because of being in ICU recovering and being given platelet tranfusiions. HELLP Syndrome is Hemolysis, Elevated Liver, Low Platelets. Have your blood drawn to make sure, it is better to be checked than to ignore the symptoms and have it be there! Swelling is normal in pregnancy, but not in excess!!

God Bless you and protect you and your unborn baby!

Hi V.,

Yes, if you can keep your feet up. Also, try to walk every day and stay active, even though its hard when you're at eight months. I especially liked the water exercise classes: the water took the weight off my back and felt really good. Drink lots and lots of water, eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies, try to stay away from processed foods / salty foods, etc. If you keep yourself really well hydrated, it will help a little.

I also wound up buying a cheap pair of shoes that fit, and when my feet got really bad, I started just wearing slippers all the time (the boss loved that!). Do try to keep something on, though, to keep your feet warm and protect them. I tripped over a dog toy in the middle of the night, and my skin was so tight that I split the tip of a toe open.

Best of luck, and its not much longer! Happy Thanksgiving!

R.

Get some crocs! So comfy during this time - plus room to "grow". I feel your pain. Make sure you are staying hydrated and give your feet a break! Rest as much as you can. If you are really concerned, call your Dr. but I seem to recall this with both of my pregnancies.

M.

Hello V.,

Has your Doc. talked to you about this yet? When I was pregnant with my son I had to stop wearing in closed shoes at around 5mns. Thank goodness it was March, so I could start wearing flip-flops!

My legs and feet where the most effected by the swelling. By 7mns my feet didn't even look like feet.

My docs watched my blood pressure very carefully to make sure I wasn't getting toxsemia (sp?) Thanks goodness that I never did.

But, I was to lay off the salt (very hard to do) and to stay off my feet. Again very hate. The only thing that I really did was soak my feet alot. Sometimes in Epsin Salt or some nice smelling oils.

Another thing that helped is I knew there was an end date to this. And pretty much the day after I gave birth my swelling went way down.

But, my first suggestion would be talk to Doc about this, then wear flip-flops or since its getting colder slippers, and soak your feet as much as possible. This would be on top of laying off the salt and staying off your feet.

Best of Luck,
M.

You need to see the doctor to rule out toxicema < spell check,its where poison toxins get in the body when your pregnant, one of the signs is swollen feet. better safe than sorry go have some tests

have you tried soaking your feet in ebson salt?
When I was pregnant I had a similar problem. I had a pair of big backless sneakers and just walked around in flip flops toward the end.

I thoroughly agree with everyone who says to check with your OB to make sure it isn't anything medically serious. If it's not, the things that worked for me were staying hydrated (I tried to drink one ounce of water for every two pounds of my weight, so when I weighed 200lbs, I drank 100 oz of water daily), and keeping active.

I had to get a cheap pair of sneakers in a larger size to do it, but I made sure I walked at least a mile every day. It hurt like anything for the first half mile each day, but then it would stop hurting so much, and by the end of the walk, sometimes as much as 2 1/2 miles, my feet would be MUCH less swollen and stay that way for the rest of the day.

If you also have a tendency to weep, use homeopathic remedy Natrum muriaticum 6X three times daily until symptoms improve. Whole Foods carries it but only in 6C, if you have no way of getting 6X, use 6C. If Natrum muriaticum does not help, seek help of professional classical homeopath (CCH).

Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk. I don't know if you've been doing this up to this point, but you should be trying to walk for at least a few minutes a day to keep everything moving. We have all that extra fluid in our bodies when we're pregnant. Talk to your doctor to make sure it's not something serious, and also ask him/her if it's safe for you to exercise (most likely the answer will be yes). And then walk as much as you can. I had swollen feet too, but I walked almost every day and I think that kept it in check somewhat. Other than that -- just know that it should return to normal shortly after you give birth. Not much consolation right now, I know, but hang in there -- you're almost at the end of the road! Also, even though it's late in your pregnancy, you should invest in a comfortable pair of shoes that FIT YOU. Your husband's shoes probably don't help because they're too big. I went up at least a half size during my pregnancy. They went back to normal, but I did buy bigger shoes. You will be amazed at what a difference it will make.

One last little word of advice: rub your feet every night before you go to bed. Don't forget the heels and ankles. If your hubby won't do it, just do it yourself. And then sleep with a pillow under your feet.

V.,

Drink more water and get off your feet as much as possible. The water I'm referring to is called "Kangen Water". It's just water that is ionized, alkaline, and antioxidant. There's a store in Henderson where you can purchase this water. If you're interested to learn more about this water, go to http://www.richwithwater.com.
Hope this helps!
M. M

Check with doc for sure to make sure it is not toxemia. Not trying to scare you, but my best friend had this happen and she had it. The sooner you find out the better. Some swelling is normal, but if it is that painful I would get it checked out. Good luck mommy and take care of yourself. : )

Hi V., if you are still comfortable walking a bit each day, definately do it... also, while elevating your feet put a warm pack behind your knees or in the groin area where there are large lymph zones and a cool pack on your feet/ankles. This will help to draw some of the fluid out of your lower legs. Do this for 15 mins at a time once an hour in the evenings or when you can throughout the day. Lastly eat lots of fibre, I found that a huge help.
Hope you get some relief :)

please see your doctor immediately to make sure you don't have pre-eclampsia or another serious complication of pregnancy if you haven't already. if its not that and your doctor is comfortable that you're healthy and just swollen, staty away from all sources of salt and artificial sweeteners, carbonation, and increase your protein intake. protein helps acheive your normal water balance, salt and artificial sweeteners retain water, and carbonation can cause water retention as well. but i would really urge you to speak with your ob asap, being that swollen usually indicates a serious problem.

you need to ask your doctor. it can be quite serious. it means your kidneys are not functioning properly. it is not only salt, it is also things in processed meats, preservatives and processed foods and sodas as well as long periods of time on your feet. you need to be very careful. consult your doctor.

This can be a sign of toxemia...if your doc hasn't checked you out this week, go in NOW.

If she/he has and you're just unlucky like me...

- Stay off of your feet.
- Raise your legs above your heart. (yep...the reason is that the fluid -lymph fluid, causing edema- is collected by your lymph system, the major repository of which is in your chest.)Hurray for recliners or the arm of a couch, with pillows propping you from behind...or even your bed...anything other then straight down.
- Massage UPWARD ONLY, and gently. Massaging down or in circles is not only counter-productive, it brakes the little capillary gates that keep BLOOD moving upward. When those gates break, varicose veins are the result.
- A healthy, mild, diuretic...like lemon water, or cranberry juice.
- Ibuprofen
- Flip Flops

Old-Lady support socks also work for many people. <grinning> we actually drew "fishnet" stocking lines on a girlfriends. They didn't work for me...seemed to actually cut off the circulation, rather than assist.

Good Luck...I was absolutely miserable for 3 months with ridiculous edema...it was such a relief to be able to bend my toes AND have them touch the floor without having to DO anything after my son was born!!! I stayed just this side of toxemic though, which was a blessing.

I went through the samr thing with my first pregnancy, and my doc did know and there was no medical problems, but I lived in flip flops. If I put shoes on I made it maybe an hour. It is horrible and uncomfortable. the light at the end of the tunnel for me was, by the time I left the hospital (3 days) after delivering, most of the swelling had gone down. Good Luck.

V.,
I was at eight months during May/June... the heat was not helping!
Here's what helped me though: Drink a ton of water, and don't cut salt out of your diet completely. Your body needs water and salt to be able to reabsorb the fluid from your tissues. Also be careful about laying back with your feet up. While it helps a little with the swelling, it also encourages your baby into posterior position, which is a lot more work to birth than anterior. You can also sit in a tub of not-hot water deep enough to immerse your feet and calves. This helps your body re-absorb the fluids, too.
The number one thing I did was to wear shoes with a negative heel - e.g. Birkenstock sandals. It helped SO MUCH!
My hands were never swollen, but I'd try flexing them and not letting them dangle next to you when walking.
Good luck!

The same thing happened to me when I was pregnant and my midwife suggested sitting in a pool and taking walks. I couldn't take walks since nothing fit on my feet but the sitting in a large pool helped. Other than that, staying off my feet helped too and I always tried to keep them elevated or would try to lie down as much as possible.

The only good thing about it was getting a doctors note to go on maternity leave early since it was so bad. If you are working and can get state benefits I highly suggest getting your doctor to take you out of work. I could have done it earlier if I had known better. Hope this helps! Don't worry, your feet should return to normal within a month or two after giving birth!

V.,
Please go to the doctor, ASAP, as this can be very serious...and keep your feet up as much as possible until you see the doctor..
My prayers and good thoughts are with you....C.

Sounds like a common condition called toxemia. Please go to see your doctor tomorrow or ASAP, this is very serious.........
Do not take this lightly; this is where the old adage "better safe than sorry" comes into play.

If it is nothing, then all well and good and the doctor will recommend what to do about the swollen feet. This is 'when to call the doctor' that we always wonder about

GO TO THE ER NOW TO HAVE YOUR BLOOD PREASURE CHECKED.... I am NOT kidding, this is a sign of a VERY serious condition and NUCT be checked. I would not mess around at all... I would head straight to the ER and demand to have my blood preasure checked.

Everyone (including the on call Dr.)kept telling me that is was normal and giving me all this advise on how to keep the swelling down. After about 36 hours I gave up, listened to my heart that said something was really wrong and went to the ER.... As I walked in I have a full blown seizure! I almost dies and my daughter did die. PLEASE go get check NOW!!!

Praying for the best for you :)

Hello,

I am certain you will get great advice from others, but this is what I did in my 8th month when my feet became so swollen. I did several things.
1) I bought a pair of Dr Scholls clog sandals (not so great as we are getting into "colder" temps. I was looking for the ones made with wood bottoms, but I stumbled upon a pair at Macys that had foam soles and foot massage points, they also have an adjustable strap over the foot and they are easy to slip on and off--I still wear them as they are really very comfortable and my feet are no longer swollen. I lived in these for the remainder of my pregancy which end 5 months ago. You may want to find the closed footed clogs and get a pair that is a size bigger than you foot and moisten the leather to stretch them out.

2) I kept my feet elevated nearly all the time, including while sleeping. Try to elevate so your feet are above your heart. Try to stay off of your feet as much as possible. And do check with your doctor to make sure this is the normal type of swelling and not some other serious issue.

3) Swimming. This seemed to reduce most of my swelling for at least half the day. I also walked a lot so you can chose which form of exercise you want to do, maybe even a stable bike. But you need to get blood circulating.

4) Soaking your feet ankles in cold water for about 10 mins every evening. Try some epsom salts as that will sometime reduce swelling.

I hope this was helpful. Good luck and I wish you the best during the birth.

L.

Call your doctor right away please.. I had a lot of swelling during my pregnancy also but it wasn't even close to what you're describing and my doctor was concerned... it could be toxemia.. or this other thing I forgot the name,.. but please please specially because you are 8 months... contact your doc IMMIDIATELY

I bought a phenomenal wedge that lifts my feet pretty high, and then I even stack a few pillows on top of that, which definitely takes higher than my heart. Really helped when I was pg, and still does to this day. Whatever you do, stay away from warm water soaks, that feels good during, but really increases the pain afterwards! Periodically throughout the day, lay on your back, raise your leg up and rotate your ankle-first one way, then the other, then the other leg. This always helped a little bit. Walk as much as you can to keep your circulation going--try 3-4 walks throughout the day. Other than that, is your dr. aware of your swelling? He will want to rule out toxemia, etc.

I'm in the same boat with 7 more weeks to go until delivery. My Dr. prescribed JOBST support hose and they seem to help. They are expensive without a Rx, but will save your legs and feet.
Also, I went for a pregnancy massage and the therapist massaged not only my feet but also my upper calves. Very helpful.
Good luck!

V.,

I loved my entire pregnancy with the exception of swollen feet. I had no morning sickness (except 2 days) and only dealt with swollen feet.

So here's what I did, avoid salt, butter, frozen foods, lunch meets (unless fresh) and would put my feet up on the wall above my bed with my butt as close as comfortably against the wall.

This helps bring the blood circulation back to where it should be and not where the baby or pregnancy is cutting it off...

Also, if you work in an office, be sure to walk around as much as possible. Also, when you are getting closer to your due date start walking around the block or taking walks. This will help get you to labor faster and sooner.

Good luck and keep that blood circulating.

C. B.

I had this problem with my first pregnancy. Actually you NEED more salt while pregnant. At the same time you need to increase your water intake. I know it sounds strange and I was surprised when my midwife told me this. Along with this put your feet up as often as possible.

Here are a few links regarding the importance of sodium in pregnancy:
http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/Salt-reduc...
http://nutrition.birthingnaturally.net/nut101/salt.html
http://www.storknet.com/ip/nutritional_health/nutrients/s...

I had what we referred to as "thankles" or thigh ankles during my pregnancy. Having A Baby Naturally by Peggy O'Mara mentions sea salt as a diuretic. I found crushing sea salt on my salad at night and egg in the morning helped.
Someone told me the only real cure is having that baby! Best of luck with the birth!

Have you been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia? It sounds like you might have the condition. Check with your doctor because it can be serious. I had the same problem when I was pregnant. My skin from the knees down to my feet were stretched so tight that I could press down and it would stay white for much longer than it should have. The only thing to do from hereon out, is to stay off your feet as much as possible. Elevate them and take it easy. Compression hose work just ok for the legs but I never found anything for the feet itself. I had to wear slippers during the last few weeks of my pregnancy and barely left the house. Once you deliver the baby, it will all go back to normal!

I had the swelling with both of my pregnancies. I tried everything and nothing worked. I had to wear flip flops because my feet could no longer fit into my shoes. I had the whole sexy cankles thing going on too. My doctor told me there was nothing I could do until I delivered. I hope you can find a means to help the swelling, but if you don't, I just wanted to tell you to hang in there. It's almost over and this will be a memory to share with your child. I got relief immediately after the birth, but it did take a month or two to see my ankles again.