Hi--I had a baby last week and had no swelling through the pregnancy or at the hospital. Now that I'm home my ankles and feet are unrecognizable. I'm trying to figure out if it's too much time on my feet (this is my 3rd baby) or if I should be doing more walking? Anyone had this experience? I'd love some advice. Thanks!
Oh my gosh! I have the SAME problem, only my kids are 23 and 25! My feet are now attached to my legs at my "cankles", and my stomache sits on my lap! Any help out there?????
I experienced the same thing after having my son. I had no swelling during the entire pregnancy but a few days after coming home my ankles and feet started swelling. I'd never seen them like that, it wasn't cute and I was worried they'd stay like that. Luckily it only lasted a week or two. Then they were completely back to normal. Hope yours return to normal soon.
Hi, I had the same problem right after my son was born. I was told by my doctor that my body was going thru a cycle after birth. I should rest when my child is resting and elavate my feet. After, a few days of the advise, it went back to normal. Take Care!
I had the same thing. My doc presribed motrin at the hospital, but I thought it was for pain....it was for the swelling. I wasn't taking it until I called them and told them what was going on. I started taking the motrin and the swelling went down.
I sure hope you'll talk to your doctor or advice nurse! It might just be your body balancing out, but that kind of health concern is something to be careful about. If you've got 3 kids you need to really take care of yourself.
grab the phone, sit down with the baby, put your feet up, and enjoy hanging around on hold until someone gives you the info you need. Best of luck and health!
with my last child i swelled up afterwards too. i was told to rest more and prop my feet up when not resting.
Hi my name's vanessa and I just had my little boy 4 months ago. I also had no swelling during pregnancy or delivery. However, the day after delivery my feet were also unrecognizeable. I asked my ob about it and she said that my body was exserting extra fluid and that it was completely normal. Just try to drink a lot of water to help you feel a little more comfortable until the swelling goes down. Good luck! I hope this helped!
Hi, I had lots of swelling after my son was born,but I did have him c-sect. My entire body was swollen and I never had an ounce of swelling while pregnant,walking was the best way for me to get the swelling down and lots of water with fresh lemon in it, it really helps to act like a diaretic. You might just have excess water/liquid from the pregnancy. I hope this helps.
My name is Tracie
Sometime because of the IV's they give you or if you had a C-section -- they may pump you full of saline solution. I expericenced this with my 1st C-section, my legs were like tree trunks!
Get rest, elevate your feet and drink water to keep everything flushed thru your system.
It took about 2 weeks for it to go away and then I was fine!
You poor thing. I had the same problem. I was so swollen up after I gave birth that I weighed seven pounds MORE than before I gave birth. (And it wasn't just limited to my feet! Even my lower back had this gross pool of fluid on it.) This sounds counterintuitive, but the doctor said to drink lots and lots of water to help flush it out. I lost 25 pounds of water weight in less than a week just by drinking water and peeing it all out. I was also told to prop up my feet and that seemed to help as well.
The swelling is either a result of the IV fluids they give you or the epidural; I can't remember which.
Drink lots of water, get plenty of rest (yeah right) and good luck!
Congraluations! I too had the same issue, no swelling during pregnancy but very swollen feet and ankles for about a few days afterwards. My OB told me this was normal, as the body has accumulated extra fluid. I also forgot that I was taking Motrin three to four times a day postpartum, which may cause some additional fluid retention. Luckily, the edema in the feet and ankles resolved within a few days.
I had the same thing happen! It took about a week or so to get back to normal. The nuse said that it was normal and there was nothing to do about it. Just hang in there and rest!
That happened to me with my first child. No swelling during pregnancy and huge feet and ankles in the days after he was born. I was told to drink lots of water, walk when I could, and when I was sitting to have my feet elevated. I don't think it lasted more than a week, so hopefully the end is in sight for you. Good luck!
Are you breast feeding? I know women swell before the child is born. For the first week, its a good idea to relax. Your body as you know has gone through the changes before and after a child is born. I hear people swell during pregnancy but not after. Give it a week or two, you might see some changes. Women lose the weight with breastfeeding. Maybe soak your feet to relax them, maybe the swelling will go down.
It could be nothing, or it could be something. Go to the doctor and check. It will be reassuring to ask and find out.
Walking will definitely help. Sounds like lymph pooling. Lymph system does not have valves in the little tubes that it flows through and it depends on movement of muscles to squeeze the wastes out. Lymph is your cleansing system. If you had a C-Section and they removed some of your lymph glands or cut through your lymph system which is on the surface, this is likely the cause.
I've heard of people who had rolls of what they thought was fat drooping off their legs go to a woman who does a very specialized Lymphatic Drainage Massage and after several sessions that was almost gone. This is a very specialized massage and a TRAINED professional must do it or teach you what to do. Most doctors have not heard of it, so don't be surprised. (they thought I had bacteria when it was a fungal infection, so they don't know everything and cannot take the time to find out).
Here is her contact information. Bernice Nielsen, CMT, MLDT 916-988-4460, cell 916-216-4460.
You could also learn how to do Quantum Touch for yourself. I did Quantum Touch for my mother and I saw the lymph start to drain up the leg, just as I'd seen in Bernice's introductory class at the Healing Arts Institute. I was not massaging at all, just holding the energy and it was happening all by itself. The body is very intelligent and when it receives the energy it wants, it will cooperate and function properly again. See my profile.
Love, Lezlee
I would call the doctor. Fluid retention can be serious- or it can be nothing. But I would definately call and see if they want you to come in...
I had no swelling at all during pregnancy, but about a week after my C- section. My legs/ankles swelled up pretty bad for a couple days.
I had the same thing after my last c-section. I told my doctor and he said that it is normal. It went away after a week or two. He just had me put my feet up as often as I could and had me drink warm water with lemon in it, which is a natural diuretic.