Aches and Pains of Pregnancy
Can’t stand up, can’t sit down…can’t get up once you do sit down. Can’t lay on your back, can’t lay on your side and, obviously, you can’t lay on your stomach!
(continuing that train of thought…)
…can’t eat for the heartburn, can’t breathe…certainly can’t not breathe!
Can’t fit your swollen feet into your shoes…even if you could see your feet to put them on. Can’t pull your pants up without doing a back bend, can’t let them down without tipping over.
Sick…and tired.
Looks like a duck, waddles like a duck, then it must be….
a very pregnant lady!
The reasons for backache, swelling of feet and legs and breathlessness during pregnancy are usually pretty well cut and dried and can be treated quite easily. As long as there are no other contributing health conditions, most of these problems diminish rather quickly upon delivery.
Foot and ankle swelling, or edema, is normally attributed to the fact that, during pregnancy, your body will retain more fluid and actually produces more fluid as well. There is also the fact that as your uterus increases in size, it will put pressure on your veins, interfering with circulation. the good news is that there are a couple of tried and true methods for reversing this swelling that work amazingly quickly!
Gentle leg massage (using the flat of the hand, with light squeezing manipulation from thighs to calves and ankles) can induce a better flow of blood to your heart. A firm foot massage, paying attention toe joints, from ball of foot to each individual toe will do even more that increase circulation. If you consult a reflexology chart, you will notice that there are pressure points in your feet that correspond to just about every other part of your body, including areas of the spine (hello! help for backaches???!). Bear in mind, if you’re having issues with varicose veins during your pregnancy, you should consult a doctor FIRST, before chasing down your better half (or kids) to start massaging your legs. Varicose veins can be due to a weakness in the structure of veins. Beyond that, because of the physical nature of pregnancy, there could possibly a more serious medical problem, like deep vein thrombosis, which can be life threatening.
Just as a change up, try running an ice cube over your instep, between the ball of the foot and the toe pads and around the front and sides of your ankles (not the back of the ankle so much, where the main ligament is).
Then again…
Apart from massage, dangling your feet and legs in a cool to chilly pool helps a lot. From all indications, there hasn’t been a whole lot of research done on this subject, even though it has worked for eons. Standing in an unheated pool, the water tends to compress the tissues in the legs and feet and provides nearly instant relief from discomfort and pain. The results are exactly the same as when, in the heat of summer, you run your hands under cold water to make the swelling go down so you can remove your rings.
Gravity is horrible enough if you’ve put on a couple of pounds, but when you’re expecting, the weight can be quite nearly disabling. Stay off your feet! Not all the time, mind you, for you do need to stay active while you’re pregnant (unless you have a condition that precludes activity). Just avoid standing for any length of time unless you’re walking. And when you sit, do so with your feet and legs elevated, with a slight bend at the knees.
When you’re pregnant, it’s common advice to practice sleeping on your left side so that the inferior vena cava (the main vein that returns blood to the heart from the lower half of your body) has the least pressure on it as possible. Of course, all the advice about standing, walking or sleeping is pretty much a moot point if you’re miserable in any of those positions!
When you hit about the 8th month of pregnancy, about the only thing ever on your mind is, “I just wish I could get comfortable!” and “I WANT THIS BABY OUT…NOW!!” (mostly because you can’t breathe, any more than you can get comfortable). And that’s where the pool comes into play.
In the water you become buoyant…the body you’re carrying around that feels like 500 pounds suddenly feels like it has no weight at all. And water is the softest, most resilient mattress of all. You can put a swim noodle behind your neck and under your knees and there will be absolutely no pressure points to pain you. Even laying in the pool on an undersized float, with legs dangling in the water on either side will do the trick.
The best part of a having access to a pool when you’re “preggers” is the wonderful gift of being able to
LAY ON YOUR STOMACH!
Click to visit Holo-lilo for one of these!
So. The benefits of using the pool while you’re pregnant:
- Eases inflammation of nerves and joints
- Reduces those poor swollen feet
- Relieves back, hip, neck and joint aches
- Assists in lightening pressure of the womb on the hips, (bladder…did we mention that?!), knees and pelvic floor
- Is a perfect way to participate in low-impact exercise throughout your pregnancy ~ and ~
- Keeps you cool
That’s all the fun stuff. Now for the inevitable cautionaries *:
Although mild foot and ankle swelling during pregnancy is normal, extreme swelling during pregnancy can be a red flag. Contact your health care provider if you have:
- Severe or sudden swelling
- Swelling in only one leg
Severe or sudden swelling could be a sign of a serious condition called preeclampsia. “Preeclampsia (pre-eclampsia) is when a pregnant woman develops high blood pressure and protein in the urine after the 20th week (late 2nd or 3rd trimester) of pregnancy. (undefined. (August 23, 2012). PubMed Health. In Preeclampsia – National Library of Medicine. Retrieved May 21, 2013, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001900/.)
Other signs and symptoms of preeclampsia include:
- severe headaches,
- blurred vision
- rapid weight gain.
Be extra aware of your salt intake when you’re pregnant as this can also lead to the kind of swelling that no amount of cool water or ice pack can reduce.
Swelling in only one leg — especially if it’s accompanied by pain or tenderness in the calf or thigh — could indicate a blood clot or other underlying condition. Both conditions warrant prompt evaluation and treatment. If you’re unsure how to proceed, again, CONSULT A PHYSICIAN FOR MEDICAL ADVICE!
*Reference(s):
Harms, R MD. (n.d.). What causes ankle swelling during pregnancy-and what can I do about it?. In Pregnancy Week by Week. Retrieved May 21, 2013, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/swelling-during-pregnancy/AN01194.
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