One of the many pleasures of pregnancy is swollen feet. However, by elevating your feet, drinking more water, and boosting your potassium intake (hey, bananas), you might be able to lessen foot swelling. A foot and leg massage could also be beneficial.
There are certain less than ideal side effects that many soon-to-be parents encounter, even though you may be relishing the wonderful time that is pregnancy—it’s truly amazing how many bathroom breaks you can fit into a single day—and looking forward to the arrival of your adorable little bundle.
Your body is changing rapidly, which might get a bit uncomfortable.
Swollen feet are one pregnant pain that many individuals encounter.
Let’s discuss the causes of foot swelling during pregnancy, when to look for medical help, when to notice it, and some easy remedies that may be helpful.
How to get relief
Swollen feet can be uncomfortable or bothersome, even though they might not be painful.
Thankfully, there are a few easy methods you can attempt to assist reduce your pregnant symptoms.
Better still? Snacks, a cold beverage, swimming, a massage, and perhaps shoe shopping are all possible.Doesn’t that sound awful?
Cut back on sodium consumption
Limiting your sodium (salt) intake can help reduce swelling during pregnancy because salt causes your body to retain extra water.
Processed and canned foods are particularly high in sodium, so try to avoid them as well as adding extra table salt to your food.
Savory herbs like oregano, thyme, and rosemary are simple ways to add flavor to recipes without using salt.
2. Increase consumption of potassium
Additionally, inadequate potassium intake might exacerbate edema.
This is because potassium aids in balancing the volume of fluids your body retains.
You should get some more potassium from your prenatal vitamin, but it’s also critical to consume foods high in dietary potassium.
Foods that naturally contain a lot of potassium include:
- sweet potatoes,
- bananas,
- spinach beans,
- and various fruit liquids with the skin on them,
- particularly
- Trim the orange,
- carrot,
- passion fruit,
- and pomegranate.
- yogurt,
- lentils,
- salmon, and beets
Cut back on caffeine.
Caffeine is safe to use occasionally during pregnancy (after all, one needs to keep awake!), but excessive caffeine consumption is bad for the unborn child. Additionally, it may exacerbate edema. Because caffeine is a diuretic, it makes you urinate more, which leads your body to believe that it must retain fluid.
Instead, try a herbal tea like peppermint or a decaf coffee with milk to assist give you a small energy boost.
4 Increase your water intake.
Drinking more water to combat swelling may seem odd, but it does effective. Your body will try to compensate by holding on to even more fluid if it perceives that you are dehydrated.
To keep your body happily hydrated and your kidneys flushing out the nasty things, try to drink at least 10 glasses of water each day.
If drinking so much water seems overwhelming, consider purchasing a large water bottle that you will only need to refill a few times a day or a lovely cup that you will want to keep refilling.
You can also flavor your water with lemon, mint, or berries to make it more pleasurable.
5. Rest and raise your feet.
Try to sit and put your feet up whenever you can, despite the fact that you have a ton of things you want to do before the baby comes.
Standing all the time strains your lovely pregnant body, just as sitting all the time is bad for circulation.
The fluid that has been accumulating in your legs during the day can be drained by sitting with your feet raised for a short period, especially at the conclusion of the day.
6. Dress comfortably and loosely.
Wearing tight clothing can exacerbate edema, particularly around the ankles, waist, and wrists.
In essence, it prevents blood from flowing as freely as it could. Try to dress comfortably and loosely, or at the very least, stay away from tight elastic bands.
Summertime maternity maxi dresses and wintertime flowy cardigans or sweaters with joggers can be stylish and cozy.
7. Remain calm
Staying inside during the day and avoiding strenuous exercise might help you stay cool and minimize swelling, especially if you’re pregnant during the sweltering summer months.
Additionally, you can keep a fan close by, use cold compresses to your feet, and dress coolly.
8. Put on compression stockings that reach your waist.
Indeed, these are as enticing as they seem.
However, you can wear waist-high compression stockings if you have to stand a lot of the time or have feet that are always swollen.
These stockings assist keep fluid flowing by gently squeezing your legs and feet.
Avoid wearing compression stockings that are knee-high since they could be overly tight in the middle of your leg and exacerbate edema.
9. Take a stroll
Walking for even five or ten minutes a few times a day can assist increase circulation, which in turn helps lower edema.
In addition to being a terrific method to get exercise that is safe for pregnant women, this can also be a good way to break up your day.
10. Put on cozy footwear
Even though you might look cute wearing high heels, it’s best to take a vacation from them in the latter stages of pregnancy.
Reducing foot swelling and avoiding hip and back issues that may develop as your center of gravity shifts and your weight increases can be achieved by wearing comfortable (even orthotic) shoes that fit properly.
Along with the swelling, your feet may change size due to the stretching of the ligaments in your body, including your feet.
Some people find that their feet return to their pre-pregnancy size, but many find that they are permanently a half-size or more larger.
While it may be inconvenient that something else is changing or that some of your favorite shoes no longer fit, this is a great excuse to discover some new favorites.
11. Take a swim
Although no research has shown that water pressure during pregnancy reduces swelling, many women report that swimming in a pool helps them feel less swollen.
Consider swimming or standing in a pool with water nearly neck deep. In addition to getting a little exercise, you will at least feel lighter and cooler.
Additionally, you might notice that your legs and feet are less bloated.
12. Have a massage
This is the ideal time for your partner to get involved in the pregnancy process, if they are looking for methods to do so.
By circulating the fluids that tend to build up in your feet, massage helps to minimize edema.
Put your feet up, take your water bottle, and let your companion to give you a gentle foot and leg massage.
This can be made even more calming by adding essential oils like lavender or peppermint.
Additionally, a lot of massage parlors provide customized prenatal massages if you’re going through your pregnancy alone or if your partner isn’t the touchy-feely kind.
These are excellent for reducing some of the tension that might come with pregnancy in addition to aiding with swelling.
13. Take a nap on your left side.
Lying on your left side relieves strain on the inferior vena cava, the main blood vessel that returns blood to your heart, therefore, if at all possible, sleeping on your left side can increase blood flow, which in turn minimizes foot swelling.
