s/o - swelling - Compression Socks!

melly_mel

I was just reading the post below about the swelling questions. I have been having really bad swelling and my doctor recommended the following:

- drink something with electrolytes. I have been drinking Gatorade once a day and it really seems to be helping.

- go swimming. It's supposed to help rebalance the liquids in your body. My OB said that a pregnant woman who spends 45 min in the water will pee 1 liter right after getting out of the pool. I haven't tried this yet because I don't have access to a pool right now without buying a gym membership (which i probably won't use) and I don't want to spring for a maternity swimsuit right now.

- buy compression socks. My doc said she didn't want to write up an Rx for socks since they cost about $70, since I'm already just ~5 weeks from delivery, but she told me to go buy some at Target or Walmart. I bought some OTC ones at Target over the weekend and they feel great (even though they're hard for me to put on since it's tough to bend over and they're so tight!). They have totally reduced my swelling and I feel so much better when I wear them.

Just thought I would offer some suggestions for those of us with cankles

just kita

Thank you for the tips. My feet are so gross right now...DH says they look like someone blew up a rubber glove =(

I'm going to look for a pair of the socks. 

pammeelala

Compression socks...eek.  My SIL put them on me when I was already swollen and my sciatic pain was stopping me from reaching my feet.  My feet went numb.  It was a rather painful process that DH and BIL got a real good laugh out of

melly_mel

pammeelala:

Compression socks...eek.  My SIL put them on me when I was already swollen and my sciatic pain was stopping me from reaching my feet.  My feet went numb.  It was a rather painful process that DH and BIL got a real good laugh out of

Oh no! They were probably too tight! I will confess I bought a pair of Men's compression socks because they were the only ones Target had in black and I wanted to wear them as my normal black trouser socks to work! I am pretty sure some of the Women's socks would not have fit me!

pammeelala

I'm not sure what they were, SIL picked them up.  They were probably women's but I was so swollen I don't know if it would have made a difference.  Couldn't feel bones in my feet or ankles and the swelling went up to my thighs.

mem096

I got mine at a nurses store by the hospital they are nice about $7.00 a pair so not to bad. 

Joyfullnoise

They are also hot as hell and take 30 minutes to get on, but I have maternity compression tights that don't look fugly and I wear them especially when traveling!  

Melissa2216

pammeelala:

Compression socks...eek.  My SIL put them on me when I was already swollen and my sciatic pain was stopping me from reaching my feet.  My feet went numb.  It was a rather painful process that DH and BIL got a real good laugh out of

I've heard the trick to compression socks/stockings is to put them on before getting out of bed in the morning.  I don't think they work as well if your feet are already swollen.  They also come in different compression "strengths" so if your SIL bought you the strongest ones and you weren't used to the compression feeling, that would make you go numb also.  I bought these, and they seem to help a bit:

Jobst UltraSheer Knee High Mild Compression Stockings 8-15 mmHg - Silky Beige/Medium  

pmpkn219

I have been BFFs with the compression socks for about 4 weeks now. I bought Futuro brand, they're in a yellow box and sold at CVS or the grocery store. I also bought the men's kind, since they came in black.

They ARE hard to get on in the morning though, reaching that far to my toes...

AshleyPT

melly_mel:

- go swimming. It's supposed to help rebalance the liquids in your body. My OB said that a pregnant woman who spends 45 min in the water will pee 1 liter right after getting out of the pool. I haven't tried this yet because I don't have access to a pool right now without buying a gym membership (which i probably won't use) and I don't want to spring for a maternity swimsuit right now.

People may or may not care, but I just had to step in and actually explain this. The pool helps with swelling because of the hydrostatic pressure of water.  So it's basically compression for any part of your body that is submerged.  The more submerged you are, the more help your cardiovascular and lymph systems get, the more compression provided. You don't have to swim or do anything vigorous to get the compression benefits of the water - standing or walking in the water will do and is sometimes better for swelling because you are deeper in the water than swimming.

I'm an aquatic certified physical therapist and I've NEVER heard the stat of peeing 1L from being in the water - that doesn't really make sense physiologically so I'm not sure where the OB is getting that info.