weight gain, swelling, water retention???
Luckie519
member
Since my last OB appt., I have really started to have issues with swelling in my hands and feet. My BP has also been on the high side, but not quite to the point of them wanting to put me on bed rest. One evening, it did spike and the on call OB told me to head to L&D. Everything ended up being fine. In the last two weeks (from about 34 weeks to about 36 weeks), I have put on 8 lbs. Is this normal for this late in my pregnancy? Or is it the water weight from the swelling? I don't think it's my diet, because I have been eating probably the most healthy the last two months.
I literally have not gotten up today, except to make a bowl of cereal and go to the bathroom and my feet are more swollen that ever! I have cut out most of the salt in my diet also. Nothing is working. Any advice?
I do have a Dr. appt. tomorrow, so I will be bringing this up to him, just wanted to know if anyone else has had these issues.
Re: weight gain, swelling, water retention???
Water weight can weigh a lot. If you are swelling more, that 8 lbs could be mostly or all from that water weight. Good luck with it. As for the swellling, I am not really sure.
Wish I had some answers for you ... I've been gaining a lot of water weight in the past two weeks but my doctor hasn't been too concerned. My feet are so huge I had to buy flip flops in a size bigger than usual, and they still cut into my feet and leave impressions. Plus, my feet/legs and hands have been so swollen that they itch really badly, as does my belly.
My doc said the only thing we can do now (other than smearing hydrocortizone cream on them for the itch) is have this baby.
Just try and keep your feet up (I'm sure you're sick of hearing that though) and hang in there!
I also had a severe weight gain between 34-36 weeks. I was shocked but realized that is when my swelling increased and was more consistent. This past week I mentioned it to the OB and he said it was just part of being pregnant at this point and to try and stay off my feet. I did find that soaking my feet in epsom salts helped. Hope this helps!
I would say 8 lbs. in such a short amount of time is quite a bit. Normally it's a lb. a week but I would say it's water weight gain for sure if you are eating properly. But who knows, maybe baby went through a growth spurt. I was told this happens once or twice during pregnancy. I once gained 5 in one week and nearly died. I think it was right around 34 weeks.
I also have issues with swelling in my feet and hands. Not bad but annoying. My OB's office said tons and tons of water, watch salt content in foods, raise feet above heart level as often as possible and just know in a few weeks your body will go back to normal. Acupuncture also really helped me with water retention last week and the swelling. And fresh lemons...lots of them...works really well.
I gained 10 lbs between weeks 33-37 and almost died b/c I have been at .5 - 1.5 lbs a week consistently (I was doing well and jumped from 26 lbs total gained to 36 lbs)! My swelling in my feet was the worst it had ever been but BP was still good so my MW was not too concerned and said she estimated half of my weight gain was related to water retention. Today I am down 5 lbs from my appointment on Wednesday and my feet are looking much better! So half of my weight really was water - I am so thankful!
Drinking lots of water and elevating while resting has helped me - and maybe strange, but walking has helped me too (not sure if this is a good idea if your BP is high). I just made sure to wear comfortable shoes and it seemed to help.
With DS, I had a similar issue - it didn't matter what I did or didn't eat - I was gaining weight and was SO swollen! Nothing worked
However - my doc put me on strict rules that anytime I wasn't up walking (which is supposed to be good for swelling...expect it can be painful on swollen feet!) I had to be laying on my LEFT side and sipping water. I lost 8 pounds in one week...just from laying on my side, cutting out ALL salt and walking.
When you lay on your left side it relieves pressure on your kidneys and they can be most productive. Yes, you will pee A LOT, but when you can bend your fingers and not feel like they are going to pop
it's worth it!
Also, besides not putting salt on your food - really check labels. My docs rule was nothing that came in celaphane (plastic wrap), a resturant to-go bag or from the freezer. It left few options - but I felt SO much better.
Good luck
This!!! I tend to get edema easily... last summer (before pregnancy) I gained 8lbs in a day and a half from edema...
I've currently gained at least 70 lbs since late 2nd trimester just from edema. my feet/legs are so huge I haven't fit shoes on them in a month...
of course the weight will go away quickly, its just water.
when I lay down all the fluid goes from my feet to my chest, hands/arms, and face. I wake up with my eyes and lips very swollen every day.
I would show a doctor incase they have to rule out DVT (blood clot) or pre-E. but the pressure of the baby as it drops can increase the edema..