Austin Babies

PSA: Pregnant ladies be warned

The Big Bump and what it means  

I always thought bunions were some bumps on the feet that some old people get. Bunions are much more than this, the bump part is caused by the outer bones of your feet moving outward. You can have a bunion on the big toe side (most popular) or on the little toe side (?bunionette?). I have both.

I discovered them a couple of weeks ago after playing tennis in some shoes that are a little too narrow for me, and I?ve been emotionally traumatized ever sense. Since then I?ve been to a podiatrist and learned a lot about my feet. I always knew it was hard for me to find shoes that fit well but I didn?t know I had really high arches or really tight Achilles tendons until meeting with Dr. Ho. I also learned that bunions run in families due to foot types running in families. My Grandma has bunions but I never thought much of it since she did not get them until she was elderly. Bunions are basically a foot deformity that causes your outside toes to angle inward and eventually push under your other toes causing ?hammer toes? where the second toes bend upward to let the outside toes underneath. Just Google images for bunions and you will be almost as grossed out as me. Bunions can also get bursitis from rubbing on your shoes which can be very painful. The surgical cures for bunions are scary and painful since you can?t really ?remove? a bunion, basically they shave down the bone that is sticking out and can try to screw your toes back on straight. There is no reversing bunions. All I can do at this point is wear orthotic footwear and hope to slow the progress down. Yes, no more flip-flops or bare feet, just old lady shoes. Yippee, DS will no longer need to worry about the other kids checking out his sexy mom.

Anyway- the main point here is pregnant women SHOULD NOT WEAR FLIP FLOPS. WEAR SUPPORTIVE FOOTWEAR! Especially if you have a family history of bunions or know that you have high arches or flat feet (both can lead to bunions). When you are pregnant, the extra weight combined with the hormones that are relaxing your body can cause the bones in the feet to spread, causing bunions, this is what happened to me and why I am dealing with this now instead of 30 years from now.   

If you have any reason to go to a podiatrist, I highly recommend it. I wish I had been years ago and learned about the tendencies of my feet. I also wish my OBGYN staff would have said something to me when I showed up in flip-flops for my entire pregnancy. But as my Dad said ?everyone knows you shouldn?t wear flip-flops.?

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Re: PSA: Pregnant ladies be warned

  • imageMrsRosie:
    Flip flops were the only shoes that would fit on my swollen feet.

    LOL me too.  And only one pair of flip flops at that.

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  • I have bunions, thanks to my Mom for those genetics.  I visited a podiatrist begging to have them removed.  After learning about the surgery and the chance that they could grow back, I opted out.  He told me unless my feet are in constant pain or they were causing me problems walking, to not have the surgery done.  He explained it's a very slow and painful healing process. I opted for buying better shoes.
  • I guess I didn't think of that! Flip-flops may be the only thing I have can wear too as my feet continue to widen- but surely I can buy some extra wide tennis shoes.

    Consider yourselves lucky you do not have this problem!

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  • imagerichardslove:
    I have bunions, thanks to my Mom for those genetics.  I visited a podiatrist begging to have them removed.  After learning about the surgery and the chance that they could grow back, I opted out.  He told me unless my feet are in constant pain or they were causing me problems walking, to not have the surgery done.  He explained it's a very slow and painful healing process. I opted for buying better shoes.

    Yes this is what I was told too. I really don't have pain at this point. I just don't like the looks of my feet and where they are headed.

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  • Bunion is such a funny word.  Bunion.  Its like some weird combo of Cinnabon and onion.
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  • imageMrsRosie:
    imageKittyFX:

    I guess I didn't think of that! Flip-flops may be the only thing I have can wear too as my feet continue to widen- but surely I can buy some extra wide tennis shoes.

    I was told not to wear closed shoes because my feet were so swollen.

    Really?  I wasn't told anything.  But flip flops made the swelling and the pain worse.  I wore my tennis shoes but I had to pull the laces all the way out to squeeze my foot in.  The pressure of the shoe on my foot actually helped.

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  • my neighbor had the sugery done and it was not pleasant!

    my mom has bad bunions and she saw a doctor who told her that when you do one foot at a time the likelihood that you will come back to do the 2nd foot is low because the experience from the first foot is so rough.

    and despite the bunions my mom is constantly in flip flops.  :)

  • I have a friend who has had to have several subsequent foot surgeries because of bunion surgery she had 10 years ago and the doctor told her it was pretty common for that to happen.  I wouldn't do it unless you it was so painful you couldn't walk.  I could only wear flip flops at the end of my pregnancy too.
  • imagerichardslove:
    I have bunions, thanks to my Mom for those genetics.  I visited a podiatrist begging to have them removed.  After learning about the surgery and the chance that they could grow back, I opted out.  He told me unless my feet are in constant pain or they were causing me problems walking, to not have the surgery done.  He explained it's a very slow and painful healing process. I opted for buying better shoes.

    I agree with this. My SIL had her bunions removed when she was 18 and the surgery was hell.  It took her months to heal.  She's 30 now and her bunions have, indeed, grown back -- in fact, they're a little larger than they were when she was 18.  She's trying to decide if it's worth the pain to have the procedure again -- for now she's decided to live with the bunions.

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  • I don't know.  I think the cause of bunions is largely genetic.  As for wearing flip flops, well, they're the only thing that feel comfortable on my bread-doughy feet.

    I spent the remainder of my pregnancy with DS in Crocs (the clog kind) because they were so wide.  Bright turquoise plastic shoes may not have gone with everything but my feet had room to spread out.  

  • All I can wear right now is flip flops.  I finally got my way at work to be able to wear them because I was in pain trying to squeeze my feet into closed toed shoes.  If it was cold out, I have no idea what I would be wearing... probably big fuzzy slippers!
  • imageMrsRosie:
    Flip flops were the only shoes that would fit on my swollen feet.

    Me too.  I was in my Birkenstocks for as long as possible for the arch support, but I can't fit into them anymore.

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  • imageMrsAJL:

    I don't know.  I think the cause of bunions is largely genetic.

    True. Maybe I would have bunions right now regardless of the pregnancy. Who knows...

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  • my MIL has gross overlapping toes and I'm deathly afraid of having these when I'm older, especially since I like my heels.  I bought these things at target and try to wear them when I remember:

    https://www.footsmart.com/P-Gel-Flex-Toes-Stretcher-90185.aspx 

     

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  • Thank you for posting this!!

    I just went to the podiatrist last month and found out that mine is a bunionette. Sad

    He of course wants me to have the surgery but reading the responses, I'm thinking I'll try to get some comfortable shoes and the toe strechy things (thanks ssinca!!) and see if that helps.

    Wearing my tennis shoes is always painful but now I guess I'll try to figure out if I can find some that are wider where my little toe hits the shoe.

    Thanks again!

     

  • imageKittyFX:
    imageMrsAJL:

    I don't know.  I think the cause of bunions is largely genetic.

    True. Maybe I would have bunions right now regardless of the pregnancy. Who knows...

    Though regardless of the cause, bunions really look painful and I wouldn't wish those on anyone!  *crossed fingers* I never have to experience those. Ouch!

  • I didn't get bunions while I was pregnant but due to my very flat feet and the relaxin, I did get a cyst on the top of my foot.  But almost 6 month pp the orthopedic surgeon said that the amount of pain I'm in is unusual for such a small cyst.  He recommended arch supports with some FUGLY shoes.  I'm all for wearing supportive shoes but I wish they could make them a little more fashionable.  
  • imagendluvsrk:

    I'll try to get some comfortable shoes and the toe strechy things (thanks ssinca!!) and see if that helps.

    FYI - they can be a little annoying to put on, you basically have to put one toe in at a time.  and you can't really walk in them so just keep that in mind!

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