How long did it take your swelling to go away after delivery?

eandk18 · July 2013

Just out of curiousity....

I'm 32 weeks pregnant and have gained about 32 lbs (ironically) and I swear half of it is water! My legs look like tree trunks, they are swollen all the way to my lower thighs I also have carpal tunnel in my right hand due to swelling. Just wondering if it (the water) goes away pretty quickly after delivery?

TIA!

mamatotwins0812 · July 2013

Interestingly I wasn't (very) swollen prior to giving birth but after my c/s I ballooned. Like, crazy bloated. I had stretch pants and flip flops that didn't fit and I couldn't bend my knees. To combat it, I drank tons of water and walked as much as I could. I saw major improvement in about 7-10 days. The swelling was one of the worst parts for me. Good luck!!

twobytwomom · July 2013

With my boys, I was pretty swollen going into labor, but it got so much worse after my csection, and it took about 2 weeks to go down. With my girls, I wasn't swollen going into labor, but was after my csection. I saw a difference in about a week.

megs2011 · July 2013

I didn't have much swelling being my c/s at 34w4d but I did have a lot in my hands (I developed Carpal tunnel as well). I really ballooned after the c/s and I think it took somewhere between 1-2 weeks to go down. My hands however took a lot longer to go back to normal. I had the soreness from the CT for at least a month after and I couldn't put my rings on for months.

Reilly626 · July 2013

Mine took a month! After birth my legs and ankles ballooned. The hospital massaged my legs to move the fluids and I continued this at home.

JesseKhloe&Me · July 2013

About a week after labor for me.

Shel79 · July 2013

I was swollen before delivery, and REALLY swollen afterwards. It was much better by two weeks and completely gone by three weeks. Hang in there!

Rachel Goldstein · July 2013

If you're like me half your weight gain is just fluids which fortunately come off really quickly. UNfortunately it's mostly via sweat. I remember having to wash the sheets every day because I would sweat BUCKETS every night. It was awful. I'd wake up to pee and feed the babies and put a towel down so I didn't have to lay on the cold wet sheets. Not cool. I think that lasted for about 7-10 days and I looked much the same as before I was pg within a month.

Great job making it this far! You're so close!

PumpkinAndThePeanut · July 2013

You sound just like how I was, carpal tunnel, swollen thighs, the works. I even had to buy bigger shoes. Unfortunately, as the PPs have said, due to the fluids you'll receive during your delivery, it will get worse before it gets better. It took about two weeks after delivery to all go down. I lost 45 pounds in those two weeks, about half was retained water. Hang in there, I know it really sucks!

Be wary of tenosynovitus though in your hands after your babies are born, and get yourself some thumb splints if you develop it. I mistook mine for lingering carpal tunnel and ignored it for weeks, thinking it would eventually go away on its own... it doesn't!

eandk18 · July 2013

Oh man, I forgot about all the fluids they pump you with during delivery- they warned me of that in my birthing class....GAH! Oh well, not much longer left....

Thanks for all the responses!!!

Felicity86 · July 2013

I didn't swell until a couple days after giving birth. It went away in a little over 2 weeks. I had to borrow my husband's slippers!

pea-kay · July 2013

Mine went away pretty fast. Within a couple of weeks. I didn't swell post-delivery like a lot of the moms here.

Ruthie04 · July 2013

I didn't really struggle with swelling before delivery, but was a giant after my c/s. So huge, I actually screamed when I saw myself in the mirror! It took about 7-10 days to look normal and I was able to put my wedding ring back on after three weeks.

LucyRicardo3 · July 2013

mamatotwins0812:
Interestingly I wasn't (very) swollen prior to giving birth but after my c/s I ballooned. Like, crazy bloated. I had stretch pants and flip flops that didn't fit and I couldn't bend my knees. To combat it, I drank tons of water and walked as much as I could. I saw major improvement in about 7-10 days. The swelling was one of the worst parts for me. Good luck!!

this was pretty much my experience,as well. Although the IV's I was given during labor/pre c/s really puffed me up. I had to wear my running shoes like old school RunDMC without laces just to get something on my feet.

DH took me out for retail therapy when I was released while the girls had to stay in the NICU. I was so grateful that Target has those electric scooter shopping carts!!

I also had a packed duffel bag with a pillow on top to put under my ankles and calves at night to keep them elevated.

Corleyrae · July 2013

This could have been me. I gained 40 lbs and had lost it about 2 weeks pp exactly. My feet went from big predelivery to huge post. My wrist still hurt but not nearly as bad and my feet look so tiny now 3 weeks pp! Haha

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