how long after delivery does swelling go away?

kak808 · January 2014

I've been having terrible swelling for months now and it's really driving me insane. It's getting worse and worse, the closer I get to the end. I have to wear my compression stockings at all times and still, if my feet are not elevated for a while, my legs get gross and so uncomfortable. Will this go away immediately after birth? A few days/weeks later? I'm really looking forward to not dealing with this anymore!!

FYI, my dr isn't concerned (BP is pretty normal, no protein in my urine, etc.), but does think it's weird.

TM14.defunct635821369925797514 · January 2014

It really depends on the person. My doc told me my swelling could go away in a few days, or even take up to a few weeks. I know it's uncomfortable. I can barely walk with how big my feet and legs are, but I'm still a preeclampsia concern to my doc so I'm being monitored. It might be different but again I don't know.

Hang in there! It's really all you can do.

ziggy903 · January 2014

I'm really sorry to be the one to tell you this, but it gets worse right after delivery. I had to wear flip flops to the nicu the other day because my slippers were too small. My ankles were bigger than my calves. I asked the nurses/doctor and they told me it's normal.
I'm 8 days postpartum and it's starting to get better. I might wear real shoes at the end of the week.

sdlaura · January 2014

The major swelling went away pretty immediately for me (med-free vaginal birth). By the time I left the hospital my ankles felt normal. But my rings still didn't fit for a few weeks.

Missy0483 · January 2014

It got worse and it actually hurt to bend my feet at my ankles. I had tons of fluids in my IV during labor, ended in a csection, but not sure if that mattered or not. It took over a week for them to look normal-ish again.

inluv4life2 · January 2014

Eat asparagus - just plain steamed asparagus! It really helps. Also, the swelling will still be there for a few weeks after delivery. I had crazy sweats with DD and while it was disgusting, it helped flush out the fluid.

cbear47 · January 2014

My friend (and her H) was telling me about her swelling immediately after giving birth.

They both said she retained so much water she was swollen all over. Everyday the swelling went down, but not all over! It went down like draining a sink!!! First day postpartum, the tops of her arms "un-swole. Second day, it was down to her elbows, third day her elbows. Next, down to her wrists, next day hands... Then hips, thighs, knees, calves, ankles, feet...

She said it took about three weeks till her body didn't look like she had been spliced horizontally with another person!!! Ahhh, the magical wonders of motherhood!

Just continue to wear the tights, keep your feet elevated, hydrate, and reduce salt and caffeine! GL!

gfam23 · January 2014

Supposedly a week for many people, but it took closer to three weeks for me.

christen_z1 · January 2014

It took about a week after I had my other babies before my swelling went down.

kak808 · January 2014

cbear47 said:

My friend (and her H) was telling me about her swelling immediately after giving birth. They both said she retained so much water she was swollen all over. Everyday the swelling went down, but not all over! It went down like draining a sink!!! First day postpartum, the tops of her arms "un-swole. Second day, it was down to her elbows, third day her elbows. Next, down to her wrists, next day hands... Then hips, thighs, knees, calves, ankles, feet... She said it took about three weeks till her body didn't look like she had been spliced horizontally with another person!!! Ahhh, the magical wonders of motherhood! Just continue to wear the tights, keep your feet elevated, hydrate, and reduce salt and caffeine! GL!

Eww!!!

Mazingmommyof6 · January 2014

The IV fluids do make it worse and if you push yourself it takes longer than a week.... In my experience

mythaldo · January 2014

ziggy903 said:

I'm really sorry to be the one to tell you this, but it gets worse right after delivery. I had to wear flip flops to the nicu the other day because my slippers were too small. My ankles were bigger than my calves. I asked the nurses/doctor and they told me it's normal. I'm 8 days postpartum and it's starting to get better. I might wear real shoes at the end of the week.

This was true for my sister as well. Her swelling didn't really even get bad until after her c-section, but it started going away about the time she was about to leave the hospital and was gone by the second week PP.

sdlaura · January 2014

I didn't have IV fluids so that may be one reason my swelling went down quicker.

Julygirl80 · January 2014

right after delivery was terrible for me!!!! But it went away within 2 days.

VeronicaAnn143 · January 2014

Mine got worse after delivery. About a week later it went down.

ziggy903 · January 2014

L12541 said:
I didn't have IV fluids so that may be one reason my swelling went down quicker.

That's what I was thinking too- you're the only one who didn't have any, and I know I had a ton of iv fluids before my c/s!

orchid8301 · January 2014

I am about 4 days postpartum and I can tell my swelling has started going down. I still have a ways to go, but I can definetly tell a difference.

DC2011 · January 2014

Thanks @kak808 for posting this!! And thank you ladies, for sharing your experiences! Swelling gas been annoying and scary at times for the past couple of wks, and I too was wondering how quickly it will dissipate after birth.

melissandow · January 2014

I had the exact same thing happen as @psk. No/minimal swelling during pregnancy and then after my c section I swelled like a balloon. I was concerned so I asked the doctors and they said it's definitely normal and just all the pregnancy fluids leaving my body. They also said it was worse because of the surgery and all the fluids received.

RondackHiker · January 2014

KatyBriggs said:
Anyone know if this goes for swelling of the hands too? I'm having major issues & have no grip left. I broke my phone this morning even. It makes me concerned if it doesn't resolve quickly after birth, how will I care for my baby? Am I overreacting?

@katybriggs

That sounds a bit like carpal tunnel. Sleep in braces and consider a chiropractor appointment. It keeps my hands only partially numb and the swelling down enough I can use them.

RondackHiker · January 2014

KatyBriggs said:
RondackHiker thanks for the advice. I talked to an orthopedic doc I work with and it's loss of grip + pain only in my thumbs, no numbness. His opinion is DeQuervains. I've got the thumb spica braces which I wear both at night and alternate during the day according to the doc's advice. The braces keep the pain down, but don't really help rebuild the grip. I can hold things, but I've converted to cups with handles, and using 2 hands for everything else like a good toddler... My hands are just swollen and I can feel the fluid in them like when you have a bandaid on too tight. I've got an OB appt friday, and the ortho doc is here friday too for a followup as well. I'm glad the pain is a lot less though.

Working in the medical field has perks... hallway consults with willing docs save so much time and money. I always ask permission before I bend their ear though, I don't want to abuse it!

I had dequervians after DS was born and ended up with surgery on both wrists. You can care for a baby with the thumb braces, but it's tricky. Steroid injections helped some, temporarily.

You should look up info on dq and the proper way to hold and lift baby. If you hold your thumbs out you'll make it worse.

RondackHiker · January 2014

KatyBriggs said:
innanni I didn't see your first tag. Yes, I have people I can enlist for help up front. I'm very fortunate.

RondackHiker thanks for the tip. The doc did mention steroid shots, but told me to try braces first. He seemed to think after pregnancy swelling went away my symptoms will resolve, but time will tell. Do you have any particular resource you found helpful with the lifting techniques?

I was lucky to see the top hand specialist in the US and he gave me a bunch of flyers. Basically keep your thumb tucked in. Don't extend it. Many moms will extend their thumbs but that makes the dq worse. Pretend your thumb is stuck to your hands and other fingers whenever you need to lift anything. Avoid twisting or pulling or straining the thumbs. You can do quite a bit with your thumbs tucked against your hands!

Ice your hands and keep them raised as much as you can.

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