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November 2014 Moms
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Combatting swelling feet and ankles

AStewartBUAStewartBU member
in November 2014 Moms
What do you do to combat feet and ankle swelling? I'm 34 weeks and this just started happening. I'm a teacher-- so up on my feet most of the day. I drink tons of water all day long. I know to put my feet up above my heart-- but laying on my back to do that is uncomfortable. Any other ideas?
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Re: Combatting swelling feet and ankles

  • lil_shockerlil_shocker member
    Compression socks?
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  • lizzielu82lizzielu82 member
    edited October 2014
    Hi nice to meet you  :-h

    Any new swelling this late in the game should be discussed with your doctor - it could mean nothing or it could mean something more serious. 

    I'd recommend your OB's advice over an internet forum in this case. 
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  • AStewartBUAStewartBU member
    I had a dr appt yesterday-- I mentioned slight swelling that goes away overnight---she wasn't concerned as that is a typical pregnancy symptom this late in the game. Pre eclampsia is sudden, dramatic, and would be accompanied by protein in urine (I have none). I'm merely asking about normal pregnancy symptomatic swelling.
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  • howin23howin23 member
    Have you tried seriously cutting down on sodium? I've had pretty bad carpal tunnel syndrome for about a month now and dramatically reducing sodium has helped at least to some extent. I don't just mean added salt--basically anything packaged. I also started drinking a lot of chamomile tea, which is supposed to help as well.

    Of course this assumes that it's just an annoying symptom, and nothing more serious.
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  • minibean16minibean16 member
    So if you can have pre-e without high BP if protein is present, but you can also have pre-e without protein, then how do you know?? I'd finally calmed myself! That stage is apparently over ;)

    OP: teacher here too. Constantly on my feet, and I have slight swelling by the end of the day. But I mean SLIGHT. If you have anything more than slight, I would keep following up with your doctor. In the meanwhile, socks and epsoms get me through the day.
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  • dnetherldnetherl member
    My biggest relief is sleeping with a pillow between my legs.  This improves circulation during the night and allows that fluid/blood to flow to other areas of the body instead of puddling in your feet and staying there.  

    I also elevate my feet on a box under my desk (I know you don't have that luxury being a teacher).  I also elevate my feet on an ottoman in the evenings when I am home.

    Another solution, albeit strange, is wrapping your feet in cabbage leaves.  I did this once, and it did help a little.  I used ace bandages to wrap the leaves around my feet.  I left it on for a few hours. 

    Lastly, I recently discovered epsom salt baths, which help a little with the swelling but moreso with joint pain.   
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  • alysonmhalysonmh member
    Foot rubs from anyone willing to give them to help circulation. 
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  • mrsodonnell12mrsodonnell12 member
    I had a lot of feet swelling the last few weeks of my last pregnancy. I finally got some compression socks. As long as the swelling is below your waste and goes away over night it is nothing to be concerned about. Continue to monitor and discuss with your doc though.
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  • huntress17huntress17 member
    The only thing that had helped my swelling is rest and putting my feet up(like with 4-5 pillows). Good luck. We are almost there!
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  • AStewartBUAStewartBU member
    I think it's just teaching;) today I've had no swelling at all-- I did go the grocery store and did some laundry, but other than that I've been resting -- and no swelling bc of it .i did try Epsom salt last night and that was awesome !! Thanks for all the ideas!!!
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  • mommymeg143mommymeg143 member
    edited October 2014
    lizzielu82 said:


    AStewartBU said:

    I had a dr appt yesterday-- I mentioned slight swelling that goes away overnight---she wasn't concerned as that is a typical pregnancy symptom this late in the game. Pre eclampsia is sudden, dramatic, and would be accompanied by protein in urine (I have none). I'm merely asking about normal pregnancy symptomatic swelling.

    Preeclampsia is not always accompanied by protein in your urine. 

    If you had your OB appnt yesterday, why didn't you ask her about solutions to prevent the swelling? 


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    Because...duh...Internet strangers know more than doctors do. Especially peeshes...

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  • lizzielu82lizzielu82 member
    mommymeg143 said:
    AStewartBU said:
    I had a dr appt yesterday-- I mentioned slight swelling that goes away overnight---she wasn't concerned as that is a typical pregnancy symptom this late in the game. Pre eclampsia is sudden, dramatic, and would be accompanied by protein in urine (I have none). I'm merely asking about normal pregnancy symptomatic swelling.
    Preeclampsia is not always accompanied by protein in your urine. 

    If you had your OB appnt yesterday, why didn't you ask her about solutions to prevent the swelling? 
    ----Quote Box Fail---- Because...duh...Internet strangers know more than doctors do. Especially peeshes...
    @mommymeg143 You can just call me Dr. Peesh ;)
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  • AStewartBUAStewartBU member
    Wow, now I know why people leave this group bc they get snide answers from people like you.
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  • tamarninatamarnina member
    Assuming you and your doctor have discussed it, and you don't have some worry for pre-e, here's what I have done (I have lots of swelling with no other symptoms). 

    -Walking at work as much as possible. I now force myself to walk to the other floor in my office rather than calling or emailing people downstairs. The more I walk, the less I swell. If I just sit at my desk all day, I will have ridiculous ankles by the end of the day.
    -Prop up my feet at work. I have two boxes under my desk and I rest my feet on them when I can.
    -Compression stockings when needed.
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  • stacyslostacyslo member
    dnetherl said:

    My biggest relief is sleeping with a pillow between my legs.  This improves circulation during the night and allows that fluid/blood to flow to other areas of the body instead of puddling in your feet and staying there.  


    I also elevate my feet on a box under my desk (I know you don't have that luxury being a teacher).  I also elevate my feet on an ottoman in the evenings when I am home.

    Another solution, albeit strange, is wrapping your feet in cabbage leaves.  I did this once, and it did help a little.  I used ace bandages to wrap the leaves around my feet.  I left it on for a few hours. 

    Lastly, I recently discovered epsom salt baths, which help a little with the swelling but moreso with joint pain.   
    Side note about the cabbage leaves, it also works wonders for engorged breasts when your milk comes in. My lactation consultant had me do this and it works after about 8 hours!
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  • moroccojademoroccojade member
    My TCM doctor did acupuncture to deflate mine in my first pregnancy.  (One treatment -- the next day they were gone and never came back.)

    This pregnancy I started seeing the same doctor in the first trimester.  She said that the work she had done would probably be enough for me not to have any issues at all this pregnancy.  (She was right.  Bony ankles and feet over here all throughout.  They are glorious and I do not take them for granted.)
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  • missnacholovermissnacholover member
    AStewartBU said:
    Mommymeg143-- you are absolutely right-- I have received some very nice advice from this board-- and thank you for that-- I think it was the snide comment from you that was trying to make me feel like an idiot "because duh--Internet strangers know more than doctors do" that made me feel very unsupported in this journey. I would never make a comment like that to another mommy to be-- it was hurtful to assume that I don't talk to my doctor-- like I'm putting my baby at risk, which I'm most certainly not. I was just asking what other moms do for slight swelling-- which is a very common pregnancy symptom. And I know there are a lot of ladies on this board with a lot if good advice to offer, so why not ask for that sage advice?
    Oh honey, lighten up.  We like to joke and poke fun around these parts. 
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  • AStewartBUAStewartBU member
    I'm good-- and if it was light hearted-- awesome. I think we all need to remember tone cannot be read through posts--much like email and texts
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  • HardwrkrHardwrkr member
    All she did was ask a question- common question, so why is the sarcasm required? The reply didn't come across like a joke.
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  • silverwings72silverwings72 member
    edited October 2014
    @AStewartBU‌ and @Hardwrkr‌ - Have either one of you even stopped to comment and/or support another thread on this forum?? May I suggest getting involved and introducing yourself to the awesome Mamas here?

    You got some helpful advice. Welcome to the N14 family. Feel free to engage. Most of the time we get women asking the same questions over and over again and then disappearing. Maybe that's why some answers were a little less gentle. It gets old real quick.
    Just a thought...


    Eta- words are hard, man.
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  • Deardra77Deardra77 member
    lizzielu82 said:
    AStewartBU said:
    I had a dr appt yesterday-- I mentioned slight swelling that goes away overnight---she wasn't concerned as that is a typical pregnancy symptom this late in the game. Pre eclampsia is sudden, dramatic, and would be accompanied by protein in urine (I have none). I'm merely asking about normal pregnancy symptomatic swelling.
    Preeclampsia is not always accompanied by protein in your urine. 

    If you had your OB appnt yesterday, why didn't you ask her about solutions to prevent the swelling? 
    See I thought it was they when you had high blood pressure without a history of HPB before pregnancy and no protein in your urine that it was diagnosed as pregnancy induced hypertension and if it changed and then there was protein in the urine the diagnosis changed to preeclampsia. Been reading up (really need to stop with Dr google) a ton on it due to some uncharacteristic HBP readings last week. They put it down to the stress I had going in at the time but I wanted to read up a lot on what to be in the look out for. Apparently I have pretty much every risk factor going. Being high risk I have appointment either twice. Week or 3 times a week these days so they are monitoring the heck out of me and I'm testing my own BP a couple of times a day at home too. But anyway, if protein in the urine isn't a thing why are they checking for it? And how would they know if I'm developing an issue beyond just stressing. By it not going over time I'm guessing. Anyway, to answer the original question, compression tights are awesome. I have ones that go all the way to the top of my thighs and have flown from west coast US to Europe a couple of times while pregnant and wearing them and have had zero swelling. That's a real test of effectiveness! Make sure to stay hydrated and feet up when you can is all other I can think of. Good luck!
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  • kkewhitneykkewhitney member
    I don't have much to add, just a note on baths. As previously stated it's best to ask care providers, but to pass on the advice of my midwife, only have an Epsom salts bath for twenty minutes. Apparently until twenty minutes it relieves swelling and sucks all the excess out (osmosis magic?) but after twenty minutes our bodies will suck the moisture back in. Just a tip if you find a bath or foot soak wasn't as helpful as you thought. Hope your swelling gets better! Mine's pretty nefarious and we keep checking for pre e
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  • AStewartBUAStewartBU member
    Silverwings72--yes, I've posted on several threads ;)
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  • fyreandbloodfyreandblood member
    edited October 2014
    Def google "swelling ankles during pregnancy." I did when this started early and learned some awesome techniques. Raise your feet above your belly, use a combo of heating pad and cold compress, compression socks, loose shoes, etc. Also hydrate and discuss with your doctor.
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  • MissN06MissN06 member
    My only additional thing to add (as a teacher) is I now have stools around my room (I borrowed from teachers in the building) so I am still able to move around but can sit down more then normal.  I also teach 5th graders who are good independent workers so that helps with using the stools.
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  • AStewartBUAStewartBU member
    MissN06--I started doing the same thing and it has really helped!
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