Let's talk swelling...

9513 · December 2014

I'm 33w3d and today was the first day I had to leave my wedding band behind

I then came home from a ten hour shift (plus an hour commute on each end), ate dinner, went to change and noticed that my ankles are now swollen. Are you ladies doing anything for this? Is there anything I can do?

BookitBoo · December 2014

I'm waking up with pretty bad hand swelling, and by the end of the day my feet are swollen too. I don't think there is much to be done except drink lots of water, cut back sodium and try to rest.

It sucks

llambrose · December 2014

I had a lot of swelling with my first, my rings came off around month 6 or 7 and stayed off and whenever possible I tried to just keep my feet elevated or they would puff up terribly. I had swelling in both legs, the whole leg, and was super uncomfortable. My daughter was born in early September so I think the heat/summer may have been a factor. This time I have had some lower leg/ankle swelling but not too bad. It was worse in the summer. I find that if I sit for the whole day at my desk, it tends to be bad but if I move around more, I can avoid it.

MKateG · December 2014

Yea I'm having this too. My hands aren't too bad, not to the point of being obvious and uncomfortable, but my wedding band is too tight. My feet and legs have been swelling pretty bad the only thing that helps is elevating them and drinking tons of water. But yea it sucks!

9513 · December 2014

My feet are currently elevated. This may be a stupid question, but I honestly have no idea... Will swelling have an impact on anything? I know it's normal and I will try to prevent it, but what does it do (in pregnancy)? I've had an increased amount of sodium this weekend in comparison to my normal intake so I'm sure that's making a difference.

llambrose · December 2014

Swelling can be indicative of other things but can also just be a normal part of pregnancy. My swelling never worried my doctor and never caused any issues beyond being uncomfortable. It went away for me shortly after delivery. I have read that sudden or extreme swelling or swelling on one side is a concern and you should call your doctor but normal swelling shouldn't cause any major problems.

MKateG · December 2014

It won't harm you or the babies, swelling that comes and goes is normal. Although, if its sudden/extreme you should let your dr know add that could be a sign of pre-e. (More symptoms can go along with that like headache and vision changes) Also, if the swelling is obviously uneven, accompanied by pain in calf or redness and warmth, that could be sign of clot. (This is not medical advice) That's just my little nursing tid bit, if you have concerns about your swelling talk to your dr about it so he can tell you when you should call him. :-)

emilyp2013 · December 2014

Yep. Soaking legs and feet in Epsom salt bath helps with those as does compression stockings and putting feet up. Hands not much to be done. I guess you could soak them in Epsom salt water, too, but not sure it'll get your rings back on.

BookitBoo · December 2014

What about compression socks? Would those help?

emilyp2013 · December 2014

@BookitBoo‌ , my medium compression stockings work wonders when I put them on first thing in the morning.

BookitBoo · December 2014

I'm going to be the pregnant woman with compression socks on her hands

MKateG · December 2014

I tried epson salt soak for my feet but didn't have any luck with it

maybe I didn't use enough? Idk

GromMom · December 2014

My cnm had me in a low sodium diabetic diet with the addition of a b6 vitamin in the morning on my last pregnancy. The b6 really did help with swelling, in fact I made a mental note to take it tomorrow morning when I wake. You do not want to take b6 at night though, because it makes you pee. It helped my swelling feet last time and I just noticed my left foot was swollen tonight.

carlyraesunshine · December 2014

My doctor told me to try and cut back on how much sodium I eat and also to try and keep my feet propped up as much as I can because I work at a desk for the majority of the day but when I mentioned the swelling in my hands she said it also sounds like maybe I need more electrolytes, I drink a lot of water, I mean A LOT, I always have, never been a fan of drinking much of anything else so she suggested for me to start drinking sugar free Gatorade since it has added electrolytes. she told me to still keep drinking lots of water as well but to try drinking the Gatorade also and she said I should hopefully start seeing a difference.

9513 · December 2014

Thanks ladies! I will try the Gatorade and the Epsom salt bath. Gatorade is almost like wine, right?

I'm blaming my sodium intake on the fact that it was thanksgiving weekend. Let's hope it clears up!

shannjohnston · December 2014

I'm not as bad this time around as I was with DS - I think the colder weather helps. I'm also making it a point to sit as much as possible.

I put my rings back on today after having them off for the weekend. They're tighter than usual, but I could still twist them off if I had too. There are definitely some shoes I just avoid at this point, but most of my ballet flats are still okay.

Make sure if you reduce sodium that you don't take it out completely - that will cause your body to swell even more:

"Wondering if cutting back on salt will help ease the puff? That depends on how much salt you're eating in the first place. Doctors used to recommend a low-sodium diet during pregnancy (which really made satisfying those pickles-and-ice-cream cravings a lot tougher), but thankfully no longer do. A moderate amount of salt (salting to taste at the table, eating lightly salted foods) actually helps your body regulate fluids — plus, dramatically cutting back on sodium isn't good for the baby. But before you polish off that pickle jar (and whether or not you were planning to dip the dills first in rocky road), keep in mind that too much salt isn't healthy for anyone (pregnant or not) — and it can even pump up the puffing. The bottom line? Salt, but don't oversalt (give yourself a one or two pickle per sitting limit, skip the heavily salted snacks, get in the habit of tasting before sprinkling, let it rain but not pour)."

https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/eating-well/week-35/salt-and-swelling.aspx

robsbabygirl08 · December 2014

I woke up Thursday with horrible swelling to the point I couldn't make a fist. They have been like that since then. I took my BP just to be safe and it was 113/71 so I'm not worried about it. It's just a pain to have to deal with. Looking forward to all the peeing to flush all this extra fluid after baby is born.

efujan · December 2014

I had bad swelling with my first. This time, so far, I've not had any to speak of. Definitely watch the sodium intake, increase your water, and my doctor also instructed me to eat high-potassium foods (salmon in moderation, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas, avocados, spinach & other dark greens), because they help eliminate excess fluid from the body. Maybe that's what's helping me keep swelling at bay this go-round, but I've got my compression socks from pregnancy #1 that are ready to go if I need them!!

infinity092813 · December 2014

Really depends on the day for me. Some days my feet swell more than others. The best solution is a foot massage by DH.

longcat07 · December 2014

i have some cheap medium pressure compression socks from target that i've started putting on before being on my feet for the day and they've kept my feet looking pretty normal, when otherwise they'd be grotesque elephant feet, lol. i'll say one thing though...regular socks are a challenge to put on at this point. compression socks are way worse. they're worth it though.

whitehousehall · December 2014

I had to wedge off my wedding ring last week. I bought a super cheap simple one off walmart.com a couple sizes up to wear for these last 5 weeks. My ankles look ridiculous after work, but thankfully my work shoes are kind of like crocs so there's plenty of room in there.

mmur76 · December 2014

I've still been able to wear my wedding/engagement rings so far, but they seem to be getting a little bit tighter each day... I hope I can wear them up until the end!

GirlWithAnchors · December 2014

For me the hand swelling usually flares up at night and last through the morning but the rest of the day I'm okay. I just take my ring off at night and set it next to me on my nightstand and in the morning if it fits I'll leave it on but if not it's not really a big deal lol but my feet get swollen almost everyday. I just elevate and drink water. I rarely use salt in anything I cook and I always keep an eye out for it when we go out to eat or junk foods so my salt intake is usually very low, I haven't tried the socks but at this rate I might have to pick up a pair.