Swollen feet and cankles!

bbrennanlmt · September 2015

I'm 33 weeks and it seems my feet, ankles and hands keep swelling! I've tried elevating, icing, compression, Epsom baths....nothing is helping! Any good suggestions? None of my shoes or sneakers are comfortable anymore!

MercyC1130 · September 2015

Stretch as much as you can and get your blood flowing. Really try laying on your left side at night. Cut out as much salt as you can. Avoid sitting or standing in same position for so long. Massage your ankles and feet. Lots of water. Make sure bp is good! Warm compressions make more sense than icing.
If all else fails cry and hope for last few weeks or so to go by quickly.
So far all that has done okay by me

Goodluck

Bettytteb · September 2015

I'm right there with you. My prenatal yoga teacher suggested eating watermelon daily and laying on the floor with my feet up the wall for like 10 mins a few time a day. When I am able to actually do that it seems to help a bit, but it's still pretty bothersome.

lakesideknitter · September 2015

I was so depressed when I went to put on my tall boots and realized that my feet still fit in them if I have thin socks or tights on (I normally wear them with thick wool socks and leg warmers), but they don't fit comfortably over my calves anymore, even with just leggings on.

(

Knottie16832459 · September 2015

I went to the beach this weekend, came back to get my bathing suit and couldn't find my ankle. Turns out you just need to be around salt water to swell. Awesome. Btw, I have chicken legs normally, like freakish sticks poking out of my shorts with knobby ankles and feet. No more...

Edited for addition - Oh, and my engagement and wedding rings have been off for a month, it took 2 grown men and a bottle of oil to do that.

Let's see those swollen hands and feet! Lol

Pontot31 · September 2015

Last pregnancy I stayed swollen from about 30 weeks on. Pretty much from my knees down. It got even worse for about a week after she was born. I tried everything and just kept gaining water weight.

This time I have no swelling. The only difference I can tell us I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and the GD diet is helping me a ton. My midwife said the lack of sugar and carbs plus the exercise I've been getting is keeping the fluid from building up.
You might want to try a higher protein and lower carb diet and see if that helps some.

urby87 · September 2015

I don't feel like my swelling has been terrible, but I do have thick calves and wide-ish feet to begin with, and I definitely understand the sorrow that comes from being unable to put on a tall boot. I apparently also have tall feet, as I have trouble with all of the cute strappy sandals in the Summer. I generally stick with ballet flats or boat shoes.

rice0308 · September 2015

I've had consistent swelling since 28 weeks. I have tried IT ALL. Everything you listed. Nothing works. The only thing that brings it down is walking. My husband plays disc golf on the weekends so I go with him now and started playing. On average, I'm walking/hiking three miles each time. Through the week is when it's at its worst because I sit at a desk for nine hours. I go home and we walk the dogs for about half an hour. I've been doing this for about three weeks now and sometimes it brings the swelling all the way down and other times it brings it down enough to not hurt. I would highly recommend being up an active. It's hard if you aren't already active. I hate walking, but disc golf gives me small breaks and an end goal which makes its easier. Also, make sure you are drinking at least 120oz of water a day. Or a gallon. Every. Single. Day. I'm also 33 weeks! We are almost there! I will say though, I was devastated when I realized that I couldn't weary boots. I'm rocking the fall style with flip flops!!!

MercyC1130 · September 2015

Is anyone else getting swollen thighs?? It's uncomfortable and hideous. I haven't worn shorts in soo long and this is a hot Florida summer... My ankles and everything else are a little swollen but mostly they are fine. I've always been a tad self conscious about my thighs but they are...I don't know...I don't recognize them lately...past couple days it's really getting to me, too.

rice0308 · September 2015

I've experienced swelling everywhere. We had to cut my wedding rings off a few weeks ago. I do experience swelling in my calves and thighs though. It was SO hard to wear maternity shorts over the summer because my thighs would rub together and work the fabric upwards, which resulted in backwards camel toe! It was terrible! I pretty much wore skirts all summer!

Knottie16832459 · September 2015

Swollen thighs here, too. Shorts that I bought a month ago cut into my thighs like mean little suffocation devices. I can't wait until it goes away. I agree with @rice0308, staying active is the best defense, but yesterday I did have to lay down and sleep for 12 hours to get my feet where I could bend them. My MW isn't worried about it so it which is good, looks like I'm just going to have to suck it up and change my routine.

dmiller1213 · September 2015

anikajoy said:
I was so depressed when I went to put on my tall boots and realized that my feet still fit in them if I have thin socks or tights on (I normally wear them with thick wool socks and leg warmers), but they don't fit comfortably over my calves anymore, even with just leggings on. (

On a side note, I'm super jealous that wherever you live, it's time to wear boots and leggings.

Knottie16832459 · September 2015

dmiller1213 said:

anikajoy said:
I was so depressed when I went to put on my tall boots and realized that my feet still fit in them if I have thin socks or tights on (I normally wear them with thick wool socks and leg warmers), but they don't fit comfortably over my calves anymore, even with just leggings on. (
On a side note, I'm super jealous that wherever you live, it's time to wear boots and leggings.

Right?? I still have boob sweat going on over here. Which, when I was an A cup 8 months ago, I didn't know was a real thing...

geologynerd · September 2015

I scraped my windshield this morning. I'm hoping I can keep wearing my Crocs and no jacket as long as possible. My feet are officially a size 10E up from an 8.5

FilmFreak933 · September 2015

My feet/ankles have been swollen since about 12 weeks, and I'm 33 now. Nothing truly gets the swelling all the way down. At this point, they've been swollen so long they're now painful to the touch. I try a little bit of everything to help with the pain. I've started swimming once a week to get some activity in since I can't walk very far due to the foot pain. I wear compression socks. I get massages every other week and she focuses a lot on my feet. Probably the most helpful thing I've found is extreme elevation - getting my feet above my heart. We have a padded headboard, so I lay the wrong way on the bed very close to it with a bunch of pillows under my head and back and just throw them the legs up as close to vertical as I can for as long as I can, and sometimes I'll put an ice pack on while I'm at it. They may not look smaller when I'm done, but I can feel the difference almost immediately.

maurahalp · September 2015

Mine has only started lately and today we had VIP visitors in work and I went to put on my 'good work' shoes. They wouldn't fit, I felt like Cinderella's step sister!! To those that have been having this for weeks I really feel for you.
One thing I did in prenatal yoga and have found good is rolling a ball under my foot. It can be a tennis ball, golf ball anything that size. Rolling it from between the toes to the heal. It gets my circulation going again which also makes me feel good.

NancyG1661 · September 2015

My feet and ankles swell mostly at work despite how much I get up and move or try to put them up. And I work with a bunch of jerks who constantly feel the need to point it out. "Wow those puppies have swelled up huge!" Ugh. I despise people sometimes.

savyjohn1 · September 2015

Try freezing a bottled water and rolling it under your feet. Feels great!!!

gvgauthi · October 2015

Had to bring this thread back... Had no problems with swelling till this past week. Had to start taking procardia last week for preterm labor and have gained 5lbs in 4 days from the water retention!!! My ankles are gone and my thighs on down to my feet are ridiculously swollen. Compression stockings have done little and I'm still working full time in an operating room. Hoping this trend doesn't continue for another 8 weeks

helsbels222 · October 2015

With DS I had major swelling in my calves, ankles, and feet from about week 24 through the end. This time I've only had minor swelling that goes away. The difference is that I am more active and drinking much more water... a lot more.

Try increasing your water intake during the day.

gvgauthi · October 2015

helsbels222 said:
With DS I had major swelling in my calves, ankles, and feet from about week 24 through the end. This time I've only had minor swelling that goes away. The difference is that I am more active and drinking much more water... a lot more.

Try increasing your water intake during the day.

Yeah that's what my OB told me and I drink about 3 liters a day (water only besides my ONE cup of coffee I treat myself to in the morning)Trying to drink more but I haven't seen a difference yet

Knottie16832459 · October 2015

@gvgauthi Ouch! Looks like how mine got. Mine went down a few days later, I hope yours do, too! And no one is talking about the thighs but yea, it's real. My shorts that I JUST bought are cutting rings into my thighs but the waist is still fine.

helsbels222 · October 2015

gvgauthi said:

helsbels222 said:
With DS I had major swelling in my calves, ankles, and feet from about week 24 through the end. This time I've only had minor swelling that goes away. The difference is that I am more active and drinking much more water... a lot more.

Try increasing your water intake during the day.
Yeah that's what my OB told me and I drink about 3 liters a day (water only besides my ONE cup of coffee I treat myself to in the morning)Trying to drink more but I haven't seen a difference yet

That's about as much as I'm drinking as well. Not sure why you are not seeing a difference. Perhaps ask your OB if there is anything else you can do for relief.

urby87 · October 2015

Mine has just gotten bad recently... Probably haven't had as much water the past few days, though, so maybe that's part of it.

gvgauthi · October 2015

My OB let me cut my dose of procardia to 2x a day instead of 4x so hopefully that helps!!! Other than that I'm just trying to keep off my feet when I can

fanciness123 · October 2015

The only thing that seems to help me is to literally take a day each weekend to rest and keep my feet up. It's super annoying, but seems to work well enough. I'm an elementary teacher so putting my feet up during the day is only an option during my 20-30 minute lunch break. Also, the weather is finally starting to cool down here (sacramento, ca) which helps. For those of you with fall actually in the air, let your feet breathe!

dapoint23 · October 2015

Does anyone ever have just one foot swell really bad and the other is totally normal? I took my compression socks off and the top of my right foot looked like I could pop it!

helsbels222 · October 2015

dapoint23 said:
Does anyone ever have just one foot swell really bad and the other is totally normal? I took my compression socks off and the top of my right foot looked like I could pop it!

Yes. Not exactly sure why though. I just thought it was from my broken ankle I had last year. Forgot to ask my doctor about it, but it ended up going away. Looks weird, doesn't it?

seelwood · October 2015

I just mentioned this to my dr office. One day over the weekend my feet swole randomly and my cankles felt soooo tight. She mentioned increasing my water intake and lowering my salt intake

ColoradoHiker · October 2015

It can have to do with whichever vein the baby/ uterus is putting pressure on- that can affect which side is swollen.

savyjohn1 · October 2015

Mine got terrible with my first. The only thing that helped was elevating feet over my heart and lots of water.

ashes0601 · October 2015

Yea my midwife said its the way LO is positioned

mmmynyx · October 2015

I had no swelling until 31 weeks...now I'm 37 weeks and my feet are huge! Not even sandals fit me. I went to the doctors to see what the heck was going on. I thought it was a blood clot since my left foot was worse than my right. Nothing. Not even preclampsia (which is a good thing but i wish i had some answers). This picture was at 34 weeks...now they're even worse. As soon as I stand up they start to itch and tingle like crazy...so I know they're swelling. My toes are purple and the swelling has gotten firm. Every nurse I had look at them had to make a comment about how horribly swollen they are! I've currently been even lazier (lots of bed rest) than usual so it's calmed down and stopped just a little above my knee. I'm hoping that it will go away soon...the weathers getting colder here and I don't even fit into my boots.

(

hlz128 · October 2015

My dr had me buy compression socks that are used for diabetes because mine have swollen so much and have been since 16wk or so. They help me not to swell too bad but they're tight and uncomfortable so I don't use them unless I'm going to be on myfeet a lot/long time

NathanheartsKim · October 2015

High protein, lots of water, walking, and...lemon essential oils on the feet and ankles!! Seriously!

mibarra0508 · October 2015

Take it east on salt intake and eat watermelon! ! Eating watermelon works!!

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