Pregnancy is a beautiful but often trying time for the couple. The bliss of having a baby with your loved one is a great feeling but the period often comes with many difficulties such as nausea, morning sickness, unable to eat much, swelling in legs etc. and these are just a few of the many problems that the couple faces.
Swelling in legs is a very common problem during the period of pregnancy. It happens due to various reasons. It is preventable and treatable and is not considered to be a big problem although it does cause discomfort.
Read on to know everything about swelling in legs during pregnancy.
What Is Leg Swelling?
Leg swelling can occur in any part of the legs which include feet, calves, thighs, ankles etc. It can result from water retention or due to injury and inflammation.
It also happens when the growing womb creates pressure on the body of the pregnant woman and affects the blood flow which leads to retention of fluids in the ankles and thus swelling! The lLack of physical activity and sitting for long hours with legs in a single position for the long duration results in swelling in legs too.
Methods To Reduce Leg Swelling
Although with time, the swelling reduces on its own but, you can try the following to ensure you don’t have swelling in legs anymore:
Wear comfortable socks and shoes
● Avoid wearing tight clothes straps
● Avoid standing and/or sitting for too long
● Drink as much water as you can- this will help flush out the toxins as well as excess water from the body.
● Elevate your legs as much as possible.
● Take rest
● Go for massages
● Go for foot exercises- these will ensure blood flow to the legs therefore reducing the swelling
● Go for walks- short walks in intervals during the whole day allows for a great blood circulation in the body and helps in keeping the pregnant woman in better fitness and health.
When Do Feet Swell During Pregnancy
Pregnancy causes a hormonal surge in the body of a pregnant woman. This leads to many outcomes like the baby’s growth , providing nutrition to the baby. growing bump, growing uterus etc. A pregnant woman gets swelling in legs due to water retention, standing up or even sitting for longer durations, not drinking enough water, growing in the womb which causes pressure on the pregnant woman and affects blood flow in the body leading to retention of the fluids in the legs.
Swelling also occurs due to hot and humid weather which leads to water retention and exhaustion in the body.
FAQs
How can I reduce swelling in my legs during pregnancy?
Leg swelling in pregnancy is a very common phenomenon. Pregnant ladies can’t work out as quickly as normal ones which affect the blood flow in their body and leads to fluid retention in their ankles, feet, calves, thighs etc.
Swelling can be reduced by:
● Walking more often
● Not sitting or standing for long hours
● Taking rest as and when you see there is swelling
● Drinking at least 8 glasses of water in a day so that the excess water is removed from the body
What causes a pregnant woman’s leg to swell?
Swelling in legs and feet during pregnancy is caused by several factors some of which are as follows:
● Standing or sitting for long hours
● Water retention in the ankles
● Not taking proper sleep or rest
● Hot and humid weather causes swelling too
● Growing a baby puts pressure on the body of the female which affects blood flow to the legs.
Is it okay to have swelling during pregnancy?
Pregnancy is a very beautiful time period of a couple’s life. It sees a surge of hormones in the female’s body which causes several positive changes in her such as beautiful skin, beautiful hair, glow on the face etc. The same hormonal surge also causes restlessness, breathlessness, nausea etc. One such discomfort that arises is the swelling of legs. Legs hold all the body weight and bear the brunt of daily tasks and activities. When a pregnant woman does tasks by standing up all day or by sitting through the day, she gets swollen legs. Swollen legs are also caused by the growing baby bump which changes the way blood flows to the legs of the mom-to-be.
Pregnant women should take care of their health and well-being once PregaNews confirms the good news. They should make sure to take the necessary steps to reduce leg swelling and ease the feeling of discomfort, else it could impair movement and aggravate the situation.
