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WOMEN'S & CHILDREN'S | Family Maternity Center | Pregnancy Resource Center | Pregnancy Library | Pregnancy Tips | Beautiful You: Keep feet happy during pregnancy
Beautiful You: Keep feet happy during pregnancy
Can you believe your feet will grow a half size to a full size during the nine months that you are pregnant? It's true. Many pregnant women's feet grow right along with the baby. For some, the change in size is permanent.
Even more common than permanent foot growth is swollen feet during pregnancy. This is because the blood vessels dilate (get wider) in the legs. When that happens more fluid is released, and this causes swelling in the feet. Usually, swollen feet don't indicate a problem, but it can signal preeclampsia. This is a serious condition during pregnancy that can threaten the health of the fetus and the mother. Consult your healthcare provider.
For pregnancy-related swollen feet, here are some tips for easing discomfort:
- Rest on your left side. This reduces pressure on major blood vessels to the heart and kidneys.
- Lie flat on the floor and put your feet up on a couch or against a wall. You can also use pillows to raise your legs to at least a 45-degree angle.
- Lie in the bathtub. Water pressure puts more fluid back into your blood vessels.
- Ask your doctor for thick, tight "hospital stockings." These may not win you any awards for fashion, but they do reduce swelling. Worn under a long skirt or dress, they're hardly noticeable.
- Wear an arch support to help support the extra weight your feet will be carrying.
- Wear athletic or running shoes with a roomy toe box.
You say no to running shoes and support stockings? Too unattractive? Your foot is a network of 26 bones, 29 joints, and many muscles. On average, you take several thousand steps each day. Each step and every sport in which you participate places great pressure on the foot and ankle, according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. So consider doing what's comfortable and healthy for your feet.
When you're buying shoes...
- Buy shoes at the end of the day, after work or after exercising. Earlier in the day your feet are at their smallest and you may purchase shoes which are too tight.
- Measure both feet. No two feet are the same size. Then buy shoes for the bigger foot.
- You should be able to wiggle your toes in the shoes. If you can't, the shoes are probably too small.
- Don't go by the theory that shoes will "stretch" after you wear them. They should feel good when you try them on.
- There should be no pinching across the widest part of your foot.
- Remember that your feet won't breathe in a vinyl shoe. Consider cotton or leather instead. Also, a lightweight shoe may feel better at first, but a heavier shoe will provide more support.
Date last reviewed: October 2002.
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