Why are my feet swollen when I am six months pregnant?

Pregnancy should be a very happy thing for women, as it means they are going to become a mother and bring a new life to the family. However, pregnancy is a very painful process for women’s bodies because there is a growing fetus in their abdomen. As the fetus grows, it will cause a series of changes to the pregnant woman’s body. Swollen feet are a common phenomenon in six months of pregnancy. So what is going on?

Generally speaking, there are two possibilities for edema in the legs of pregnant women. If the edema is below the ankles, it may be due to the enlarged uterus compressing the inferior vena cava, causing poor peripheral circulation. This is a normal physiological phenomenon and generally does not require treatment. If it is above the ankle. We should consider the possibility of gestational hypertension. You need to go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time. In order to eliminate lower limb edema, in addition to avoiding excessive fatigue, changing body positions frequently, and raising the lower limbs, you can also eat more winter melon to reduce swelling. This is because winter melon contains more vitamin C, high potassium content and low sodium content, which can be a diuretic. It can reduce swelling without hurting the body's vitality for patients with hypertension, kidney disease, and edema during pregnancy.

Women in the late stages of pregnancy often experience varying degrees of edema, such as in the lower limbs, feet and face. This is mostly normal and will disappear naturally after delivery. However, if the edema is severe and accompanied by dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath, high blood pressure, oliguria and other symptoms, attention should be paid. In terms of diet, attention should be paid to controlling the intake of water and salt, and try to eat lighter food. It is best to calculate the intake of water and salt carefully to form a virtuous cycle that neither affects the development of the fetus nor causes excessive edema. At the same time, you can eat more vitamin foods, mainly light, nutritious, easily digestible and absorbable foods, and eat less fried foods and foods that are easy to produce gas and bloating, such as sweet potatoes, onions, potatoes, etc.

Women often experience varying degrees of edema during the 3rd to 7th month of pregnancy, which is more severe in the summer. Mild swelling of the feet and ankles is common, which is caused by the enlarged uterus compressing the inferior vena cava, causing blood circulation obstruction. Edema usually occurs during the day and disappears naturally after a night of bed rest. Generally, no treatment is required. If the edema does not subside after bed rest, and a depression appears when pressed with the hand and does not disappear on its own for a long time, it is called overt edema; if the edema on the surface of the body is not obvious, but the pregnant mother's urine volume decreases and her weight increases by more than 0.5 kg per week, it is called latent edema. If the edema is limited to below the knees, the condition is mild; if the edema extends above the knees, the condition is severe; if the edema has involved the vulva and lower abdomen, the patient is in critical condition: if there is edema all over the body, it means the condition is very serious. Pregnant women with edema should eat less salt, with a salt intake of 4 grams per day, and avoid eating salty foods.