What to do if your legs and feet are swollen during late pregnancy

In the late stages of pregnancy, a pregnant woman's body will become extra heavy, mainly due to her large belly. In addition to being bulky, many pregnant women in late pregnancy will also find that their feet are very prone to swelling in the late pregnancy. When a pregnant woman's feet become swollen, it will not only affect her mobility, but may even cause pain. So are there any ways to relieve swelling in the feet of pregnant women in late pregnancy?

How to relieve swollen legs and feet during pregnancy

1. Get enough rest: In the late pregnancy, the growing uterus compresses the veins, causing varying degrees of obstruction in the venous blood returning to the heart, leading to symptoms of edema. Especially if you stand or sit for long periods of time, the edema of the lower limbs will be more serious. Therefore, pregnant women should pay attention to sitting down and resting appropriately after standing for a long time. They should also change their posture and move their legs after sitting for a long time.

2. Correct lying posture: Sleeping on your left side can avoid compressing the veins in your lower limbs and reduce the resistance to blood return. Raising your legs when lying flat can speed up blood return, making it easier for blood to return to the heart, reducing intravenous pressure, and effectively relieve swelling of the feet during pregnancy. It can also prevent diseases such as varicose veins in the lower limbs.

3. Take appropriate walks: Walking is a very suitable exercise for expectant mothers. The contraction of the calf muscles during walking can help venous blood return to the heart smoothly.

4. Calf massage: When sitting and watching TV or chatting after a meal, the expectant father can help the expectant mother massage the calves and feet to help prevent and eliminate edema.

Reasons for swollen legs and feet in pregnant women

About half of pregnant women experience swelling (also called "edema") around their ankles, especially in the last few months of pregnancy. Edema in pregnant women is caused by increased pressure on the blood vessels in the legs and the growing baby pressing on the large veins in the groin. Water retention also makes edema more likely to occur.

To check whether there is edema, you can press your thumb on the tibia of the calf. When pressing down, the skin will obviously sink and will not recover quickly, which means there is edema.

After reading the introduction in the editor's article, you will know how to relieve swollen legs and feet in pregnant women. Pregnant women should have enough time to rest, sleep on their left side, and take appropriate walks. It is not necessary to sit when you are pregnant. In their spare time, expectant fathers should help expectant mothers massage their calves and feet, which can prevent and eliminate edema.