When you are pregnant, your body will begin to retain more water than normal and due to the fact that of this, it is common to experience swelling in different parts of the body such as the legs, feet and ankles. Postpartum swelling that impacts your hands and feet is likewise referred to as edema and takes place if blood and fluid are caught in your body’s tissues.
In many cases this postpartum swelling will naturally reduce after you give birth. There are some things that you can do to help lessen the swelling both throughout pregnancy and later on.
Causes for Water Retention in Legs and Feet after Pregnancy
The swelling of the hands and feet associated with pregnancy can vary from female to female, ranging from severe to moderate. The swelling can lead to the skin having a look that is stretched, inflamed, puffy or shiny. In many cases, pressing down on the skin may lead to it staying sunken in for a couple of seconds. In addition to impacting your hands and feet, pregnancy relevant swelling can also influence other areas of the body such as your legs, ankles and abdominal areas.
Why it is happen?
Water retention in feet, or edema, is due to the additional water that your body keeps throughout pregnancy. In fact, the majority of the weight gain that is connected with pregnancy is due to water retention as the extra fluid will help your tissues handle the baby’s growth and prepare your pelvic area for safe labor.
At the later stages in pregnancy, your uterus will be bigger and therefore exert increased pressure on the veins that offer the blood supply for your feet and legs, consequently affecting the blood flow and enhancing the fluid retention. This swelling must gradually recede after you give birth because your body will be getting rid of the extra fluid.
How the Swelling Recedes
This progressive reduction in swelling need to take place during around a week. During the procedure your kidneys participate in most of the elimination of excess fluids which leads to increased urination. In addition to urinating more often immediately after pregnancy, added fluids will be excreted through your pores in the form of sweat.
When to Worry
In nearly all cases postpartum water retention in legs is absolutely nothing to be worried about as every female will experience it after pregnancy. It is possible, however, for complications to occur and it is essential to call your doctor if your swelling lasts for more than a week after giving birth. You must likewise contact your doctor if you have leg pain or bad headaches as either can show high blood pressure. If the swelling is connected with severe pain or just on one side, you ought to contact your healthcare company to look for blood clots.
How to Ease Swollen Feet after Pregnancy
| Rest and proper posture | You ought to aim to rest as much as you can, preferable with your feet greater than your hips. You should also to prevent crossing your legs. If you have to represent a long time, attempt to shift your weight between feet and sit whenever possible. |
| Massage | Ask your better half to carefully massage your legs and feet starting at the bottom and working up. (Only do this if it is not unpleasant for you). |
| Soak your feet with essential oils | You ought to try not to use aromatherapy essential oils throughout the massage but if you desire, you can soak your feet in a mixture of water and the oils. Cypress oil can help with varicose veins and blood circulation while chamomile and lavender oil can reduce pain. |
| Apply cabbage leaves | Wipe cool (cooled, not frozen) white or green cabbage leaves on your swollen areas as this will extract some excess fluid. |
| Try herbal remedy | Dandelion tea can assist prevent you from maintaining fluid but you ought to always use herbal teas in small amounts and never ever if you have gall bladder problems. |
| Acupuncture | Acupuncture can help by rebalancing the internal energies as well as assisting kidney function and circulation. |
| More remedies |
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How to Prevent Water Retention in Legs after Pregnancy
It is not always possible to avoid your feet from becoming swollen throughout pregnancy however taking particular steps can reduce the intensity of the swelling. This suggests that your legs and feet are less likely to end up being uncomfortable and tender.
The best method to avoid severe swelling is to take in a balanced diet which will imply you will not get excess weight during your pregnancy.
- Making sure that your diet is balanced, make certain to include a little bit of lean protein at each meal. Good examples consist of poultry, meat, eggs, vegetables and beans.
- In addition, you should take notice of your fruit and vegetable consumption, aiming to take in at least 5 parts of this food group daily.
- You need to also reduce your usage of sugar, fat and salt and enhance the quantity of water you drink. Drinking more water will help the kidneys filter out any excess fluid.
- You need to likewise focus on which foods are natural diuretics as these can assist your kidneys stay healthy and permit you to urinate regularly, lowering the water retention. Some natural diuretics are citrus fruits, apples, little amounts of parsley, watercress and celery but you must constantly take care not to obtain dehydrated.
- You can likewise aim to eat more garlic and onion to improve your body’s flow.
- In addition to preventing sugar, fat and salt, you need to also avoid pre-packaged or processed foods when you can as these will increase fluid retention due to their high salt and additive content.
- Instead, you need to concentrate on foods that contain a great deal of vitamin C and vitamin E. To get vitamin C, attempt eating more broccoli, cabbage, strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, melons, red and green peppers and citrus fruits. To enhance your intake of vitamin E, eat more corn oil margarine, almonds and cashews, sweetcorn, wheat germ, sunflower seeds and vegetable oils (such as wheat germ, corn and soy).
- You should also aim to quit cigarette smoking, not just for your baby’s health but also to decrease the swelling associated with pregnancy.
