how long does oedema takes to go away after giving birth?

[alux]

Sick of swollen feet. Been suffering from 6 mths and nearly crippled now with due date still a week away. I was hoping to do the active birth bit and fear this is going to hamper my progress. Cannot kneel / squat properly as it is and can only stand for about an hr before legs are terribly painful.

[alux]

READ: sick of swollen feet and LEGS.

[Roobie]

Don't know the answer Alux but bumping for you anyway....

[misdee]

dont know about pregnancy induced odema. sorry.

but the docs perscribed dh a stronger direutic and he put out 7litres of excess fluid in one night .

[Dophus]

mine took about ten days

[alux]

oh dear, here was me hoping that they would go down say, four hours after delivery. Surely they ease up some within the first 6 - 12 hrs?

[Georgiasmum]

Hi, I had horrific water retention with my daughter... i must have put on nearly a stone and a half of fluid and while it's AWFUL at the time to have elephant ankles and fat feet, it's a lot easier to shift than fat after the birth! Everyone was amazed at how quickly i lost weight - because it nearly all flushed out in about 10 days!

I know 10 days may feel like an eternity now, but i was so wrapped up in other things after the birth i hardly noticed how long it took. I felt like a supermodel the day after the birth anyway because i could finally bend down to put on my socks (the photos prove otherwise though! ) so the sheer elation of losing all that baby weight was alone a relief!

[LIZS]

I didn't have anywhere near as much of a problem as it sounds you have suffered. Just a word of warning, first time had very little fluid retention before delivery but terrible afterwards for several days due to inertia encouraged by an NHS ward routine. Make sure you get properly dressed and try to walk around as much as possible and drink as much as you can (take bottles of water in, if needs be). Second time had problems pre-delivery because of very hot weather but this went really quickly, much to my relief.

[marj]

My ankles and feet were so puffy I had to wear an old pair of trainers by the end of my pregnancy as none of my regular shoes would go anywhere near me!

I expected the swelling to go down straight away but it didnt.

Each day was a slight improvement, but then suddenly about 10 days after giving birth my ankles had reappeared overnight! Very strange, but very welcome!

[LeahE]

I agree, about ten days.

I ended up with a c-section and (whisper) they actually got WORSE after delivery. Which I hadn't been sure was physically possible. Then they didn't get any better at all the first week and I was starting to worry, but then had an intense 24-48 hour period of sweating and peeing a lot by the end of which I magically had ankles again.

[alux]

Thanks everyone. Even if my illusions of seeing my ankles within 24-48 hrs have been shattered. At least the bump won't hamper putting socks and shoes on as much.

sobernow: I see the m/w tomorrow (at 39+3). M/W has said about all they will say - except putting me on a diuretic I am sure but I don't think they will EVER say that! Not long now but throroughly pissed off at hobbling around in pain.

I have been wearing dh's shoes for about 6 weeks now. He is a 9 men's. I am a 5 women's. they are too big from heel to toe but are fine across the shoe.

My worst fear is that baby will decide to be late. I am yet to get ANY of the nearly in labour signals.

[starshaker]

i just bought lovely new trainers and they dont fit cos my feet are 2 swollen im 4 days late already and just want to wear new trainers lol

[Kelly1978]

Agree with about ten days, but mine did improve a lot in the first couple of days, it just took a longer while to go away completely. It meant by the end of 3 weks I had lost 3 stone tho!

[piffle]

sorry alux mine actually got worse the day after birth and then eased up, I worse the very unsexy socks which helped a lot, also lived in Birkenstock sandals
Sorry but after 5 days it had eased up massively.

[Dophus]

Mine also got worse before getting better. I actually managed to leave hospital (after CS) heavier than when I went in despite having laid a 7lb 11 oz egg.

Good luck!