Where to get comression tights in London? (9 hour flight at 22 wks)

[NatalieDi]

Hello, fellow Talkers

First of all a very happy holiday season to all! A merry XMas (with no wine???, hm....)great New Year and all the best wishes!!

Does anyone please know where to get maternity compression tights in London? As in by going into a shop and buying a pair, not on-line?

Am going to fly for 9 hours at 21 and 23 weeks and forgot to order them weeeeeell in advance. Now with all this snow there is no chance of getting a delivery by 25th.....

Or maybe there are some alternatives? Maybe buying a regular pair and cutting the top off? Or, for example, are just compression socks sufficient?

Any advice will be most gratefuly appreciated!

I would have thought that normal flight compression socks would do the same thing and that 'maternity' has been added to some to justify raising the price.
When i flew i bought flight socks from the airport but i'd never heard of maternity flight socks.

Unless you have previous clotting issues, the ordinary flight socks should be fine as the most crucial thing is to support circulation in the calf. As long as you also drink lots of water and try to excercise your feet/ankles as much as you can.

I've not heard of maternity compression socks, but I have a pair of regular one which I got from Boots. I found them in my local branch which is quite small but I can't remember if they were in the Hosiery section or the Holiday section. Thank you for reminding me I need to get mine out for the trip to the in-laws on Boxing day (3.5 hours in "normal" weather)...
Best of luck with your journey!

I've brought flight socks from Boots at Heathrow. Don't know where they are now - DP likes to wear them in cold weather and black socks all look the same don't they?

See if your GP will prescribe some and then you don't have to pay either :)

Get flight socks from Boots, or Mothercare support maternity tights should do much the same thing.

Safe flight!

i found it really hard to find the full length ones my gp told me to wear on a 12 hour flight. ended up my friend who's a nurse had to get me a pair from work! boots, etc all had the knee high ones only. do you have any nurse friends who could get you a pair?

enjoy your holidays!

:)

Honestly - I think you need to be at pretty high risk to need the full length ones. I have had a previous clot, and only had full length stockings whilst I had the clot and it was dispersing. During my second pregnancy I was prescribed knee length stockings to wear as a precaution.

The full length ones are available from pharmacies but you need to be measured around thigh, calf, ankle and length of foot by the pharmacist to get the correct size. Quite expensive though (about £15) so you would've been better off getting a free prescription.

Thank you so very much for your advice! Very very much appreciated

Got the standard flight socks from Boots..... Two pairs in a pack for 12.99. They are all the same "compression", so the only choice was black or nude :-)

Apparently Boots only sells full length compression hosiery only on prescription anyway, at least according to my branch (a pretty big one at Liverpool Station tube). Or maybe they just could not be bothered to measure, what in the run-up for Xmas and everything :-)

So there goes the flight plan:

• flight socks
• lotsa water
• excercising ankles and feet
• walking to and fro to the loo every 5 min

Should be perfectly fine :-)

Have a brilliant Xmas break everybody, safe flight or any other travel if you plan to travel. Good digestion to you all and patience in the face of relatives and mood swings!

We can do it! (And enjoy it too!!)

Thank you again,
Natalie