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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Swollen ankles & bottom of legs.......

22 replies

Mum2OneAndBump · 30/12/2005 18:40

I have swollen Ankles & also the bottom parts of my legs, they feel very hard & i have pins & needles, is there anything i should be looking out for & how do i know if this becomes anything more than just swollen legs?

I never had this with Ds so all new to me?

OP posts:

harktheheraldAIMSMUMsings · 30/12/2005 18:46

How far along are you? Has this just came on tonight all of a sudden?

Original poster

Mum2OneAndBump · 30/12/2005 18:48

I am 37+1, no i have had this before it's been on & off for about the past week or so but they are just really hurting tonight & finding it hard to walk as they feel Hard with pins & needles, Also feeling extremley hot!

OP posts:

starlover · 30/12/2005 18:49

feeling very hot can be a sign of an infection i think.... if i were you i would call nhs direct and see what they advise

harktheheraldAIMSMUMsings · 30/12/2005 18:50

Agree with Starlover, might be worth a call even just to put your mind at rest

Original poster

Mum2OneAndBump · 30/12/2005 18:57

It's all gone very strange i have felt a little better today than i have been all week, but tonight my ankles & legs have become fatter & sorer & i am starting to clam up, i feel like i am fallong apart lol i also have very itchy arms but i have had these for about a week now, i did tell the doctor on my last appt but she said it will be to do with hormones.

What sort of infection are you thinking? God i am such a worrier.

OP posts:

starlover · 30/12/2005 19:00

i have no idea! sorry, just know that when skin becomes hot to touch it can be an infection... didn't mean to worry you!
swollen ankles can also be a sign of high blood pressure... when did you last have bp checked?

Original poster

Mum2OneAndBump · 30/12/2005 19:06

I was seen on the 21st December & bp was fine then she said it was back to normal as it has been up a tad. I am due to see MW on the 5th Jan next so i could not tell you what my bp was.

I never worried about all this when pg first time round, i just seem to be thinking something bad is going to happen, i will be so glad when baby is here safe and sound.

OP posts:

Original poster

Mum2OneAndBump · 30/12/2005 19:07

My skin feels Clamy thats how i would describe it.

OP posts:

starlover · 30/12/2005 19:08

i would definitely ring nhs direct... they may be able to advise you on easing the swelling and making it more comfortable

Original poster

Mum2OneAndBump · 30/12/2005 19:10

Thanks will ring now

OP posts:

starlover · 30/12/2005 19:11

let us know what they say!

expatinscotland · 30/12/2005 19:43

See your midwife or GP. But to allay your fears, I had this with BOTH girls - so badly w/dd2 that when I touched my calves it didn't feel like my own skin.

It was gone about a week and a half after dd2 was born.

kiskidee · 30/12/2005 19:56

sounds like you are retaining a lot of water. I found the itchiness was from the skin getting so taut. Like you described, it felt hot, hard and a bit itchy. Water retention is a symptom of high bp (but does not necessarily mean you have high bp) which can also lead to pre-eclampsia. Get your bp checked tomorrow to put your mind at ease and take along a urine sample at least one internally.

I retained water from wk 25 till it got truly silly near the end but my bp stayed in the normal range right thru till week 37 with no proteins in urine. No scheduled visit was made for wk 38 as all was normal but went a day early to see the mw because of headache for wk 39. My bp was so high I was induced the next day.

Original poster

Mum2OneAndBump · 31/12/2005 15:38

Hi Sorry i never came back, i decided to call the Labour ward last night to chat to a midwife, i told her how i was feeling & explained about the swelling, They advised me to pop down to be checked over.

I went in & my urine was clear so no infection, my temp was slightly high but not worryingly & my Bp was fine, she said the swelling was probably due to the extra weight i am having to carry & water retention.
Baby was fine & they let me home last night, she said i should rest up with my feet on cusions up high, i feel alot better today & swelling has gone down just feeling very very tired but hey ho not long to go

OP posts:

tribpot · 31/12/2005 15:43

I had terribly swollen feet and calves just before ds was born, by the end I could only wear flip flops (Luckily this was June and not January!). In fact I swear I must have looked like I was going to the beach instead of to be induced, dressed in shorts, carrying a beachball/birthing ball and wearing those flip flops, hee hee.

Anyway, leg swelling is quite normal, if v uncomfortable, and as your mw says you need to get those feet up whenever possible. Hand swelling is a bit more of a worry so do watch out for that. It can be fine but I would definitely nip in and get your bp checked if you notice it happening.

All the best for January! Btw, the worst thing about the leg swelling is it doesn't go down right away after the birth, I was gutted

Original poster

Mum2OneAndBump · 31/12/2005 15:56

Thanks Tribpot

I am trying to rest & not be running around on my feet all day, i find this hard cause i am one of these people who gets frustrated & hate to sit still when i know things "need" to be done

I am lucky at the mo as i have Dp here but he is off back to work Tuesday

My hands seem ok my right hand was a tad swollen & i felt the urge to take my ring off the toher night but only cause i was scared incase it got stuck I have now left this off, but my hands seem ok now.

All these things are so new to me i never had anything when pregnant with my ds i just seemed to sail through not been to bad this time but have found myself asking more questions & reading more books as more strange things seem to be happening to my body

Anyway not long to go just want my baby here i am ready & waiting now but still "petrified" about the birth (what a wimp i am)

OP posts:

biglipskissinunderthemistletoe · 31/12/2005 16:09

better being safe than sorry

i had it around my ankles too (i had to be careful cos i had a very high blood pressure) so i just laid on the couch with feet on pillow (make sure your feet is levelled with your head) and rest for half an hour per day and you can see the difference

tribpot · 31/12/2005 19:23

I did four trips to the tip the weekend before ds was born (same weekend I was diagnosed with high bp, I reckon it was just the effort of shifting stuff to the tip in the 30 degree heat). So I know what you mean.

Funnily enough I assumed I would be calmer when my second pregnancy comes around in the future, I read a lot during the last (and only) one, and talked a lot both on MN and to my friends and family who had been through things recently.

It's really not wimpish to be scared about the birth prospect, that is definitely something where previous experience does not help to allay your fears. But I will say based on what my fellow Junies said during our season, second time is nothing like as bad as first time on the whole. Let's hope so! xxx

Original poster

Mum2OneAndBump · 31/12/2005 19:48

Oh Blimey tribpot 4 trips i actually went to the tip on thursday with ds, was having one of my "I must get rid of this rubbish days" i probably do, do to much & probably should be resting up a bit more, i have days though which i do feel totally exhausted & where i can not do much apart form wash up & hoover!

I am still very scared, i am a bit of a wimp i don't even like needles, so having my 3 bllod tests through pregnancy has been a slight hurdle for me but i done it.

I never thought i would get through the birth of my first but i did, i new he had to come out but i spent the last week & the 10 days that i was overdue crying now & then saying i could not do it. As it happened it was not a bad experience at all so i was very very grateful (someone muct have been watching over me that night) i did have all pain relief & really believe i could not have done it without, but i did & will be again going into hospital with an open mind & just taking things as they come.

I am sure i will be ok, as they say its the fear of the unknown but once your holding that special little baby that you have waiting 9 months for it's all more than worth it.

OP posts:

tribpot · 31/12/2005 22:18

Washing up and hoovering on the same day seems pretty intense to me All I can say is I viewed my labour as a stage to get through on the road to having a baby. I'm not frightened of needles though so was not concerned about that side of it. I do think you will find this labour less scary based on what my sisters in law have told me - I can't really imagine it myself, but maybe it will all come flooding back! In any event, hope it all goes well for you, take it easy and the very best of luck.

starlover · 31/12/2005 22:20

oooh only just seen this again! so glad it all turned out to be ok, and good that they got you down there to get checked out!

InternationalGirl · 02/01/2006 09:24

HI - I haven't been on the pg boards much yet but I am 27 wks and experiencing a little fluid retention - bp has been good though. Took my rings off weeks ago because I didn't want to have to cut them off. Ankles are swelling some and I only have one pair of shoes that fit but I try to put my feet up - doing a lot of that 'barefoot and pregnant' thing - hard to do when I am still working . I also have started sleeping with feet on pillow - seems to have helped a little.

I have also heard to minimize fluid retention it is best to drink just water and milk, avoid fruit juices (because of the sugar) and caffeine.

Not long to go for you now Mum2OneandBump - wish I only had a couple of weeks to go.
Try to rest - in a couple of weeks it'll be hard to keep your feet up

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