Varicose veins

[bluebeanie]

Hi everyone. I'm 27 weeks gone and I've gradually developed a horrible purple patch of varicose veins on the side of one leg below the knee.

My midwife has suggested going to my GP to get it checked out. That'll be next week. It only throbs a bit if I've been standing for a while or at the very end of the day. I wear those delightful compression socks as soon as I get in from work, although I have some nasty cramp at night which I am not sure is related.

I've gained the 'correct' amount of weight so far (and was slightly underweight pre-pregnancy) and tbh pregnancy hasn't treated me too badly on the whole, but I am still gutted that I can't wear shorts and feel too self-conscious to go swimming, which I loved to do in the early months.

Really, I have two questions: Will they go once I've given birth?
Will it affect my hopes of a water birth?

Any advice would be really helpful please.

Hi bluebeanie- another fellow sufferer here!

Depending on what your doctor says, and what compression socks you are already wearing, it might be worth asking for some compression stockings that you get on prescription. My veins are now so bad that I am on the class 3 ones (a bugger to get on and off), but class 2 should be ok for just one patch.

They do tend to improve post delivery but mine have never gone away completely I have to say. (and they've got worse with each subsequent pregnancy).

AFAIK, it shouldn't affect your wish for a water birth. I'm planning a home birth and nothing has been mentioned about veins being a risk factor.