Ankles and feet feel like they'll burst! Any tips?

[MrsHelenBee]

Hi everyone,
I'm 36wks pg with my second child and have really painful, swollen feet and ankles. It's horrible!
The skin, especially across the bridge of my feet, feels like it's going to split, and I can't bear anything touching it - I can't get socks on and any shoes feel like they've shrunk several sizes! I'm wearing the loosest sandals I own and even they're agony to walk in. They leave purple dents!!
I've got my feet up as much a I can, but it doesn't seem to make any difference, and they'renow just as swollen and unsightly when I wake in the morning as when I went to bed. I feel like I want to rub them but it really hurts (not to mention the issue of actually reaching my feet now!)

Does anyone out there have any tips, or found anything worked to relieve the pressure?

one of them footspa type things from somewhere like argos?

always helped with my tired feet..

I really for you I had the same problem. I used to sleep with my feet raised at night on 2 pillows helped slightly. I also found putting them in a bowl of cold water offered some relief. It can take a while after the birth to go down as well. I also used to sit doing the movements they tell you to do when on a plane. Good luck hope you start to feel more comfortable soon.

Acupuncture helped me a bit.

I wore flight socks when pg.

Drink loads of water.

I had dreadful odema last pg and have been mainlining water to avoid it this time. Unfortunately I think some pregnancies are just prone to it though :(

Lie on the floor and rest your feet on the wall. The coolness plus elevation helps.

has the swelling come on suddenly? Has your midwife seen you since it happened?

The pregnancy compression tight things were amazing during my first pregnancy. A bugger to get on and off but provided some relief. DH had to put them on and take them off for me.

I agree that you need to speak to midwife particularly if its come on suddenly. Worthwhile for monitoring.

You need to get your bp checked ASAP.

Find a decent Vodder (or Föeldi schule) trained MLD massagetherapist. Manual lymphatic drainage should sort you out. Look on Vodderschool.com (can't link on phone) for one in your area.

I use it to keep my lymphoedema down during the summer months/pregnancy/when I can afford it. Really relaxing too, although be warned, you'll pee like a racehorse afterwards!

Nothing helped at all with me - mine did split . It was worse in the pregnancy where I had pre-eclampsia. Have you been checked for that?

It took a good few weeks after the birth to get back to normal too. You're almost there though!

Oh, and google 'simple lymphatic drainage' for a version you can do on yourself. Is a really gentle, rhythmic circular motion.

I agree about getting blood pressure checked.

urine tested recently?

foot rubs helped me a bit

I had the pillow under my mattress rather than resting my feet directly on the pillows. That way it doesn't matter what position you lie in, your feet are still elevated.

Sympathies OP, it's a horrible feeling!

I have this at 34 weeks and found that sleeping with two huge pillows under my feet at night, plus elevating them as much as possible during the day really helped. Just got back from a business trip and two days of meetings and rushing around London, plus with a flight each way, has put me back at square 1! They are like watermelons right now.

I have had raised blood pressure during the pregnancy but not pre eclampsia which is the big risk. Speak to your doctor or midwife about it.

And dh does regular foot and leg rubs. That helps too.

Does the swelling go down at night? If not then do get your BP checked. I had this too and it was hateful. Raising my feet as high as possible helped a bit (I lay with them up the wall as often as poss). They went right down after the baby was born so hang in there :-/

Get checked first for pre eclampsia. If all normal, I would get flight socks and pregnancy tights (the Solidea ones are fantastic). I had huge swelling with my first and they really saved the day. My mum has tons of varicose veins due to pregnancy but I escaped that fate which I am convinced is down to wearing the compression socks religiously. I read somewhere Epsom salt baths are also good.

Oh wow, thans everyone, so much amazing advice and loads of tips - I REALLY appreciate it!
In my pre-pg days, I used to do a lot of yoga, and I loved being on the floor with my legs up the wall, felt amazing after a long day at work. Unfortunately, I have chronic SPD (as I did in my first pg too) and I actually can't get on the floor at all any more. My bed isn't very low but DH has to help me in and out of it a.m and p.m as the pain's so bad, and I can't get close enough to the wall to try legs up. The SPD is a lot worse when I try to support myself with pillows - the irony! I can't seem to raise my legs in any way that doesn't leave me in agony.
I'm drinking as much as I can, despite the agonising trips upstairs as I always need the loo (oh for a downstairs cloaks!!!)
I've asked DH to rub my feet and he's been only too pleased to try to help. It's almost unbearable to tolerate the pressure but I've asked him to persist, even if I do swear!
Quite keen to look into the lymphatic drainage, even if it's just me or DH giving it a go for me.

Had a MW appt today so I asked about it then - flight/compression socks discussed and I'm certainly going to give that a go. She felt my feet and was happy that the mark from her finger disappeared within a few seconds.
The issue of pre-eclampsia as discussed as there's protein in my urine and my BP was higher than it has been, and the swelling has been very noticeably worse in the last week or so. Also been getting a lot of twinkly-type visual disturbance. I feel ok, and have always suffered with migraines, so put the twinkliness down to that. Anyway, being tested for pre-eclampsia and hoping it's nothing like that.
Hearing so many of you have had it or are experiencing it now is reassuring - strength in numbers and all that! - but I wouldn't wish this on anyone, so I feel for all of us now!

Thanks everyone for your feedback, really comforting to know you're not alone, especially when you're nearing the end and getting tired and emotional!

i had pe and the swelling was horrible - i can still remember my poor swollen feet! hope it is not pe for you, but good they are monitoring you.

Really glad you had it checked out and that they're monitoring you. I remember that it feels better even to know that you're on their radar iyswim.

The swelling and bp increase kicked in from about 36 weeks with my first pg and meant I had extra appointments. By 39+1 it was going in the wrong direction so I was induced. With second pg I had similar but it stayed just within limits so no induction (cs for misdiagnosed breech at 40+1) but that's another story!)

Take care op and have all the foot massages you can!

I'm only 18 weeks and I have this. My lower legs and ankles are puffy by the end of the day and feel so uncomfortable! Flight socks should help - I might buy some tomorrow. Avoid salty foods too.