Feet/ankle swelling - when to worry?

[Cobbsgirl92]

Hello,
I’m just curious to know when you start to worry something might be wrong with swollen feet and ankles? I’m a FTM and I’m 21 weeks pregnant.
I imagine at the moment my swollen feet are down to the heat but a tiny part of my mind is worrying about pre eclampsia even though I have read that it comes with other symptoms and it’s highly unlikely this early and with solely swollen feet.

I can’t seem to make the swelling go down. I’ve elevated my feet, soaked them in cold water and walked small amounts to get the blood flowing but wearing any shoes in a no go!
Any advice or reassurance would be fab.
Thank you

It's not worth taking risks, heat or not. Give your midwife a call and put your mind at rest

Headache that can't shift? Problems with eyesights/ bright sunlight? Does the swelling go down overnight? Feel OK other than that?
Can you take your blood pressure yourself? ....

I'd ring & talk to midwife anyway but these are other things to watch...they would prefer you to ring than miss something...

Are you elevating you feet for hours and higher than the rest of you? Or just vaguely putting them up a bit when sitting down... I found putting pillow under feet end of mattress helped raise enough to help overnight...

Maybe get yourself a blood pressure monitor if you think it may bother you long term. I did and it's really put my mind at ease that I don't have high blood pressure. The swelling sucks but mine usually gets better after sleeping

I started dealing with bad swelling ( really bad) around 26 weeks-ish pregnant with my last pregnancy. It was worrying . It was Winter too so no heat to blame it on . I spoke to my midwife at my 28 week appointment and she had me go in weekly to check my blood pressure etc. I luckily live a 5 minute walk from my health centre so every Tuesday I stopped by for a quick check up with my midwife ( pre-COVID ). I was always fine though. I lost 9 kilo just by giving birth and I’m certain a few kilo of they was water weight . It’s worth speaking to your midwife. If you feel fine it’s probably just regular swelling though .

Thank you everyone for your advice. I have tried to call the community midwives but nobody is answering today. There is a triage number but worried that’s for more serious things, not just questions.
I am raising my feet higher than where I’m sitting but they just throb.
Hopefully it will get better. If not I will call the triage.
Also will get hold of a blood pressure monitor to keep checks on it.

I have this, 33 weeks. It's got so much worse with the heat but I can barely even get flip flops on. Had blood pressure checked a fortnight ago and all fine. If you haven't spoken to your midwife about it at all then I would ring triage, I've rung with things that aren't emergency before and they haven't minded. Where I am getting hold of a community midwife outside of an appointment is literally impossible so what else can you do!

I’m 33 weeks and saw a midwife last week (first time to see one in person this whole pregnancy...) and I said my hands/feet are a bit swollen. She said ‘if they were properly bad you wouldn’t be able to get those shoes on’ so that seems to be the bar where I am 😂

I called triage in the end and they were lovely and so helpful! I answered the questions and at the moment it’s not a worry but been given some advice to help the swelling.
Advised to try and see my midwife tomorrow to check urine and BP.
Thanks for everyone’s replies

@cobbsgirl92 may I ask what advice they had for you? I elevate them most of the evening and almost constantly ankle deep in cold water..any new suggestions very much appreciated!

@islandislandisland of course!
She suggested that I lay propped up on the sofa on my side so I’m comfortable and then lay my feet over the arm of the sofa. She said it’s High enough to help but not so High that it’s uncomfortable.
She also suggested rotating my ankles around in small circles for a few times in each direction every so often to keep them moving.
Hope it helps!

Please keep on top of the symptoms and keep getting checked x

@luckystar1... I borrowed my dad's size 11 open style beach sandals when I had v high blood pressure...(normally size 8) so that fits for me... It was a very stylish look... 🤣

Skin on my feet seemed more over stretched than my belly ever got(which was saying something:

Wishing all you pregnant ladies the best in this heat.. It must be horrible..

If you press the swollen bit, does it leave an imprint when you move your finger? My midwife said that was the sign to watch out for.

I was really struggling with this recently and started drinking loads more water and cut caffeine. It helped a lot.

@Cobbsgirl92 I'm suffering terribly with this myself , & I'm only 13 weeks
I've found the only thing that works for me , also reduced pain as I have plantar fasciitis in both feet , is compression socks or flight socks

I put them on at the start of the day , take them off a couple of hours before bed & it seems to take the edge off massively