Swollen ankles at 16 weeks - feel like a freak!

[LadyThompson]

Any tips? I know I should put my feet up but it's a bit hard in the office! I haven't put on THAT much weight, why are they swollen? Maybe it's water retention...in which case, is it safe to take a diuretic? I thought all this sort of malarkey would be coming A LOT further down the line - I thought your second trimester was when you're supposed to be leaping about...I feel like a geriatric.

Hi LadyT - I am only 14 weeks and have had swollen feet at the end of the day this week. I have been hoping it is just due to the hot weather and won't get any worse or last all day. I have not gained any weight yet so it is weird to have this already.

With DD I had terrible swollen ankles, feet and hands from 29 weeks. It was a boiling hot summer so that was part of the prob, also it turned out I did get pre-eclampsia and it is one sign.

Drinking lots of water helps (strangely), as does keeping cool and keeping off your feet. Gentle exercise like swimming or yoga can be good. I am pretty sure you should not be going near diuretics.

Ooh, thanks Artichokes. I think I will force myself to go to the gym for half an hour at lunchtime, though I feel really sluggish suddenly. I will drink lots. I'm worried about pre-eclampsia, though when I looked up the symptoms it said swollen HANDS, rapid weight gain, and blurred vision. I will stay off the diuretics then - though I might munch a few sticks of celery, that's a natural one...

It would be very, very rare to have pre-eclampsia this early. Has your BP and urine been OK so far? Water retention is very common as a pregnancy symptom and is usually nothing to do with pre-e.

Agree about exercise to improve circulation, drinking plenty and generally eating healthily.

It can be a sign of pre eclampsia as others have said, but it's also a common pregnancy symptom.

Stay away from diuretics!

Yeah, blood pressure fine and wee fine so far, though luckily I am seeing the obstetrician on Tues so I guess I will mention it to her. I suffer a bit from low blood pressure usually so high blood pressure is very far from my mind...I'm sure it's dead common as a symptom - I just imagined it wouldn't come along till I was lumbering about like the Graf Zeppelin.