Legs like elephants' and sore..any tips????

[CrazyDi]

This is my 3rd pregnancy and the only one I have 'fat ankles' with!! They started a couple of weeks ago and I am now almost 36 weeks. My mw has checked for bp etc and they are fine but my legs knee down and ankles/feet keep swelling until they are HUGE and really hard/painful. I have tried everything i can think but nothing stops it..laying on my left side, putting them up, bathing...nothing works .

my hubby laughs like crazy and has silly names for me now, but its getting so bad some days i cant even get my trainers on and have to wear slippers out ...surely someone has some good tips to keep it to a minimum of embarrassment!! My right is the worst and is really sore and if i sit funny it must make the fluid move as i end up with really deformed shaped 'dints' for a short time!! HELP!!

Sorry, I have nothing but commiserations to offer. I'm also suffering oedema. Nothing seems to help. Currently cannot wear any of my own shoes. One of DH's slip on trainer type things is big for me but the width is comfortable so I wear those!

I just try to keep drinking lots of fluids and keep my salt intake down. DH had dare not make light of them as he would know immediately how unfunny I'd find them.

I wore my flight socks, and kept my feet up.
You really need your feet quite high to benefit from it.

for as long as poss.... you will of course need your dp/dh to make plenty of tea for you while you rest

Body Shop used to have lovely soothing mint cream that could be massaged into swollen legs - don't know if they still do.

Aapart from that, resting with your feet up as much as possible. Remember to exercise anles and legs while they are up. Support tights/stockings may help.

pitting oedema is one of the signs of preeclampsia. so keep getting your bp checked regularly.
toherwise, put the trainers in the cupboard and just saccept that you have towwear something larger. put your feet up, and get in all the help you can. good luck

yep i know that feeling!!! but i suffered after i had dd, couldnt even move my toes they were that swollen, awful!! i just put my feet up, lay down and raise them higher in height than your head, and mine eventually went after doing this alot!!

it always makes me wonder why one leg swells more than the other???? Mine is my left ankle. It was the same with my first pregnancy and is the same this one.

as mears suggested, have you tried maternity support tights? my feet/ankles are still swollen but definitely an improvement with support tights.

When I was pg my cravings were fruit fruit fruit... I ate bags of satsumas, cans of fruit, bags of apples, bunches of bananas - every day!

And the doctor put my swelling down to it, my legs and ankles were huge I could barely get socks over them. He said it I hate eaten chips and chocolate it would have been nowhere near as bad, as fruit helps retain water.

So maybe it could be a diet thing? Eat more chocolate and find out

have you tried sleeping with your feet on a pillow? I did that with both pregnancies, and had no problems - my theory being that fluid could drain away overnight. Hope it improves!

i had swelling around my ankles as they only swell up when i was very hot (was pg in the summer and i was walking round feeling like a hot water tank), i always put my feets up when lying down on bed/couch (feet need to be higher than your head to get all the swelling drain down towards your legs).

Clarins do a fab leg cream - really soothing and relaxing. I know it won't help with the swelling but it will make you feel better

mw is keeping an eye on my bp..but its fine, just really annoying..but i have given up and decided to grin and bear it for my last 4 weeks!! I couldnt get a single shoe on today...not even trainers with no laces so ended up at parents and then asda in my hubbys slippers!! Im at that point of pregnancy where image can go take a running jump!!

feet up and lots of water. If that doesnt work you have the right attitude "come and have a go, if you think you're hard enough"