hands/feet/legs all puffy!!!

[LittleMissSnowShine]

I feel like I'm inflating into infinity and beyond!! My blood pressure has been normal throughout and I'm at 29 weeks now so I'm fairly confident it's not pre-eclampsia though if I start to feel ill in any other way I'll prob ring midwife just to make sure.

But my hands/feet/legs are really puffy and it's a nightmare! Can't wear wedding ring, none of my shoes fit remotely apart from a really hideous pair of pretend Crocs I bought in Primark a while back at a low moment... Have tried keeping my feet up, cooling foot sprays, aloe vera gel but nothing has really helped so far. Starting to find spending any time on my feet at all really uncomfortable...anyone got any good tips??? Thanks!!!

Hi LittleMissSnowShine,
I know exactly how you feel! My feet/ankles have been swollen for months now and all I have had to do is elevate them as much as possible, make sure your legs are above your hips and the swelling shouldn't take too long to go down.
Keeping cool is a good idea, this heat really doesn't help!
Swimming is a good help too but haven't been brave enough to wear a cossie! And walking too!
It's horrible not being able to wear your wedding ring isn't it!
I'm almost 40 weeks so hopefully I haven't got much longer!
Hope this helps?!

I suffered with this from 14 weeks and was without my wedding ring for at least the last 10 or 12 weeks, if not longer. I asked every medical person I could find what I could do about it and they all just said rest with your legs raised above your hips as you are doing. I am afraid with me it lasted until I gave birth but by the time I cared enough to look at my ankles (a couple of weeks after the birth) they were back to normal and have been fine ever since.

One thing I did do was rub cream into my ankles and feet religiously every day to make sure the skin stayed supple and didn't stretch. I don't know if it made any difference but they don't seemed to have suffered from their stretching.

Also make sure you drink lots to keep yourself hydrated. Sounds like it should make things worse but apparently it doesn't. I got dehydrated towards the end of my pregnancy and I think it made things worse.

It is uncomfortable so I am sorry not to be able to offer any more helpful ideas but there is light at the end of the tunnel .

Thanks dolphina, you're so right, the heat doesn't help at all! I've been going swimming once a week for the last month - even with a maternity tankini it helps to close your eyes when you have to walk past the mirrors in the changing room lol

Not sure if it's done much for the swelling tho. Ho hum... Looks like I might just have to grin and bear it ;)

Water is a great tip, oranges! I try and remember to drink loads of it but whenever the baby is using your bladder as a punch bag it's tempting to just drink as little as possible so you won't have to keep running to the loo!! But if you found it helped with the swelling I'm def going to try it

Yep me too. It's much worse in the heat as well, but I can also testify that swimming helps to reduce the swelling.

I think some women just retain a lot of water in pregnancy, and there's nothing more to it than that. Looking forward to the instant weight loss when it all goes away!

LittleMiss Don't want to scare you but my DS arrived early due to what my consultant diagnosed afterwards as 'atypical pre-eclampsia'. My blood pressure had been perfect all along, as it always is but I started feeling very ill at 36 weeks - nauseous and exhausted, vomiting and rushing to the loo. My ankles weren't puffy either! So it's probably fine but do go to your midwife or the maternity unit if you feel at all unwell to be on the safe side. It is probably the heat though!

That sounds quite traumatic EightiesChick! Will def keep an eye on things and if I start having any other symptoms of anything I'll be making some phonecalls!!

beantlet - I read in one of my pregnancy books that sometimes your feet never go back to their original size. really hope that's not true, don't want to be stuck in crocs forever...

Some people's feet get bigger because the ligaments loosen, rather than because their feet swell. I understand it's only in the first case that your feet don't go back to the same size -- at least I hope so!

well bought myself some flat gladiator sandals in M&S today - they're purple with buckles and gems stuck on them so very flat, comfy and sensible but cute and pretty too!! def hope it's all just water and not ligaments loosening though, quite liking the idea of being back in normal shoes in the autumn!!

I had it in my last pregnancy and I was terribly uncomfotable and upset about it, my GP told me it would go soon after the birth and I have to say (sorry if TMI) but it was amazing having a pee about 3 days after the birth and literally watching my legs and feet shrink before my very eyes. It was also great on the scales too!

Yayyy!! That's what I like to hear, I can just about manage being swollen up to this size if I can tell myself it'll all go down again once the baby gets here