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Original poster

1st baby 10 months ago, will my feet go back to normal size and will I be able to wear my heels again?!

26 replies

sedgiebaby · 28/07/2011 10:33

I reckon I've gone up half a size, I did have SPD which took some while to improve after birth. Still my feet ache quite a lot somehow especially in the mornings, no idea why. Saying that it has improved as the months have gone by but my size 6 shoes pinch still. Also I feel quite unstable in heels now - what has happened!!?

Has this happened to anyone else and will it improve? I'm carrying a little more weight but not much (perhaps one dress size bigger).

OP posts:

lubeybooby · 28/07/2011 10:40

My feet grew during pregnancy from a 7 to an 8. They have never gone back to normal. I did put on a lot of weight with pregnancy though and never have lost all of it

Zwitterion · 28/07/2011 10:53

Mine went up a size. They have shrunk back a bit, but I'm still a half size bigger than I was.

dinkystinky · 28/07/2011 10:56

Mine never went back to the pre-pregnancy size either - sorry

Original poster

sedgiebaby · 28/07/2011 10:59

Oh no, I've been making do with a couple of new pairs of 6.5 this is going to be expensive...

OP posts:

Nospringflower · 28/07/2011 11:33

Mine never went back either - went up from 4 - 4 1/2 to a 5.

Quenelle · 28/07/2011 11:36

My friend's feet went up a size and never went down.

Mine didn't get bigger but I had very achey feet after DS was born, particularly if I'd been off them for a while. It has got better though.

knitknack · 28/07/2011 13:15

Mine never went back either - I went from a 6 to a 6.5/7.... that was 10 years ago! Sorry!

whoneedssleepanyway · 28/07/2011 13:31

My friend's feet also went up a size and never went down, sorry OP...

But on the bright side lots of lovely new shoes...

woopsidaisy · 28/07/2011 15:07

I went up a size and a half in total over two pregnancies. Never went back. Sorry!

doglover · 28/07/2011 16:02

Like most people, mine increased one size and have remained at a size 8.

tasmaniandevilchaser · 28/07/2011 19:59

I went up a size too, apparently it's quite common. No-one told me about it beforehand either. Time to buy some more new shoes!

chickenlickin · 28/07/2011 20:03

I had SPD with my pregnancies and found that I was really wobbly in heels and just in general! I have been doing pilates and now soooooooooooo much better! Shoe sizing still 1/2 size different for me 2 years on!!!

PirateDinosaur · 28/07/2011 20:08

6.5 years since DS were born mine are still bigger (I didn't go up a size, but went from so-wide-it's-almost-impossible-to-find-shoes-in-a-normal-shop to so-wide-it's-actually-completely-impossible-to-find-shoes-in-a-normal-shop).

carrielou2007 · 28/07/2011 21:37

Yep, same here, went up a size with dd and went back to a 6 court shoes for work but always a bit tight, after ds, put on a lot of weight (3 stone!!!) lost it all plus another stone, still struggle to get back in my size 6 court shoes. I think it may just be I wore flat shoes for so long (walked miles with the pram) my feet just spread. Tend to wear a mid heel shoe for work now, kitten heels no more for night's out for me!!

Fluffycloudland77 · 28/07/2011 22:51

They never go back, the hormone (or prostaglandin relaxin) that makes your pelvic joints soften to let the baby through also works on the foot ligaments so after the birth your feet will be bigger as the ligaments stetch more when you weight bear.

It doesn't affect everyone though.

A simple insole arch support may help when wearing shoes as when you support a low arch the foot will appear shorter again.

You can get them in places like boots or scholl.

There used to be an insole called mothersteps but I don't know if it's still in production, I think they were a carnation product.

Feet don't spread if you wear wide shoes or no shoes. Old wives tale.

meltedchocolate · 29/07/2011 00:08

Mine went back

Nihilisticbunny · 29/07/2011 00:26

I went from a 4 to a 5.5/6 over 3 pregnancies, still the same size now this is one of those little known pregnancy things. Although my Mum and sister thought I was mad, my Mum stayed a size 4 over 5 pregnancies, so it's not universal.

Bandwithering · 29/07/2011 00:31

yes they'll go back to normal eventually. i remember giving away a whole load of size five shoes and buying loads of size 6 shoes. only to then realise i needed to buy size five shoes again.

Kat3L · 29/07/2011 00:35

I went up 2 sizes, 1 for each of my pregnancies, and am afraid that they've stayed bigger. I'm now a less than delicate size 10 which is somewhat limiting in the fashion stakes!

ComradeJing · 29/07/2011 07:18

Mine went back but I spent my pregnancy wearing properly fitted and very supportive gym trainers which I think helped. Not at all S&B but at least I can wear the same shoes now!

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/07/2011 07:31

There's a difference between feet getting bigger as a result of weight gain, the body will store fat on the foot and spreading due to relaxin.

Shoes make no difference at all feet will do what they want to, you cannot control a foot spread using shoes, if they are too narrow you will only distort the foot and cause further problems e.g bunions are commonly aggravated by shoes.

I am a podiatrist so I do have some experience. 11 years of it.

byanymeans · 29/07/2011 08:22

My feet went from a 7 to an 8 and stayed that way until this winter (3 1/2 years) even though I am a dress size smaller then pre-pregnancy and have been since a week after DS birth. I had given in last summer and brought all size 8's except my doc martins that I live in all winter, only to get to spring and find they are now all too big.... grr

As for wearing heels oddly I worn my old heels for the first time all day yesterday, it has taken 4 years for my balance to feel ok in heels.
I brought myself a a good fitting 1-2in heels to wear at home first then just popping to shops and so on.

I started doing This as well, dont think it helps with the balance or size but it helps make then feel better.

Meglet · 29/07/2011 08:34

Mine never went back. My old clothes fit, my shoes never did.

Mumelie · 29/07/2011 09:02

I had severe SPD and have only just been able to start wearing heels now 9 years on! Gained 2 shoe sizes but went back 1 once I lost the baby weight. Start small with the heels and work your way back up. Pilates is amazing for feeling more stable.

Original poster

sedgiebaby · 29/07/2011 14:28

Thanks for the comments, I guess it is a bit of an unknown but there might be hope!

Really interested in what fluffycloud and mumelie say because I wondered about my SPD/relaxin being a factor for me.

OP posts:

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