why oh why does pregnancy make your feet hurt so bad?

[COgirl19]

I am 12 weeks pregnant. I am actually still below my pre-pregnancy weight I was with my first (~119 lbs.) but my feet already hurt so much! If I am on my feet a lot for one or two days in a row I don't even want to walk anywhere by the end of the second day. I never had this problem with #1 or when I am not pregnant (was running up to 12 miles at a time just before I got pregnant) I am going to try more supportive shoes of course but I can't afford much right now. Why on earth would being pregnant at this early stage cause my feet to not like being used so much?

[IAMommy]

It's the relaxin that we start producing once we ovulate. It drops if you don't get pregnant, but if you do, it continues to increase throughout the pregnancy, according to pregnancyxl.com. Wouldn't it be nice if it were specific in only relaxing the ligaments around our pelvis?

If you can't afford better shoes, there are some nice inserts by Dr. Scholl's that might help you. My feet hurt like crazy every time. My DH rubs them, and I also roll them on a golf ball. Nothing stops them from getting bigger, though. I'm up a half size from before I started having kids. You might want to make sure your shoes still fit b/c that will cause added discomfort.

[RedOakMomma]

Save your $60 on a nice pair of shoes and get firm inserts instead. They have completely saved me. I think mine are the Walk Fit brand, but I'll check that and repost tomorrow. Basically they're a firm plastic insert with three interchangeable sizes of arch support. You start out wearing them a few hours a day, then move upward as your ligaments and tendons reposition themselves.

My whole family deals with the pain of feet (plantar fasciitis), and mine started badly this summer. I avoided going the dr. route because not many people in my family have found success that way. These firm plastic inserts (which really are very comfortable after the first couple of days) seem to be the best, based on what family have said.

It should also get better once pregnancy hormones are gone and once pregnancy weight is shed.

[3tammuz]

Second/third getting firm inserts. For some of us, getting a different shoe size also helps. My feet seem to swell/grow when preggo.

[RedOakMomma]

Yup...Walk Fit brand. You can buy them online or in stores.

The gel-type inserts are nice for a little while, and give you some cush, but really they don't fix the problem...supporting your stretched out ligaments and foot structures.

Good luck!