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When should I get worried about puffy feet?

538 views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  kir 
#1 ·
My feet have been swollen for a while -- pretty consistently for the last 2-3 weeks. Ususally the swelling goes down after a full night in bed, or even after an hour laying down during the day. But the past few days I've been waking up with swollen feet. They're not painful, just kind of irritating. This is pretty normal in pregnancy, right? (Right now, I'm carrying about 10 pounds of babies, so I think there's just a strain on my circulation.) I don't know when I should start to worry. I mean, i'm getting my BP and liver functions checked (too) regularly, so I'd know if it was pre-eclampsia-related. Is there any other reason to worry about the puffiness?

And is there anything I can do to alleviate it? I've tried rubbing my feet, elevating them, drinking lots of water, cutting out the salt, etc. etc. What else???
 
#2 ·
Hmmm, Kiran, that's not a common pregnancy ailment that I personally have dealt with before. I *do* know that they often say that salt doesn't have much to do with it though. I'll go trot off and see if I can find some other links for you.
That just sounds so uncomfortable. You're doing sooooo well, Kiran, growing two lil babies.
 
#3 ·
twin mommies do often have more trouble with swelling than singleton mom's (without it being related to pre-e) you have so much more more blood volume now. also- it seems some people are just more prone to the feet swelling than others. i would just suggest putting up your feet after activity and support hose if you are up walking alot- and massage, too! Normally its when your hands and face start to get puffy that is the bigger concern.
 
#4 ·
I had lots of water retention with my first. Could only wear one pair of shoes. I look at pictures just before I delivered and wondered how I walked anywhere. But my dr. said if that was the only symptom that it wasn't a concern. It disappeared as soon as I delivered, too.
 
#5 ·
I am swelling up, too. I am terrified that I won't be the same show size pp. What a waste of a lot of money of years of building a shoe wardrobe!

My MW said when she saw my swollen hands, feet, and a tad in the ankles to up the protein and salt in my diet. She thought the swelling was perfectly normal.

I have heard that the most dangerous swelling is abdominal, but how the heck are we supposed to know if our midriffs are swollen with our big bellies?


I hope we have all told you enough different things to confuse you! I think my point is that most of this is "within the range of normal" and I wouldn't worry about it unless it is accompanies by a sudden change in your BP or whatever.

Fell better!
 
#6 ·
My feet swelled soooo much with my dd-that was a summer pregnancy and it wasn't pretty (or comfortable). My understanding is that if you push your finger into the swelling, and your flesh doesn't pop back (it stays indented), then it's time to be concerned.

One thing that's supposed to work well is to go swimming/spend some time in a swimming pool. It doesn't work to take a bath, you need more water pressure around you to help redistribute the retained water in your body.
 
#8 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Momalea
I just remembered the name for the swelling condition you need to be aware of-it's called pitted edema.
Ummm....I totally have pitting in my feet. It's really weird, actually. I can make little finger-sized dents in my feet and even my legs! But I have not gained overall weight, and i'm peeing normally, so i guess i don't need to worry a lot about pre-eclampsia.

Unfortunately we have no pool or bathtub
I'm almost thinking we should just check into a hotel for 2 nights, and i'll soak away
I soaked my hands in cold salt water this morning, and that really alleviated the swelling there, but my feet are much worse!

Kiran
 
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