Edema

Do you have a history of high blood pressure? If not then it could very well be the heat and pregnancy. I had to get up slowly too. Actually I don't know anyone who could get up fast at the end of a twin pg!! Also, I used to swell so bad on my hands, legs and feet that I had to put hot towels on legs at least once a day. If I put them up and put the towel down, it would relieve alot of swelling. With my hands, I tried to place them on my belly or somewhere where they were closer to my heart so they weren't always dangling. HTH

I had some serious issues with this when the heat of summer first made itself known. Pitting edema in the feet and ankles, everything else normal. I described it in my blog as "pig feet attached to the end of tree trunks"

Via a suggestion from another mama on the forums, I began taking vitamin B6. It helped a huge amount! (as did the weather cooling off a bit for a couple of weeks)

But now, even with taking the B6 and with the temperature fairly cool, I'm beginning to have a little edema again in my feet and ankles. It's nowhere near as bad as it was a few weeks ago! But it's there, it's constant, and it'll probably be there for the rest of the pregnancy (I'm 35 weeks now).

Heat definitely exacerbates edema. Water relieves it: baths, swimming, drinking lots and lots of water. Laying down (on your left side) on a slightly inclined surface (head at lower end) should help relieve a little bit of the fluid pressure and help the circulation of the lymphatic system. Or just having your feet raised slightly up on pillows while you're laying down should help a bit, too.

And if it gets to be too much, another mama suggested cleavers tincture. It's safe during the last half of pregnancy (probably also the first half, but I wouldn't chance it), and is a lymphatic tonic. If the swelling in my feet gets any worse and starts to pit, I'll use the cleavers tincture again (used it once already, but decided to opt for the B6 instead, since pills are easier for me to remember to take than tinctures).

Hope you're able to get a little relief, hun. The heat sucks and swelling uncomfortably makes it all the worse.

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Oh, another post reminded me -- even my nose was swollen. I didn't even look like myself because of the swelling.

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I didn't really have edema, but swimming when pregnant with twins was the BEST! I only got to go a couple of times, but nothing compared to the way it lifted the weight right off me. My best anniversary present (1.5 months before babies were born) was my husband taking me to a hotel with a pool (sans older kiddos). It was absolute heaven! If you can get to a pool, you'll be so glad you did.