When my wife was pregnant, her feet would swell up by the time she was home in the evening. That not only made it difficult to move around, but it also made her evenings miserable. Add to that the fatigue of the third trimester - the combination is draining.
We asked around and got a lot of suggestions from recent mums. We tried most of the suggestions are here are the 8 that actually work!
1# Frozen socks!
When you feel your legs are about to swell, put a pair of DRY knee length socks in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator. Keep them there for 4-5 minutes and wear them. The socks shrink to a smaller size and provide tighter compression. The cold touch soothes your feet!
2# Throw away those heels!
Heels are your enemy, especially in the pregnancy. Not only do they provide an instability to your feet, they also induce backaches. People might advise sports shoes, but tying the laces is a task after a while.
Switch to flat pumps instead. Go for 1 size larger shoes.
Read on for more tips
3# Massage, massage, massage!
Massages help; there is no doubt about it. But there is a technique for this massage. Ask your husband to do it for you.
- Lie down on your back. Ask your husband to sit near your feet. Place one foot in his lap.
- Using your regular moisturiser cream, ask him to massage the foot from the toe to the ankle, applying light pressure as he goes.
- Then, he needs to massage your leg from the insole to the ankle.
- After that tell him to massage from one malleolus (the bony projections on the either side of your ankle) to another from the back and front.
- Repeat each step for a total of 10 minutes.
If he is in a mood, ask him to massage the calves as well. You can catch a quick nap, or catch up on the daily events.
4# Dip your legs in warm salt water
This is again a tried and tested technique. Fill a small bucket with two parts of boiling water and five parts of cold water. Add 3-5 spoons of salt. Place your legs in the water. Read a magazine while the water does the work!
Follow this with a massage and you will be in seventh heaven!
Read on for more tips
5# Use compression socks!
Do you wonder how nurses run around the hospital day in day out? They use special socks called Nursing socks. These apply a slight pressure to the calves and avoid the feet from swelling.
If you have more swelling, you can use compression socks. These are meant to be used by pregnant women for air travel. Always consult your doctor before you use these regularly.
6# keep the legs elevated at work
The swelling is because the fluids gather at the ankle - the most dependent part of the body when you are standing or sitting. Keep a small stool below your feet at work or at home. The swelling will be noticeably less!
Read on for more tips
7# Walk frequently
Our calves are called as the peripheral hearts - they pump the blood back to the heart against gravity! When you walk, you also reduce the fluid that accumulates near the ankle. Take a walk every hour. This will keep the swelling at the bay.
8# Drink a lot of water with a lemon wedge
Well, there is no science behind the lemon wedge! It just tastes better! Just be sure to cut a fresh wedge every time, or just fill up a bottle and drop a big wedge inside it. Fluids will help in keeping you from dehydrating. Plus, you will end up taking water breaks. So this will add to the efforts.
Hope these tips help! Pregnancy is a beautiful phase and swollen ankles should not be a cause of distress!
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