I remember feeling so swollen when I was pregnant. It was like in the 1971 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder? During every pregnancy, by about 7 months, I thought of myself as Violet Beauregarde, because I felt like I had blown up like a beach ball and someone was going to come roll me away.
The first time around, I wasn’t surprised. It was 2012 and it was one of the hottest Springs and Summer that I remember. Everyone retains a little water when it is hot enough to cook eggs on your driveway! The second time around it was the dead of winter and I was not impressed at the size of my ankles (when I could see them that is).
Here’s the thing, swelling in pregnancy is completely normal, even if it does suck.
So what causes normal swelling in pregnancy?
Swelling is caused by the increased blood and fluid volume that the body produces during pregnancy. This extra blood is what sustains your baby, and the extra fluid helps your body to grow with your baby. The extra fluid also helps to open your pelvis and other joints, all of which helps during the birth.
What can reduce swelling?
Let’s face it, swelling is uncomfortable! Even if it is ‘normal’, it is also normal to want to minimize the symptom as much as possible. No one looks at their swollen ankles and yells “hot damn!”. Of course, you want to feel better!
Foods high in potassium
Bananas
sweet potatoes
avocado
fortified orange juice
watermelon, etc
drink lots of water
Activities
Go swimming or stand in a pool up to your neck
Stretch or move your body regularly
Try to sleep on your left side
Clothing
Wear support stockings (ideally maternity support stockings that go to the waist)
Try to wear supportive shoes
Avoid tight elastics near swollen sites (ankles, wrists, etc)Too much caffeine
Avoid
too much caffeine
Standing for long periods of time
Crossing your ankles
Getting overheated
When is swelling dangerous?
Sudden and severe swelling has long been associated with pre-ecclampsia, eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome. These are potentially life-threatening conditions that occur during pregnancy. Because these conditions can be so serious, swelling associated with them is taken very seriously.
However, it can be hard to separate out the normal pregnancy swelling from the abnormal pregnancy swelling! So here are some things to look for:
Sudden onset
If you were one of those who barely had any swelling at all in your pregnancy, and now you look like the aforementioned Violet, it’s time to call your care provider. Rapid and rapidly progressing edema (swelling) is potentially problematic. However, it is also possible that you spent all of yesterday standing on your feet drinking coffee and eating potato chips and today your body is showing it.
Lop-sided
Swelling that is predominantly on one side of the body can also be an indication of pre-eclampsia. If you are experiencing swelling that is primarily located on one side, you should seek out your care provider.
Sudden weight gain
Yes, it is normal to gain weight during pregnancy and you shouldn’t try to restrict calories to manage weight gain during your pregnancy. However, a weight gain of more than 3-5lbs in a single week can indicate significant water retention and is another sign of serious concerns.
Dig in
If your swelling becomes particularly severe, you made develop something know as “pitted edema”. This occurs when the skin doesn’t “bounce back” right away. For example, if you push your thumb into a swollen ankle, if the impression from your thumb stays for a period of time, you may be experiencing pitted edema.
It is important to remember that the vast majority of swelling in pregnancy is completely normal. It is also important to remember how normal it is to have these questions and concerns in the first place! Especially if you don’t feel like you have enough time at your caregiver appointments to ask all the questions you have, it can feel like heading to the internet is your best bet! (And, despite the fact that you found us there, it is a terrible place to get information that won’t terrify you)
What the internet cannot replace is compassion, and what it can’t convey is nuance. Swelling during pregnancy (and all pregnancy and parenting info for that matter), is nuanced and should be delivered with compassion.
It is common in pregnancy to feel like you have nowhere to go to ask all those little (maybe even silly) questions. Which is where doulas come in! Our birth doula teams are available to talk through the big things, the little things, and everything in between.
