Swollen Extremeties 8 Month of Pregnancy

i know that watermelon and cucumbers both have anti-inflammatory properties, so eat lots of those. stay hydrated, like more than you think you need. also, if you get the chance to go into a pool to swim/float around, that REALLY REALLY helps.

hope you feel better...that baby is coming soon!

Hi Robin
I agree that you should rule out preclapsia (????spelling). Then avoid salt and drink lots of water. Good luck and try to stay cool :)
K.

I agree with some of the other comments. You really have to watch your salt intake and drink probably about 14 glasses of water a day (I think I got that number from the midwives on "House of Babies" on Discovery Health). Salt makes your body retain water and water gets rid of the salt so it should make the swelling go down. You also shouldn't drink ice cold water because it takes a lot more energy for your body to bring it back up to temperature. However, taking a cool shower or soaking your feet in cool water are always good!
If you can lay on the floor while your kids play and keep your feet up on the couch, that will also help and you can still interact while they play.
Keep cool, stay off your feet as much as possible, and relax. Good luck!

Hi R.~ I'm 6 months with my second & am already dealing with some edema. I also had pretty severe edema in the last month of my first pregnany. Here's what I've found helpful:
~ Not to contradict the previous post, but avoiding salt is not always the best option. Current thinking is that a moderate salt intake with lots of fluid helps your system self-moderate. A lack of salt can lead to pre-enclampsia.
~ Rest, yes, but also exercise. I know this seems contradictory, but keeping my circulation moving has helped more than anything. For me, yoga & swimming are the best. The absolute worse thing-standing for long periods of time or sitting with my feet lower than my hips. Whan you do have a chance to sit down, put your feet up or sit meditation style.
~ Feet (& leg & back & hand) massages. At the end of the day, ask your husband to rub your feet.
~ If you're into food/herbal remedies: Cucumbers with sea salt & watermelon are both mild diaretics & can help reduce fluid. Dandelion leaf & nettle (as infusions or tea) will help with kidney function.
~ (You probably already know this) edema can be a symptom of pre-enclampsia, particularly if it spreads to upper extremities. You may want to increase the protein, calcium & potassium in your diet to help prevent this possibility.
Good luck with everything!

This may be pre-eclampsia- especially since it involves your hands and you said it was "major." Call your doc ASAP jsut to be on the safe side!

Hi R., I went through the same thing with my pregnancy and it is frustrating and uncomfortable. I feel your pain! Drink LOTS of water - like so much it seems silly. And really try to stay away from sodium as much as possible. It will help. I did go in to be induced and delivered my son a little bit early as my bp started creeping up at the end. And as others have said, don't be alarmed if the swelling is even worse for a little while after you deliver. Just don't take it for granted that it's just the heat. Call and ask to get your bp checked. Good luck!

Support hose -- nylon stockings that are made for swollen feet and ankles will help to keep the edema from spreading to the feet and ankles quite so much.

I had edema throughout the latter months of all three of my pregnancies, it was annoying but it passed once I gave birth and the docs always told me it wasn't anything. As long as you are dilligent with your checkups and everything is fine, I'd say you'll be fine, its a natural

I broke my ankle a year before having baby #4 so I was swelling not only from pregnancy but also daily from the original break. I'ld recommend the ice packs with velcro strips. When you're not able to keep your legs up at least they will still help to keep down the swelling (they also feel nice in the heat).

K.

Saras had recommended me to eat cucumber every day (mild diuretic). I consumed 1/2 cuke per day and it helped! There are other natural diuretics which perhaps someone can suggest. Best of luck. Happy birthing, R.

Hi R.,
Been there, done that! With my fourth, I realized I was eating a lot of soup that contained MSG, and the sodium was making me retain water. So check out what you're eating, especially for hidden sources of MSG, which seems to be in almost everything. I also found, with my seventh pregnancy, that walking every day really helped with the swelling. I thought being on my feet would make it worse, but the days I didn't get a walk in were the days I swelled the worst. Good luck.

Aside from increasing water intake to help flush that out, you could use some dandelion greens! If your lawn isn't treated, go out and pick some. Make a tea. Throw some lemon in there to get past the bitter taste. Dandelion is a mild diuretic that is safe during pregnancy. Unlike other diuretics, it will not rob the body of potassium. It's a good source of vitamins A & C, as well as calcium too. Good luck :)

I used support hose. Lots of water. Stay off your feet (lie down flat or feet elevated) when your 18 mo old naps.

Just so your don't worry afterwards, my swelling continued for about 2 weeks after the birth of my daughter. It was worse actually after birth....up my thighs. I was taking my baby to her dr appts in my hubby's slippers. I also had shortness of breath when lying flat and had to sleep in a recliner (chest elevated) due to the fluid. There wasn't anything anyone could do but wait it out. It did end.

good luck.

I am really just going to reiterate what Corrina and Amy P have written.
Increase the amount of water you drink and make sure you are eating 60 - 80 grams of protein a day. Nettle, raspberry leaf, and dandelion leaf tea will help with a lot of problems in pregnancy- It helps tone your uterine muscles and gives you added iron, calcium, and potassium. Increasing your calcium and potassium intake either through foods or supplements can help reduce the swelling too. Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, collards, nettles, and dandelion leaves are high in both. Keeping up with a little one while your pregnant is crazy enough without having to deal with other issues. I wish you good luck and the best of health.

You should make a "safe" room in your house where you can close the door and go in with your toddler. That way you can sit and raise your feet- and he can play around you safely without you worrying about him hurting himself. Get some special toys that he only sees during this time.
The only way I could keep the swelling down myself was to drink more fluids and keep my feet raised.
Good luck,
S.

limit your salt intake to 2gm a day there is so much salt in everything its supprising

hey, R.

you must be very carrefull about those kind of things. swollen extremities, specially hands and face, can be a sign that your blood pressure is high and it can cause an eclampsia. go to your doctor as soon as you can to check this, please. i had a pre-eclampsia in my firs pregnancy and my daughter was born 3 months earlier. this can be very dangerous for you and for the child.

good luck,
lucila.

Hi R.,

I also had extreme swelling of my feet, ankles, calves and hands with my first. My baby was born in July (4 weeks early) during a very hot summer. I did drink lots of water, and I even slept on the couch, and placed my legs over the arm rest, but the loss of swelling only lasted for a little while. I know how hard it could be to rest with 2 older kids, but walking and standing only make the problem worse. I did find out that I had severe pre-eclampsia, but not until I went to deliver my baby prematurely. Make sure to check with your doctor to make sure that your blood-pressure is ok, you're not seeing spots, and not getting severe head aches. These are all signs.

Take care!

Check with your OB but my sister-in-law was able to go in the pool to help her. THey said it was good for the swelling...I do not know how long she was able to go in at a time, etc.

Hey there, I just had this as well - my baby is 2 weeks old, and I started inflating at 33 weeks. In the end, it turned out I had pre-eclampsia - the swelling is one sign - so you should definitely get checked for that. I didn't get officially diagnosed until I was actually in labor, although I had protein in my urine, another sign, my blood pressure was OK until labor. Apparently it is most common with 1st pregnancies, but get checked anyway because it can be dangerous.

Things that helped me - acupuncture, my husband rubbing my feet every night and squishing the water up my legs to get the circulation going, eating tons of protein - 100gms a day or more, drinking lots of water. People will tell you to avoid salt, but you do need a little bit for your kidneys to regulate water. Probably the most dramatic help I got was floating in a pool for an hour or so. Apparently it is the depth of the water that makes the most difference, so a deeper pool worked MUCH better than a bathtub. Someone also suggested compression stockings, but they were VERY expensive - $150 - although insurance may have covered it - I was too close to the end to look into it.

To be honest, not that much helped me except acupuncture and the pool, both of which had trouble getting to with work - but I offer you this carrot of relief - I lost 27 lbs of the 37 I gained within 4 days of the birth, and a week out I had lost 33. The water will just pour out as soon as you give birth. I can almost get my rings back on now, 2 1/2 weeks later - I had to take them off at 17 weeks, so I am excited to have them back.

Good luck - I know it can be really rough - you're almost there though!

If the usual measures..keeping feet up, drinking plenty of fluids, walking, support stockings...are not helping get in touch with your OB. Preeclampsia (high blood pressure, swelling of extremities, blurred vision) is a serious concern in the third trimester. Not a common thing, but definately worth a call to your doc if things just aren't seeming right.

I know it is hot but you can try using the socks that keep your feet from swelling, they are like nylons, but probably won't be as hot. I had very swollen feet and ankles the last month and for the first week after giving birth. Stretchy socks seemed to help the most.

Lots and lots of water and NOTRHING else to drink helped me (I was in my VERY pregnant stage July and August)
Slept with those wrist gaurds they reccomend for carpal tunnel suffers and that helps the hands and arms bloodflow. I would say too of course call your OB too but if they say bed rest, you have to think what are you going to do with the 18 month old, SO I would ask for every remedey under the sun first. As I am SURE you know there is no way an 18 month old is going to "get" or be ok with mommy laying around all day!:)
Good Luck!

Try acupuncture. It's great for any circulatory problems, especially edema. Good luck!

Hi R.!

My second was born in July (she is 23 months now) and I understand the edema! First-have you checked with your dr about it-to confirm its just hot weather causing it?

I would suggest getting some support hose (also called anti embolism stockings). They will help you stay on your feet:) Put them on after you have sat with feet up for a bit (before they get really "puffy"). I used to put them on so I could stand up to make dinner-do dishes. You can find them at CVS or other pharmacy type places.

Hope that helps-stay cool if you can:)

N.

A massage therapist that is either certified in pregnancy massage or lymph drainage can manually assist the flow and drainage of excess fluids. Just make sure if it's someone that is certified in just pregnancy massage - that they understand your goals and expectations when your booking your appointment and that they are confident in their skills to apply these techniques properly. (If it's not something that they do often - I would look for someone else - just b/c you want the maximum affects for your session) You can go to the AMTA website (American Massage Therapy Association). It's a professional group that mandates national and state licensing to be a member of and they have search options to help you locate a LMT in your area with the correct certifications.

good luck.

support hose helped me during my pregnancy. not all that pretty but helps greatly

You need to tell your Dr. if you already haven't.get your blood pressure checked , stay away from salt, but get checked for preeclampsia.
L.

check with you ob re your bld pressure if that is okay purchase some ted stockings at the pharmacy put them on in the morning before you get out of bed your body will thank you i used them with my last pregancy and they were a god sent.... they come in white and beige and black. the socks help return blood flow back to your heart you will feel much relief... mother of 13 11 8 and 1yr RN sahm with home based business K.