36 Weeks Pregnant & My Feet,legs Are Super Swollen...

Call or Go to the Doctor!!!

here is a good article on this http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/symptoms/a/swelling.htm You should note that the article warns that not enough salt can worsen the symptoms! "When swelling is sudden or extreme, or found in not only the legs and feet, but face and hands, it can be something serious. You should report this type of swelling to your midwife or doctor immediately. You should also report swelling that does not go away after many hours of rest. If you're at a higher risk for complications that include swelling like preecclampsia your practitioner should have explained what you are looking for and when it needs to be reported."

Hope that helps. Just to let you know, I had a c-section at 36 and 37 weeks and both babies were in the NICU. The longer you can wait to get the baby out the better for the baby, so if you can get this treated without taking the baby that is very good.

i would go to the dr. today. get your blood pressure checked, too!

Call your Dr. Immediately. This could be pre-eclampsia or full blown eclampsia which can be harmful to you and your baby!

Everyone else is right-you should contact your doctor immediately. If you do not have high blood pressure and they clear you of preclampsia, you are probably just like I was. No medical worries, just MAJOR swelling. Whatever you do, DO NOT use heat-no hot water or heat of any kind-this made it soo much worse for me-especially the pain. I iced my legs and feet while elevated and would have my husband rub the swelling and it would help a lot. But support hose really worked by compressing it, and that helped the pain the most. Also, I was walking 4 miles a day, so I would stay off my feet all day, until my walk, and amazingly, although my feet would hurt a little more after the walk, the swelling would go down tremendously. Then of course, I would put my feet back up and ice them and rub them. Stay away from salt! Good luck.

Doctor right now. Call.

This happened to me 12 yrs ago. Get to the ER now!!! I waited 4 days and they had to put anti seizure meds under my tongue. They did a c-section the next day at 25 weeks. We are both healthy now. Good luck. What to expect if you go-take your bag for delivery, make arrangemenets for the other kids for up to a week. I stayed in the hospital 1 week. They had to control my blood pressure before I could come home. This was only a pg health issue and I have no effects now. They don't know what causes toxemia/pre-eclampsia. It was my 2nd pregnancy. Your baby may have to be admitted for a short time but no lasting effects either.

I would call your nurse A.S.A.P to ask if you should come in earlier. Wear compression panty hose (you can buy them at Motherhood), try to elevate our feet as much as possible, don't wear tight socks that restrict blood flow and reduce your sodium intake as much as possible. Hope you feel better...

Drink a lot of water, elevate your feet as much as possible, and massage your legs. I had swelling in legs also.

This is what I did, sounds like you've been very active with 2 children under five and sometimes being on your feet most of the time raises blood pressure, I ended up after having the twins being diagnosed with a mild preclampsia causing this in me.

Best wishes, try to not over do it, tell your doctor as if its painful then you've got to get their opinion.

Keep your legs proped up. I actually only had swollen feet once I stoped standing on them for the day. You can allways call the doctors office and ask them the nurse will tell you if you need to come in eairly or not. Congrats and best of luck.

What they will want to check is your blood pressure. With my son I was extremely swollen. Usually with the swelling comes high blood pressure or you become diabetic during your pregnancy. I was niether so the doctor just told me to prop up my feet a lot to try and help the swelling go down and they just made sure to check to make sure everything was fine when I would come in. It may just be something that you have to live with for the next few weeks. My doctor told me anytime I was sitting to put pillows under my feet and if possible get them higher than my heart and this would help with the swelling. I also tried maternity massages which helped a little with the swelling. The lady would try to push everything to the release pockets and I guess it would somehow release but swelling would go down a little. Good Luck

Hi P. and congrats on the upcoming baby!
Swelling at the end is normal , but I would call your Dr. for sure just to have it checked out.
They will check your blood pressure and protein levels in your urine just to make sure nothing else is going on.
This same thing happened to me at about 35 weeks. I had crazy swelling and edema, where your skin makes an indention when you press on it. I went in to the Dr. and I had pretty high blood pressure. I had developed Gestational Hypertension not Preeclampsia but just the blood pressure and lots of swelling. It's nothing to mess around with. I was put on bed rest and then it got worse and I was put in the hospital to rest so I could get to 37 weeks and then they delivered emergency c-section because my blood pressure was so bad. It got better after I had the baby and she was just fine. Again not to scare you but it's always good to check with the Dr. Happy Baby day!

This is normal. I'd tell you to keep your feet elevated but with a 4 & 2 yr old... WOW

NO SALT until after the baby is born. Call the doctor. It may be normal but the doctor needs to guide you.

I had the same thing! They will either put you on bed rest or tell you to stay off your feet! I would lay on my left side as much as possible and elevate your feet when you can. Yes, it does hurt as that is extra fluid building up! This is what caused my high blood pressure the first go round in my preg. and can also cause toxicemia. Watch it close and try hard to stay away from any extra salty things and drink water like crazy. The only thing that helped me was to have a massage gently to help with swelling. My huaband and mother when she was in town would rub them. I know you have little ones but try hard to stay off your feet.

i would also call the doctor to be sure but in the mean time put your feet in the bath tub full of hot water as hot as you can take it. soak for several minutes. then transfer immediately to ice water bucket. This will make the blood in your feet and legs move faster and help move the fluid up your feet back into the legs. All of the other things mentioned should be done also. Drink lots of water, watch your salt intake, and put your feet in the air. Good luck! The swelling goes down almost immediately after giving birth.

I had preclampsia with my pregnancy, and was induced because the swelling was all the way up to my hips had me gaining 18 pounds in a week...my blood pressure also shot up which was the kicker...if I had realized how serious the condition could have been...I would have gone on bed rest to keep the baby in longer (I insisted on working up until that day). We had lung and heart problems with the baby after that, but she eventually got better. So - in retrospect..if I could go back..I would have gone on bed rest to keep bp and swelling down to avoid the induced labor so soon..allowing the baby to complete growth. Check with your dr...and if she mentions bedrest...do it.

Have you taken yourself off salt. I mean ALL salt. If not, try it and I'll bet it works.

mine were awful. i don't remember if they were painful, but man were they huge! you can try sitting in a luke warm bath with epsom salts (only fill tub up to cover legs but under belly and not warm enough to cook the baby). also, the store next to special addition sells compression hose and will size them for you. a pain and ugly but totally worth it. the key is to put them on first thing in the morning when you get out bed before you do anything else.

Hi P.,,,
It sounds like you are just retaining water but you should and must talk to your DR about this.You could probly just call and talk with the nurse
good luck L.

YES!!!! Call your dr. this can be a bad sign of pre-eclampsia (sp) They will probably deliver you earlier because you don't usually get better until you deliver. This can be VERY bad for you. Call and go in TODAY.

YES!! Call your doctor. My swelling started at 23 weeks while on vacation and never went away. I ended up w/ Gestational Hypertension with Preeclampsia and was put on bedrest. I'm NOT saying that's what you have, but you don't want to wait--not when it's your health and your baby's health in question. It could be something as simple as "normal" swelling, but I wouldn't know what that is....LOL! I eventually was induced 3 weeks early and everything worked out fine.

Don't feel like you're being a bother and don't wait. I still remember how uncomfortable it was!! Everyone here has already told you what they told me....elevate your feet & watch your salt intake. My doc also had me drinking a GALLON of water a day to flush out the toxins, but believe me...that was very difficult when I alreay felt like a water balloon! :)

Good luck! Call your doc.....and enjoy your very special Christmas present! ;)

Go ahead and call your doctor as soon as possible to rule out anything. It's probably just normal swelling...but call before the appt just in case. It never hurts to speak to a nurse. If your blood pressure is also high you could be talking pre-eclampsia (sp?), so you definitely want to rule that out. They might have you pop in for a BP check - do it, even if you have to bring the kids!!!!! Better safe than sorry!

Drink lots of water, don't wear tight socks or knee highs, think about support hose, put up your feet when possible.

DON'T avoid salt...that's an old wives' tale. Look it up on the internet, and you'll see that valid sources (like the Mayo clinic) NEVER tell you to avoid salt. However, it's a good idea to avoid processed food and fast food. Make sure you are eating a healthy, balanced diet (lots of veggies, which naturally contain some water!) with an appropriate amount of salt. The poster below was right - too LITTLE salt is a problem too! So salt your food to taste, just like you would normally UNLESS the doctor tells you differently. The "no salt" thing is from yester-year, definitely!

And I recall that swelling at the very end hurting some, yes. Just try to stay off your feet (the poster that suggested ordering your Thanksgiving dinner or having hubby cook was right on!!!)

Congrats, hang in there, you're not that far away!

I had this same problem from 36 weeks on. Putting your feet up is not going to help. The amount of blood in your body is making it hard for your veins to pump it around. You have to eat a lot of protein (at this point try to eat little else), drink a ton of water and walk, walk, walk. I thought that seemed counter productive because I also thought elevating would solve everything. My midwife is the one who told me to eat protein and walk. I lost 10 pounds of that excess swelling over a weekend when I finally listened to her.

Hey there, congrats on your new baby! Yeah, I am with the ladies, call the dr. asap. It is probably totally fine but you really need to get your blood pressure checked and be sure all is well. If it were serious you would be at the dr and able to get all the care you and your little one need. I am sure all is well but verifying that would be a great idea. Best wishes with your new arrival:)

That happened with my first but it also included elevated blood pressure. Definitely see your doctor. For me the only thing that worked was bedrest. It is much better to lie down then to just elevate the feet alone. I ended up living on mini shredded wheat because it is low in sodium and gave me my sugar fix. My understanding is that inductions aren't allowed until 39 weeks except for medical reasons. With my first I was scheduled for one at 39 weeks and put on bedrest until then. Thankfully he came on his own a few days into my 37th week and was healthy. Good luck!

I had that at 36 weeks in my 1st pregnancy. Yikes! I know how you feel. I think I got it from flying b/c we went to my SIL's wedding in Rhode Island when I was 36 weeks. Mine hurt too & also felt really hot. Call your doctor, just to be on the safe side, but in the meantime, keep them elevated & try to stay off them as much as humanly possible & don't wear shoes. Mine was so bad I couldn't even get my flip flops on. I put ice on my feet while they were elevated, but I it didn't make the swelling go down, but it made them feel better. Good luck & congratulations on your new baby!

I had this too. I saw my dr (whom I didn't hesitate to refer to as DR Quack during delivery- several times) who told me that, "yeah, you're pergnant. It isn't comfortable."
I went in to see his partner the next day, who scheduled me to be induced 2 weeks early.
I did not have preclampsia, or any other complications, just extream and painful swelling.
Go to your doctor until you get what you want/need.
Good luck and congrats!

I had that happen with my first kid, and it was serious. I had a few other things going on as well though. I would strongly urge you to call you ob today and speak with the nurse, just to make sure.

Some swelling can be normal during pregnancy, but when experiencing new symptoms it is best to inform your health care provider.

In your shoes, since you also have some redness I would call the doctor today to update them and see if they want you to come in before your scheduled appointment.

Sometimes swelling (especially in the hands in face) can be a symptom of preeclampsia. For other signs and symptoms of preeclampsia:
http://www.preeclampsia.org/symptoms.asp

When I had bad swelling, soaking in a bathtub or pool helped.

I experienced something similar with my first pregnancy and I was on the verge of preclampsia. My guess is that it's normal swelling but I would call and mention it to a nurse.

I would not hesitate to call the doctor and let them know what is happening. I was like you, so swollen that I could barely walk. Several people, including a couple nurses, suggested to to soak in water at least up to my neck. A pool or a coolish hot tub are the best places. I asked one nurse who suggested this, if I could just sit in the bath tub and she said it wouldn't accomplish what I was trying to do. I needed to be completely under water except for my head. The water has a natural effect on your body by drawing out excess water. I know it doesn't make sense but it seemed to work for me. But I had to do it every morning. You don't want to do it at night because you will find you'll have to go to the bath room even more than you already have to. Other tricks I was told to do: drink TONS of water and stay away from sodium. Not just table salt but watch the sodium content in everything from soft drinks to yogurt. Keep your feet elevated above your heart. Drink something like decaf coffee or tea. It's a natural diuretic and might help some water leave your body. That's why you always have to go to the bathroom a lot when you drink coffee.

But again I have to reiterate that you NEED TO LET YOUR DOCTOR KNOW ABOUT THIS. Swelling isn't just excess water in your body. It's a condition where fluid is leaking through the tissue in the walls of your veins and capillaries. Some of this is normal but it is also a warning sign for preeclampsia which can be deadly for you and your baby. That's why they have you pee in a cup every doctors visit. And don't for a minute believe that since you've never had protein show up in your sample that your safe. It can happen over night. One minute your fine the next your in an emergency situation. This is all the stuff my doctor told me.

I don't want to scare you. Last thing you need is more stress and its probably just the normal your pregnant body hates your right now thing, but that's how important it is to get it checked out.

Good luck with your holiday baby!
Jen
http://www.mommysjoy.com

Call the Dr. he may want to see you. In the mean time stay off you feet, stay away from salt, drink liquids (water) I know that will mean trips to bathroom. The swollen feet is part of being pregnant but the redness is not. The swelling will bring pain also thus stay off your feet and put them up on pillows. But do call the Dr. What a wonderful Christmas gift.

you really need to see your doctor about your legs. If you are having complications then they will take the baby early. It sounds like you may have some cellulitis in your legs--which may only need antibiotics. I totally understand being puffy as my last one had my legs and feet swollen too, but yours sound a little extreme. please make an appt as soon as possible.

Sounds pretty normal, but I would call the Doctor just to make sure they do not want to see you today.

Try to cut out salt, this includes all sodas, canned foods (check the label), frozen meals, salty snacks.

The mom that suggested putting your feet up is correct. Start to make some sort of arrangements to get someone to help watch your little ones for part of the day.

During this holiday, you may need to think about ordering your Thanksgiving meal or have your husband prepare it. You can guide him through it. Traveling by car for long distances may not be a great idea in this condition. Hang in there. Take care of yourself.

Hi P.,
Lie down, put your feet up. You are retaining fluid in your feet and legs. It is difficult for the body to rid the fluid esp if you are on your feet. Drink water with lemon. It should help the kidneys to rid the extra fluid. I know you have 2 small children but if the dr. puts you on complete bedrest you will be in the same boat. Put your feet up on a couple pillows so they will be elevated rather than flat. That will at least help you til you see your dr tomorrow. This requires hours not minutes and will not help if you are jumping up and down every few mins. Call the drs ofc to advise them. Peace, C.

Please call you dr asap! this is a sign of preeclampsia and can be very serious. They can tell you further what to do, or not to do, depending on how serious it is. Stay off your feet as much as possible with your feet elevated. and keep drinking your fluids. Good luck..

Swelling is normal, but if you are not sure, call your doctor.

They will probably just tell you to keep your feet elevated as much as possible and drink plenty of water. I'd just wait until tomorrow and see what your dr. says. My feet/legs got like that with my 2nd pregnancy, I think about 2 weeks before I delivered.

I had swelled so bad the last 8 weeks that I started working from home just so I could keep my feet up on the ottoman.

My suggestion, get someone to help these last 3 weeks and prop your feet up on the ottoman and do not move.

When you say you are in pain, I am assuming you mean groin pain. This is due to the ligaments stretching. My ob/gyn said it is common.

Hang in there.

P.,

Just adding to what the mommies are already telling you. Get off the message board, pack your bag, and get to the doctor's office, if not directly to the hospital! Congratulations on the newest addition to your family!