Slight Swelling During Pregnancy

Updated on June 07, 2010
K.G. asks from Waconia, MN
14 answers

This is my third pregnancy since 2006 (no negative comments, please!), and this is the first time I'm dealing with this. My feet and ankles are swelling. My blood pressure is always fine, I haven't gained too much weight, and I'm not dehydrated. I have been under a fair amount of stress recently, but that is the only real change in my lifestyle.

Oh, yeah... this baby will never let me sleep, either. I am only able to sleep about 3 hours at a time, and I usually average about 4-5 hours per night with long periods of wakefulness in between snatches of sleep.

Any words of advice about the swelling? Or about the sleeping, for that matter?

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C.O.

answers from Sacramento on

Try to walk a little bit to get the "pumping" action going. walking helps get the fluids moving. Continue drinking your water. I would check your salt intake. It might be too much; or, suprising as it sounds, not enough.
Lack of sleep can also affect your fluid balance. Try to take a nap if you can.

If your blood pressure starts to creep up, or you start getting headaches, or the swelling becomes more severe, or you start seeing floaters or flashes in your vision...then call the doc.

Take care and congrats on the baby.

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S.B.

answers from Redding on

My feet and ankles swelled so bad with my second baby. I could hardly find shoes to cram my feet into. It was scary and uncomfortable, but my BP and everything was fine.
Walk....but don't over do it and keep your feet elevated as much as possible.
You should definitely make your doctor aware of this though because there is normal swelling and then there is adema where your body is retaining water.
Get plenty of liquids, make sure you are peeing very frequently and prop your legs up in the evenings. Or during the day if you're watching TV or something.
Definitely run it by your doctor just to be on the safe side.

Why would you get negative comments about a third pregnancy since 2006?
Three kids in 4 years? I know plenty of people who did that on purpose.
I thought they were crazy, but they wanted all the diapers and stuff out of the way in stages at pretty much the same times as opposed to stretching that whole thing out.

I think you're lucky. You'll have your hands full, but you're lucky.

Blessings to you!

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J.S.

answers from Dallas on

Keep your feet up when you can and drink tons of water. It is completely normal. Maybe take a nap if you can to help with the sleeping issue.

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V.B.

answers from Phoenix on

Congrats on the baby! A good friend of mine had all of her's close together and she loves it, so I say good for you! On to your question...
My swelling was different with my two pregnancies. I noticed with my daughter if I had foods with lots of salt my swelling would be worse the next couple days, so watch the salt and keep drinking water. If your blood pressure isn't high there really isn't anything to worry about, it's just annoying! Good luck!

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

I was pregnant just once. My blood pressure was fine and we were completely healthy, and my ankles and feet swelled something awful. They'd be fine in the morning, but by afternoon and evening I could barely find sandals that would fit my feet. Keep your feet up as much as possible. Drink lots of water. As far as sleep goes, I was EXHAUSTED the whole pregnancy. I'd come home from work and take a nap till dinner, then go to bed right after dinner and sleep till I dragged myself out of bed in the morning. Toward the 3rd trimester, I kept waking up. I had to use the bathroom, then nibble a piece of cheese (I loved Velveeta slices), and my feet were so hot all the time. We kept putting damp wash cloths in the fridge and freezer and then put them on my feet to cool them off.

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B.S.

answers from Lexington on

I agree with the other answers- make sure you are drinking plenty of water- you may think you aren't dehydrated, but you may not be drinking enough. I always made sure I had a 16 oz bottle with me at all times and kept it full(drink at least 8 of those a day).

With the other kids I am sure that it is hard to sleep also, so try to sleep anytime you can and rest as much as you can even if you aren't sleeping with your feet elevated. Swelling is normal in the summer time.

GOD BLESS
B.:)
www.StayHomeForKids.com

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L.F.

answers from Kansas City on

Swelling is pretty normal, especially in hotter temps like summertime brings. Just drink lots of water and try to keep your feet up when you can. I'd mention it to your obgyn when you have your check-up just so she can note your symptoms. Also, just realize that each pregnancy is different. My body reacted differently between my first pregnancy and fourth one except for heartburn which I had with all my babies. I always looked at symptoms as a reassuring way that the pregnancy was going well...

As for the sleeping...that's a challenge too when your pregnant & just try to get it when you can, but try not to stress over it which can make it worse. You're probably already doing the calming things like comfy body pillow, dark room, cooler temp. in the room, etc. If it seems like your mind is racing then I'd keep a pen and paper by the bedside to jot things down so then you can let them go and get your rest.

Best Wishes!

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S.H.

answers from St. Louis on

without the proper sleep, your body is simply stressed.....which then causes you to feel stressed. Take a daily walk & check with your doctor as to ways to provide a better night's sleep. Or call your local hospital & ask to talk to the Sleep Study group....they may have ideas.

S.B.

answers from Topeka on

I had alot of swelling in my third pregnancy. Horror story here... I ended up with hypertension and Bell's Palsy. I don't know if any of that was due to the swelling. But I suggest you ask you doctor about it. They know more about pregnancy than anyone.

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I.T.

answers from Kansas City on

Probably depends on how the baby is positioned. My right leg was swollen TWICE the size of the left with my last baby. It was Easter Sunday (few years ago) & doctor told me to lie down with my feet elevated. Next day was regular check-up day & leg was back to normal. Doctor said it was the position of the baby. As for this child keeping you awake - so sorry. It's probably a trend for this child...a late nighter! ; )

S.L.

answers from Kansas City on

Congratulations and if you want to hear negative comments you should have been me with 8 kids. I got plenty and just ignored them as I didn't comment on other peoples decisions for more material things and so just be happy and enjoy each one whether planned or not.
My feet swelled with some and not with others. The last two were born in May and one didn't swell and one did so weather wasn't the cause there. The main thing is just to watch the blood pressure, keep your feet up if you can and eat less salt, etc. Otherwise have the doctor keep an eye on it too. With two of mine the swelling hurt as it got so tight and that is something to keep an eye on. Toxemia is dangerous. The main thing is to watch for swelling of hands and face.

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J.B.

answers from St. Louis on

I found that with the warmer weather, my ankles and fingers would swell more. I had my first daughter in August, and the swelling started in June. I just had daughter #2, so I avoided the summer heat this time, but I did start to notice that since the first part of May, my fingers and feet were starting to swell just a tad. My doctor actually told me not to elevate my feet too much and not to sit or lie in one position for too long. Just stay active, watch salt intake, and drink plenty of water. It was just a normal pregnancy reaction.

I didn't sleep much at the end of my pregnancy either. I kept a book and a little book light by my bedside, so after my first 4 hour block of sleep, I'd get up to pee, and then come back and try to fall asleep for about 5 or 10 minutes. If I was still awake, then I'd read for a bit. An hour later, I'd start to feel sleepy again and be able to fall back to sleep. It was frustrating, but lying in bed awake just made my mind wander and it was even harder to fall back to sleep.

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J.V.

answers from Chicago on

I swell up like crazy.

Hubby rubbed my feet every night and that really helped bring down the swelling. I also spent 300 bucks on really good shoes. That helped great with my second pregnancy. Seriously, buy yourself some seriously comfy shoes. I bought some Wolky's that I absolutely love. So comfy.

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M.H.

answers from Atlanta on

Hi K.,

Why would there be a negative comment? This is cause for celebration! Congratulations!

Are you taking the same prenatal you took with your first two pregnancies? Sometimes feet swelling is not just a matter of water, blood pressure or weight gain but not getting enough nutrition. In the old days they diagnosed it as gout.....If you are on the same prenatal, this baby may just be snatching more of it than you are getting. He seems to be active if he's keeping you up. He probably just needs more of the nutrition than the other two took. You can look into getting a better prenatal or shifting your diet a little. I can recommend one if you like.

Again! Congratulations!

M.

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