Five Foot-care Tips for Pregnant Women

During pregnancy, a woman’s weight gain causes her centre of gravity to change, which in turn alters her weight-bearing stance and puts additional pressure on her knees and feet. Water retention, overpronation, edema and swelling are some other conditions causing discomfort and pain in the feet. But pregnancy is that time of your life that you should enjoy, not worry incessantly about foot pains, aches, and other conditions causing distress and discomfort. If you are pregnant and your feet are already hurting, these five foot-care tips will help: 

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      1. Getting medical advice for foot swelling/aches:If your foot aches and/or swelling seem to be troublesome (like when they happen all of a sudden, or are restricted to just one foot) or become too much to handle on your own, don’t hesitate to consult your doctor. Apart from prescribing some medications to offer you relief, your doctor can also ensure that these are triggered by your pregnancy and not any other factor.

          2.   Wearing the right shoes with adequate support: Choosing comfortable,shock absorbing shoes with the right fit and arch support is crucial during pregnancy. Due to loosening of your ligaments during pregnancy, your feet seem to be getting bigger (though they aren’t actually growing bigger). Swelling and water retention can also make your feet feel bigger during pregnancy. Going up in your shoe size can help in such cases since you will no longer have the pain and discomfort caused by tight shoes.

          3. Doing daily stretches for the legs and feet:From doing some fundamental leg stretches tostretching your shins and toes out, stick to some simple stretching routinesthroughout the day that will ease your foot pain and offer relief from the overall discomfort that you experience during pregnancy.

          4.  Keeping the foot elevated:Try to keep your feet elevated as much as is possible, and take adequate rest to prevent swelling. Though it’s best to keep them elevated above your hips (thus not allowing the blood to pool and making gravity direct the blood flow out of your feet and to the rest of your body), it’s not possible until you lie back. But even just using a stool to put your feet up while being seated would be helpful.

          5.  Wearing orthotic shoes: As you cope with the additional weight gained during pregnancy, experiencing achy, tired and sore feet is a common phenomenon. Your doctor or podiatrist may suggest you to use customized orthotics for added support and optimal comfort, which will take the pressure and stress off your foot’s relaxed ligaments. However, you should make sure to get your orthotics fitted by a professional.

             

       These nine months of carrying your little bundle of joy inside you need not be a distressing or scary time for your feet.You just need to stick to a foot care routine as advised by your doctor or podiatrist, and seek medical attention at the slightest hint of trouble. Above all, stay away from popping over-the-counter painkillers or other medications and put your complete trust in your doctor – for both, your own health and the health of your unborn child.