What causes swollen legs and feet during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, it is quite common to have swollen feet. This is a normal physiological phenomenon. Pregnant women are quite worried, especially in the late pregnancy. At this time, the woman's body weight continues to increase, and the fetus is gradually growing in the mother's body. Therefore, for the mother, it is easy to cause poor blood circulation, which often causes this symptom.

What causes swollen legs and feet during pregnancy?

1. After pregnancy, the blood volume of pregnant women begins to increase gradually from the 6th week of pregnancy, reaches a peak at 34 weeks, and remains at this level until two weeks after delivery, when it returns to the pre-pregnancy level. Blood volume can increase by about 40% compared to the non-pregnant period, so as blood volume increases, interstitial fluid will also increase.

2. Because the increase in plasma is greater than the increase in blood cells when blood increases, the blood components will be relatively diluted and the relative concentration of plasma albumin will be lower than that in the non-pregnant period. Plasma albumin is the main component that maintains plasma osmotic pressure. Plasma osmolality is lower during pregnancy than during non-pregnancy. This makes it easy for water in the blood to penetrate into the interstitial fluid, causing lower limb edema.

3. After pregnancy, the uterus enlarges, which increases the pressure in the pelvis, thereby affecting the venous blood flow in the lower limbs. This is also one of the important reasons for lower limb edema. If the swelling during pregnancy is relieved after rest or sleep, it is physiological and there is no need to worry.

When can pregnant women recover from swollen feet?

In the first few days after delivery, excess water in the body can be discharged through frequent urination and heavy sweating, and the drainage rate is proportional to the severity of edema. Some expectant mothers' feet will return to their original size after giving birth, while others will grow larger than before. This is because the relaxin in the body not only relaxes the pelvic joints to facilitate the delivery of the fetus from the birth canal, but also expands the feet.

Life tips: To relieve swelling of the feet during pregnancy, it is recommended that pregnant women should avoid standing or sitting for long periods of time and pay more attention to rest. If you are pregnant and still working, it is best to take a break after working for an hour, move your feet and change your posture. Eat low-salt foods in your daily diet. You can sleep on your left side to reduce the resistance of blood return.