Compression Socks During Pregnancy: How To Relieve Swelling In Pregnancy

Compression socks during pregnancy can help you to relieve swelling and feel more comfortable. Pregnancy can cause all kinds of uncomfortable changes to your body. One of the most common is swelling, which can happen in your ankles, feet, hands, and other areas of your body.

Swelling during pregnancy is normal and is especially common during the last trimester. It happens because your body starts producing and storing more fluids to protect the health of both you and your baby.

Benefits of Wearing Compression Socks During Pregnancy

What are compression socks used for during pregnancy?

• Reduced Swelling. When you’re pregnant, your body produces 50% more body fluid. This can lead to excess swelling. Compression socks provide gentle pressure to help ease that discomfort.
• Better Circulation and Less Pain. As your uterus grows, it places more pressure on your veins. Specific hormones make you more susceptible to blood clots, which can lead to a condition like deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Compression socks can prevent blood clots or blood pooling. Increased circulation helps ease body aches and pain.
• Fewer Varicose Veins. Pregnancy increases your chance of developing varicose veins. This condition occurs when small valves inside the veins, which prevent blood from flowing backwards, don’t work properly. Instead of flowing smoothly to your heart, the blood collects inside the vein and causes it to become enlarged and swollen.

However, swelling can be really uncomfortable and even painful. Although you can’t make the swelling disappear, here’s what you can do to find relief from pregnancy-related swelling and pain.

1. Rotate Between Walking and Sitting

Long periods of walking can aggravate swelling pain—but long periods of sitting can aggravate it, too. Make sure you’re rotating between the two activities throughout the day and that you’re not spending too long doing one or the other.

Walking is actually better for your swelling than standing because the movement helps your blood flow throughout your body. So make sure you get in a few minutes of walking every day. Other kinds of gentle exercises can help, too.

2. Stay Cool in the Heat

Hot temperatures can make the swelling even worse, so try to stay out of the sun. Sticking your swollen feet in a cold pool or bath may help reduce heat-related swelling. Plus, swimming may help push the fluids away from your tissues to reduce your swelling.

3. Choose the Right Shoes

Tight, uncomfortable shoes can squeeze your feet and make the pain even worse. Unfortunately, your favorite high-heeled shoes fit in this category and probably aren’t a good idea when you have swollen feet.

You might notice that your feet go up a shoe size during your pregnancy. If this is the case, don’t increase the pain by trying to squeeze into your old shoes. Find a new pair that provides the support and comfort you need.

4. Drink Water

You may think taking in more fluids can increase your swelling. In reality, drinking enough water helps remove waste products from your system, which can reduce your swelling.

The amount of water to drink differs from person to person, but a common rule is to drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water a day.

5. Get Massage Therapy

Getting a massage relaxes your muscle tissue and reduces nerve compression. Swollen feet, legs, hands, and arms give you a good reason to schedule a massage therapy session. The massage might hurt a little at first on your swollen limbs. If it’s too painful, you can ask your massage therapist to use a softer touch.

If you don’t want to spring for a professional massage, a massage from your partner should do the trick.

6. Wear Compression Socks During Pregnancy

One of the best things you can do for your swollen feet is to invest in a pair of graduated compression socks. One of the key benefits of compression socks is it puts more pressure/squeeze near your ankle, and as the compression graduates, less pressure at the knee. This design helps your blood circulate upwards to improve blood flow. It also prevents other fluids from building up in your feet.

Compression socks can help your swollen feet feel better, whether you’re sitting or walking. There are different kinds of compression socks for different needs. Firm compression socks offer 20 to 30 mmHg of support and work for severe swelling. Moderate compression socks offer 15 to 20 mmHg and work for mild to moderate swelling.

7. Elevate Your Feet

Just as it relieves pain after an injury, elevating your feet can relieve pain from swelling. That’s because elevating your feet can prevent blood from building up at your feet and can thereby improve circulation. Lift your feet about ten inches above the level of your heart for relief.

Placing an icepack or cold compress on your swollen feet may help you relieve pain as well.

8. See Your Doctor

If your swelling is severe and getting worse, see a doctor. Excessive swelling can be a sign of preeclampsia, which is high blood pressure related to pregnancy. Other symptoms of preeclampsia include:

• Blood pressure increase
• Fast heartbeat
• Unexpected weight gain
• Headaches
• Vision changes
• Upper abdominal pain

Preeclampsia can damage your liver and kidneys and can prevent your baby from getting enough oxygen and blood. Thus, it’s important to see a doctor right away if you notice symptoms.

However, most cases of swelling are normal and not dangerous. Your swelling should go down after you have the baby.

If you’re experiencing pregnancy-related swelling — especially in the ankles and legs –, follow these steps to find some relief. For top medical-grade compression socks during pregnancy, turn to SmoothToe for a variety of comfortable graduated compression sock options.