ankle swelling

[Virgo]

Ok...so I don't want to freak out or anything but how common is ankle swelling? It seems to happen to me at the end of the day (I'm 28 weeks and still working as a teacher) and I can't even wear loose socks without them leaving an indent in the skin! I don't really have foot swelling and my hands etc seem normal (I can still get my rings on/off etc). I usually have low to normal blood pressure and the last appointment I had with my ob was 3 weeks ago. My mother and my sister never had any issues with pre eclampsia etc so I'm hoping this is just excess fluid from the pregnancy? I am drinking over 2 litres of water a day and going to the loo ALL the time!!! I just want to know how common swelling in the ankles is because I don't want to alarm myself necessarily. My next appointment is next week. Thanks!

[BekZ]

Ankle swelling is a common pregnancy affliction. I had major feet and ankle swelling from 28wks with my first pregnancy. Generally the doctors will keep an eye on your bp, your blood sugar, and proteins in your urine. If all these are at normal levels then you are ok. The swelling got really bad and my hands started to swell from around 36wks, at this point my doc was keeping a very close eye on me but nothing came of it.

Sounds like you'll be carrying big in summer. I recommend putting your feet up as much as possible. Get some cool sandals, and put your feet in a cool foot spa whenever you can.

[Netix]

I agree with Bek, but I don't know how common ankle swelling actually is. I didn't get it with my last pg, and I (to be honest ) don't pay much attention to how common or uncommon it is.

Apparently drinking lots of water helps to reduce the swelling (drinking more = less fluid retention , I don't understand it, but hey, I'll drink to that!) amount. I think I'm about as far along as you, maybe a week less or so.

[Snacks]

I believe it is common. If your BP is fine and you're not getting 'starry' vision or headaches I don't think you need to worry about PE.
Like Bek said, keep your feet up when you can - above your waist if possible. I feel for you - mine swelled horribly in the 3rd tri of my pregnancy. It's very uncomfortable.

[Alan]

Hi Vergo
As all the other girls have said ankle swelling is very common and in most cases not a problem.

[Tobily]

Hi Vergo
As all the other girls have said ankle swelling is very common and in most cases not a problem.

Really common, you're carrying more weight than you're used to and lots more fluid as well. Gravity just makes it all settle at your feet.

Swimming is fantastic for swelling - you don't even have to "swim", just get in the water and take the weight off your joints for a while. It feels wonderful once you're in there and when you get out you'll have ankles again

[butterfly_warrior]

Virgo, I'm a couple of weeks behind you, and also a teacher... I'm absolutely dreading the times ahead as I figure it will only get worse from here.

I've found it's worst on hot days, when I have to stand up a lot. So far I've been dealing with it by keeping my shoes on until I'm home (because if I take them off at all, they'll never go back on!), and then putting my feet up. DH came up with the lovely idea of putting a cold, damp wash cloth over my feet which helped amazingly to bring them down.

It's such a pain that OH&S requires me to wear closed shoes. Fortunately I normally have narrow feet so a regular pair of wider fitting shoes should see me through the worst of the heat while I'm still working. I can only hope anyway!

BW

[STARRYSKY]

I can so empathise!! I feel like an elephant by the endof the day, my feet and ankles and hands (and even now my face!!) all swell up terribly.
I have no shoes that fit me, I am usually a size 8 and am now wearing my mums size 10 wide fitting slip ons with straps cut off.
my doc has been keeping a very close eye on my bp, goes up and down but so far no probs.
my swelling will go down overnight, depending on some degree as to what I have been doing that day (ie walking around shopping centre all day= still swollen in the morning!)
strangely my feet didnt start to swell up until I left work at 34 wks, and I was a pharmacy assistant, on my feet for 7 and a half hours a day.
all the suggestions are great that these guys have given, I really feel for you and am counting down to the end of this pregnancy....
xxx

[satya]

I had it for most of the third tri. It started in one foot only and after a couple of weeks it was both. My OB said it was common as, but a little more unusual to have it in just one foot like I had, but still normal (unless there was pain in that one leg).

I found the only socks I could wear were bed socks otherwise I got the ridges of which you speak - and that got worse as time went on. I only had two pairs of shoes I could wear - both with no socks. Towards the end I could only wear a pair of slip ons that were a size larger than normal and only covered just below my toes - not exactly convenient for winter.

I worried about high BP but I never got it.... just got the swelling. It went down overnight at first but for the last couple of weeks didn't go down at all and if I got up in the night I could barely walk.

A friend of mine got swelling due to pre eclampsia and she said there is no mistaking it when it hits you for that reason, not only will your feet be huge but so will your hands and your face will blow up too - and you would get a sudden weight gain of several kilos from all the fluid - I think she went up 10 overnight.