Taking Care of Circulation in the Legs During Pregnancy

Swollen feet, aching ankles, and a feeling of tightness… what mother-to-be hasn't experienced this?

The problem is now considered almost inevitable, it's so common: it has been shown that over the nine months, the risk of venous insufficiency, that is, weakening of the veins, increases.

But it's worth knowing more about it, to better understand the causes and, above all, to take action with remedies that help you get through this important time feeling healthy and light, with an eye to «afterward» too.

Pregnancy brings changes to a woman's blood circulation, both in quantity and in quality. These changes can cause mild discomfort, but they can also bring to light a venous condition that had until then remained latent.

From the very start of pregnancy, blood volume increases overall by 20%. For this reason, when standing, venous stasis in the legs also increases, and the venous return of blood from the ankle to the heart slows down.

In addition, the woman's body secretes hormones that protect the pregnancy by keeping the uterine muscles relaxed before childbirth and, through a similar mechanism, the muscles of the blood vessels as well. The veins, especially the deep ones, swell, and the speed of blood circulation decreases. This is what causes the heaviness, the tension in the legs, the «electric shock» sensation, tingling and swollen feet, and in some cases the risk of deep vein thrombosis toward the end of pregnancy.

Venous pressure in the legs increases, at first especially when standing, but in the second half of pregnancy also while lying down, due to the weight of the baby and the uterus on the venous structures of the pelvis. This slowdown in venous return, from the periphery to the heart, further increases swelling in the superficial and deep veins.

The normal composition of the blood changes, blood clotting increases in order to protect the fetus during pregnancy, and the risk of venous thrombosis, whether of the superficial or deep veins, increases, especially close to childbirth or during the postpartum period.

What Can Be Done?

It's important to adopt a healthy lifestyle: get physical activity such as swimming, cycling, and walking, following your doctor's advice; eat fruit and vegetables rich in bioflavonoids; sleep with your feet raised; dress appropriately, avoiding tight clothing that constricts the abdomen or legs, and wear comfortable footwear.

But above all, to prevent or reduce the problems caused by venous insufficiency, the simplest and most important practical solution is to wear graduated compression stockings.

Thanks to the graduated compression that decreases from the ankle to the thigh, these elastic stockings provide a beneficial massaging effect that supports venous return and improves circulation.

It has been shown that these stockings significantly reduce the appearance of visible capillaries and varicose veins, and prevent venous conditions from developing or worsening: they are therefore essential during pregnancy.

There are, in fact, maternity models with a special panel that expands at the waist to accommodate and support the growing belly, and they are also ideal right after childbirth, to speed up the reduction of the venous circulation issues that arose during pregnancy.

A simple measure with great benefits for the well-being and health of your legs.