Home Remedies For Swollen Feet During Pregnancy

What Is Edema During Pregnancy?

Edema affects about half of pregnant women, mostly in the later stage of pregnancy. When the belly grows, fluids in the body build up and lead to swelling in the ankles, legs, and feet. The growing baby exerts extra pressure on the veins, and the return of blood to the heart from the ankles and feet slows down.

This causes fluids to pool up in the area around the ankles. Swelling can also appear on your face, fingers, neck, and lower back. Water retention adds more to the problem.

Click here to know more about water retention during pregnancy.

Top Ten Home Remedies For Swollen Feet During Pregnancy

Fortunately, besides taking adequate rest there are plenty of other effective and natural home remedies to treat your agonized swollen feet, ankles, and hands at home so that you can again bounce back on your feet and enjoy the world.

Following are the top ten home remedies for swollen feet during pregnancy:

1. Use Cool Cucumber

Cucumber is a useful and effective vegetable for absorbing surplus fluid from our bodies. Place some slices of fresh cucumber over your swollen feet or ankles for at-least 15 minutes and it will decrease the puffiness of your feet. You can also add cucumber to your diet as it is a rich source of water

2. Cabbage Leaves

Cabbage leaves are also good for soaking excessive liquid from our bodies. Placing some fresh cabbage leaves over the affected area and then covering it with a cotton cloth can be helpful in reducing the swelling and tenderness of the foot. Change the cabbage leaves once they are wet. You can repeat this method twice a day

3. Coriander Seeds

One of the most effective solutions for treating edema is by using coriander seeds. Soak some coriander seeds (approx. 2-3 tbsp) in one glass of water. After soaking it for a few hours boil it till half of the water is left. Drain the mixture, cool it, and then drink it once a day

4. Eat Natural Diuretic Food Items

There are certain food items that work as natural diuretics and are especially good for maintaining hale and hearty kidney functions. Including food items like apples, watermelon, oranges and other citrus fruits in your diet can help in curing edema

5. Dandelion Tea

This cute-sounding herb acts as a natural diuretic and boosts the drainage of excessive fluid. You can make a dandelion tea by boiling the herb with water and then allowing it to steep.

Your tea is ready and you can drink it every day. Just make it fresh and don’t try to refrigerate it. Apart from draining excessive fluid, it is also rich in antioxidants

6. Dip in Salty Lukewarm Water

Soaking your feet, calves, and ankles for 10-15mins in salty lukewarm water can do wonders for your edema. The warm water will help in increasing the blood circulation in your feet. The added salt, on other hand,  will help you from any inflammation and both of them together will relax the muscles. Do this before going to sleep and see the results when you wake up the next morning

7. Elevate Feet

A slight elevation is good for your feet, going anti-gravity will help you with edema so elevate your feet whenever you can. While you are relaxing on a chair try to get a stool to prop your feet up. Don’t cross your legs as this movement can restrict your blood flow

8. Move Around

Light exercise such as simple, safe yoga postures, daily walk, or few swim laps can enhance the fluid movement, and a little pressure of water during swimming can thrust water from the tissues to your vein ultimately relieving you from edema

9. Stay Hydrated

Drinking less amount of water can also be a cause of edema in many women. This is because when your body becomes a water deficit, it tends to retain more water in an attempt to evade dehydration conditions. This storage of water leads to swelling in the hands and feet.

However, drinking a sufficient amount of water throughout the day signals the body to stop retaining water. In order to maximize the benefit of drinking water just add a dash of lime into it as lemon contains anti-inflammatory properties and will help you in alleviating the swelling more rapidly

10. Massage

Gentle massage of the swollen area with some special oil that is derived from herbs, particularly meant for reducing swelling can help you in easing the edema during pregnancy. A good prenatal massage with anti-inflammatory oils like lemon, lavender, and eucalyptus will relieve you from pain and swelling of your feet, ankles, and calves.

Using Peppermint oil can keep your feet cool in case you are having any burning sensation in them. Apart from relieving you from edema a good massage can also help you to relax and refresh your mood which is quite essential for a pregnant woman.

Most of the above Ten Home Remedies For Swollen Feet During Pregnancy might work for you. However, sometimes treating them yourself is not enough. In that case, never hesitate to seek medical advice.

Click here to read how to minimize water retention during pregnancy.

FAQ’s

1. Can I Massage My Swollen Feet During Pregnancy?

There’s some evidence that prenatal foot and ankle edema may be alleviated by practices like reflexology and massage, which target specific pressure points in the feet and hands.

2. Is Hot Water Good For Swollen Feet During Pregnancy?

Get a big bowl or basin and fill it up halfway with warm water. Add a half cup of Epsom salt to the water. Not only can soaking your feet in it for fifteen minutes assist decrease swelling, but it may also help soothe any sore feet you may be experiencing.

3. Is Heat Or Ice Better For Pregnancy Swelling?

Both are useful in minimizing pregnancy-related edema. The water temperature for cold water soaks should be chilly, but not ice cold. Ice water socks are also a great way to fight the summer heat when pregnant.