Recently I have been obsessed with online shopping, well why not, it’s a good
way to pass your time when you are not so mobile during the 3rd trimester
and with all the lockdowns during the Pandemic.
So it happened that I found these gorgeous pair of boots which were luckily in
my size, I need to say this because I have tiny and thin feet EU size 35.
Anyway I ordered them immediately and the shoes were with me in just 4
days. I was very excited to try them on, but when I did, I realized they didn’t fit!
I was confused and thought maybe I made a mistake with the size selection
while ordering, but no. The shoes were size 35, so my husband suggested
I try my old shoes for comparison. To my surprise even they
were not fitting.
This led me to do a lot of research, how can my foot size just changed, and this
is what I found out.
I was suffering from one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy:
Swollen feet. And because I had not experienced this during my first
pregnancy, I was actually shocked to have this symptom now.
What causes it?
The leading cause of swollen feet is a build-up of fluid in our body tissue by
water retention.
Swelling is also a result of increased pressure on our blood vessels from our
expanding uterus that restricts the flow, meaning it takes longer to circulate
blood away from our extremities. This poor circulation frequently contributes to
swelling, but there might be other factors out of our control that can lead to
swollen feet :
Evenings: blood pools in our feet throughout the day so you might have a
swelling around nighttime.
Summer: we tend to retain more fluid in warmer weather, so try and stay cool
to decrease the chance of swollen feet.
Third Trimester: this is when our uterus is the biggest and the pressure on our
veins will be even higher.
What can we do?
Comfortable shoes: as much as I would like to look good and fashionable, I
think it’s not worth squishing your feet into those fancy shoes. Better to invest
in some comfortable ones.
Stretch: this really helps, stretching helps to improve blood circulation,
reduces cramps, and will help in reducing the build-up of fluid in our tissues.
Take breaks: it’s essential to relax and put your feet up as much as
possible. This will help to reduce blood flow from the lower half of the body.
You can also try to soak your feet in warm water with some salt after a long
day at work (this helps me a lot)
Drink water: last but not least, it’s not just important for our baby but will also help flush out your system and eliminate waste products that
exacerbate swellings. So drink up at least 8 to 10 glasses a day.
But, if you feel that your feet are too swollen and they hurt, it’s better to
discuss it with your doctor, as swollen feet can also be a sign of other problems
in our bodies.
As for me, I have experienced the swollen feet symptom only during my
second pregnancy and as per my research once we have given birth our feet
will generally go back to the original size.
Of course, I was looking forward to finally shopping in the women’s section for
shoes, which start at EU size 36, and do not run to the kid’s section for size 35,
but I don’t know if this is a real advantage of having big feet.
Expat Mom in Germany 