How often have you thought that maternity would have been easier if you did not have to face foot pain during pregnancy?
Once? Twice? Or a hundred times?
However, it’s expected that this is a pregnancy issue.
Foot pain in this time occurs because your feet have to handle all that natural weight you gain which puts added pressure on your knees, ankles and feet that leads to heel, arch as wall ball-foot pain during pregnancy.
Besides, even if you’re going through this, you will be delighted to know that foot pain can be adjusted by some simple adjustments accompanied with some tips and tricks.
These prevention methods, moreover, are thoroughly discussed below. Thus, check them out ASAP.
WHAT CAUSES FOOT PAIN DURING PREGNANCY?
The leading factor that causes foot pain while pregnant is nothing else but your own baby.
Through your gestational period, your baby grows in size and mass putting pressure on the veins that run through your legs.
This factor can lead to lower blood circulation which consequently leads to swelling, pain and aches in your legs including the calf, toes, feet and thighs.
Moreover, you also gain more weight aiming to progress the pregnancy according to the plan.
For example, most w\omen should and actually gain somewhere between 11.5 to 16 kilograms or 25 to 35 pounds in the course of gestation.
Adding more, you also face a sharp increase in your blood volume.
All the above factors combined together can lead you to gain an unexpected weight gain.
But unfortunately enough, all the weight you gain has to be carried out by your legs, more particularly, by your feet.
Thus, the significant pressure put down by t your baby as well as your own body causes foot pain in pregnancy.
This is why foot pain during pregnancy occurs.
IS FOOT PAIN DURING PREGNANCY NORMAL?
Foot pain is rigorously common in pregnancy.
Pregnant women are able to face foot related problems they have never encountered before.
For example, they can face over pronation and edema.
This obviously arises from the natural weight gain for your body that puts added pressure on your feet.
However, other than these expected factors, there are other causes as well that can contribute to foot pain too.
So, let’s get aware of the possible causes.
1. HOT WEATHER
Quite unexpectedly, being around in hot weather can cause you to be sweaty along with causing foot aches.
This happens because, in hot conditions, your body tries to cool down by itself. So, it automatically constricts its blood vessels.
These factors can be good for your body’s temperature but not for your heart.
That’s because your heart has to work harder to pump blood to your lower estimates.
In addition, the fluid moves downward to your ankles and feet, getting collected and seeped into the tissue in hot weather.
These two factors caused by hot weather can instigate foot pain.
2. LONG STANDING
One of the most blamed factors that causes foot pain is long standing.
Long standing is the bad guy that causes not only foot pain but also low back pain in pregnancy.
Plus, it can cause stiffness in the neck and shoulders, general muscular fatigue, varicose veins, sore feet and a lot of outcomes that you might hate experiencing.
Moreover, standing in the same posture for a long period can lead to stress and pain in your feet, causing foot pain to get more intense.
3. DIETARY IMBALANCE
dietary imbalance and eating wrong foot in a maximum amount can also lead to foot pain even if they sound literally two opposite things.
Plantar fasciitis is a type of foot pain that occurs in 10 percent of all maternity cases.
Pregnant women complain of having sharp pain while facing this condition.
So, you better be avoiding it.
Besides, certain foods including animal protein having too much saturated fats, sugar and trans fat, prepared foods when eaten in larger quantities can cause foot pain during pregnancy.
So, you should choose a healthy pregnancy diet plan to get rid of this concern.
4. INCREASED CAFFEINE INTAKE
Caffeine has a number of bad impacts on pregnancy. That’s why she often gets excluded from most of the pregnancy diet plans.
It can cause preterm labor, miscarriage, still birth, improper development of the baby and ha! You know it- the foot pain.
Caffeine, in high amounts, can amp up your nervous system.
This factor, as a result, leads to muscle twitching, cramps and spasms.
Caffeine can also cause involuntary tension of muscle fibers across the body.
In this way, caffeine can hurt feet during pregnancy.
5. DEHYDRATION
A worrisome event at any point of life, but dehydration is particularly concerning during pregnancy.
Simply speaking, our body mainly consists of water, most of which are stored in our connective tissues and organs.
So when your body gets dehydrated, the water that was present in your connective tissues around your joint gets depleted, causing foot pain.
Typically, dehydration also causes gout, which is a type of foot pain.
Gout can possibly lead to extreme pain, redness and tenderness in your joints of foot, mostly on your big toe.
Also Read: 14 Expert Tips On How To Manage Dehydration During Pregnancy
6. OBESITY
Obesity is one of the leading issues that results in foot pain.
After all, your entire body weight is dependent on your feet only.
So, the more you gain weight the more is the pressure on your foot muscles, and lastly the more is the pain.
Obesity can be very problematic since the tiny bones, muscles and tendons located in your feet are not designed to carry the excess weight you can possibly gain.
Being overweight, in more, can lead to disturbances in the way you walk, clearing the way to foot pain.
So, all in all, the more the weight, the more likely you are probable to have foot pain during pregnancy indeed.
CAUSES OF FOOT PAIN IN PREGNANCY: OVERLOOK
Simplifying all, other than the natural weight gain during pregnancy, these are the factors that can cause foot pain as well.
- Hot weather
- Long standing
- Dietary imbalance
- High caffeine intake
- Dehydration
- Obesity
HOW TO RELIEVE FOOT PAIN DURING PREGNANCY?
There are a host of reasons to state that pregnancy is not as easy as ABC.
You face morning sickness, bloating, sleeplessness, that aching back even nosebleeds are so on.
Moreover, can feet hurt during pregnancy?
Well, they do. And they hurt like nothing does.
But fortunately, they are manageable as well.
For managing foot pain, consider these following strategies in order to know how to stop foot pain during pregnancy, literally.
1. REDUCE SODIUM INTAKE
Sodium can dramatically hurt your feet as it lets your feet swell up.
Having too much sodium can introduce high blood pressure and result in f;luid retention.
These two factors, as a result, can answer with swelling of your legs and feet.
Thus, cut off having foods that are packed with high sodium content.
HIGH SODIUM RICH FOODS
Foods that are generally high in sodium includes,
- Pizza
- Sandwiches
- Breads and rolls
- Salted nuts
- Pickles
- Soups
- Savory snacks
- Cold cuts and cured meats
Chips so, call a halt to your savory pregnancy food cravings in case you are dealing with that aching feet.
2. INCREASE POTASSIUM INTAKE
Relieving foot pain in pregnancy means, reducing sodium intake while increasing potassium intake and vice versa.
Yes, potassium in your diet can benefit your feet.
It is an electrolyte that controls functions which are necessary for muscle movements as well as maintenance.
So, the foot pain you are doing now can be the result of the deficiency of potassium in your diet.
FOODS WITH HIGH POTASSIUM CONTENT
The following listed foods are the best choices for increasing potassium content in your body.
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Avocado
- Low fat Milk and yogurt
- Beet greens
- Bananas
- Potatoes
Also read: the benefits of bell peppers for pregnancy that are been secret to you
3. DRINK MORE WATER
One of the reasons for facing problems including leg cramps, pain and aches is lower consumption of water in pregnancy.
Dehydration can lead to several unfavorable issues, one of which is leg cramps.
Drinking enough water, however,can be your savior as it helps to clear out the acid from your body.
It can even minimize severe foot pains by this process.
Water, in addition, assists you with better blood flow which for your feet is nothing less than crucial.
Better blood circulation through your legs, moreover, through your feet is important because they are very far from your heart.
4. WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTH
Fashion is just trash only if it causes unhealthy outcomes in return.
There are numerous causes of foot pain during pregnancy, but the one that is easily overlooked is quite simple: you are wearing what you should not be wearing.
Putting on tight cloth and skinny jeans can squeeze the nerve and lead to weakness, numbness or pain in your lower estimates.
But that’s not all.
It can even cause poor posture and a stressed out back.
Thus, quit wearing what you think only to be placed in your dustbin not your closet.
And why not, when you have plenty of pregnancy friendly fashionable clothes choices instead of only skinny jeans.
5. EXERCISE A LITTLE
Today, everybody, even my neighbor’s cat, knows that exercise is important for your health.
However, jokes aside, keeping your body in tune, along with your feet, can reduce foot and ankle pain that you may be struggling with.
Not in company with pain only, exercising can help with muscle soreness, improve your overall foot health as well as keep you rockingly active.
Regular exercises can loosen up the muscles and tendons located in your feet.
This factor will make them more potent to handle foot pains caused by pregnancy.
But since you are pregnant, not every exercise is safe to practice now. High intense workouts are absolutely not.
For pregnant women, there are only a few exercises considered as safe.
SAFE EXERCISES DURING PREGNANCY
- Swimming and water workouts
- Riding a stationary bike
- Yoga and Pilates classes
- Walking
- Low impact aerobics
However, if you are not sure what exercises to do, you can read my post next: the best exercise books online especially for pregnancy.
6. USE COMPRESSION STOCKINGS
Compression stocking can exactly be something that you are looking for.
Using pressure stockings can elevate pressure on your legs, promoting a right blood circulation.
This healthy blood flow in further, wards off foot pain during pregnancy.
They can even prevent inflammation and decrease the symptoms associated with plantar fasciitis.
But that’s the least they could do as compression socks can offer you much more than that.
For example, using compression socks can hold back the possibilities of deep vein thrombosis, varicose veins, spider veins, leg swelling, venous ulcers and so on.
You can head over to my article that puts together 10 best compression socks for pregnancy of all time
7. WEAR A COMFORTABLE FOOTWEAR
Now it’s the exact time to look down and check what’s you are wearing now
That’s because wearing the wrong footwear can be something that’s hurting your feet.
Ill fitting shoes often give rise to painful blisters on your feet.
But more than just blisters, a wrong foot wear can even cause severe foot pain, stress fractures, plantar fasciitis and more.
In addition, the wrong fitting shoe can flare up the pre-existing problems located in your feet, knees, ankles and hips.
These factors can happen because the wrong footwear can take away the ability to absorb a shock, triggering an intense lower back pain.
So, choose a supportive footwear that is gentle to wear with a better arch support for the sake of your feet at least.
8. HAVE A HEALTHY DIET
As I already mentioned, a poor diet and eating habit can cause your foot to worsen.
For example, having prepared food with refined grains, sugar and trans fat, animal protein with too much saturated fat can promote plantar fasciitis to build up.
Thus, call a halt to your unhealthy pregnancy food cravings and have more healthy foods often.
In order to make it easier, here is a perfect pregnancy diet plan that you will find very accommodating.
9. CHOOSE YOUR COSMETICS WISELY
Shockingly enough, applying chemical and toxicity-packed nail polishes on your toenails can offer you beauty along with discounts.
Nail polishes and nail removers with harsh chemicals are not advised to use when pregnant.
They can leave your nails dried out, causing hangnails which are least charming of course.
However, making your pregnancy more fashionable and less bothersome, you can use nail polishes by 3 popular brands including Essie, OPI and Sally Hansen.
These brands produce”3-free” nail polishes that are safe to use by pregnant women.
And they really mean it.
10. AVOID LONG STANDING
Long standing is less comfortable and more terrible for pregnant women. A study even suggests that women who are expecting should rigorously avoid it.
Since, it may curb the growth of the developing bay.
Other than that, it can exhaust your feet with no time.
Long standing in the same position without any bodily movement can cause sore feet, swelling of legs, muscular fatigue, back pain, stiffness in the neck and shoulder, varicose veins and everything you would hate to experience.
This can possibly happen because prolonged and frequent standing can let your blood pool in the legs and feet. And provide a soft route to decrease blood circulation.
So, you better be sitting or walking often to avoid long standing.
11. ELEVATE YOUR FEET AND REST
This cation is a gem that instantly relaxes foot pain during pregnancy.
Elevating your feet while sitting can help better blood flow through your legs.
Plus, it can help in relieving muscle tension, tiredness together with soreness in the legs.
By practicing it a few times a day will be able to drain the tension out of your body.
This task is as simple as ABC that requires you sitting on a chair with your feet up.
Try it out now if you’re sitting on a chair.
12. SWIM IF YOU CAN
Swimming is a fun exercise, moreover a worthwhile exercise.
It can benefit you with foot pain as it encourages a healthy blood circulation. This factor consequently reduces swelling throughout your limbs.
Plus, the buoyancy of water can take some of your pregnancy weight off, supplying relaxation in conjunction with comfortable movements.
13. GET YOUR FEET WET
When nothing works, Epsom salt and a little warm water do.
Getting your feet wet with a soak bearing the mixture of Epsom salt and warm water works brilliantly.
This soaks quell swelling and inflammation as magnesium sulfate or Epsom salt is a natural pain reliever.
It can even aid muscle pain.
So, just sit up, prepare your tub with this mixture, put your legs in what you prepared and relax.
The very moment the water gets cold, some of your pains will be gone.
Or more, you can also prefer having a relaxing warm bath that might relax the muscles present in your entire body.
HOW TO STOP FOOT PAIN : A BRIEF CHECKLIST
So, these are the tips and tricks to ease the foot pain down during pregnancy
- Reduce sodium intake
- Increase potassium intake
- Stay well hydrated
- Wear comfortable cloth
- Do some exercises
- Wear a comfortable footwear
- Have a balanced healthy diet
- Avoid long standing
- Elevate your feet and rest
- Do swimming
- Soak your feet in Epsom salt and warm water
These are the procedures you can undertake to overcome foot pain during pregnancy Immediately.
Foot Pain during pregnancy: when to see a doctor?
It is expected to expect foot pain when pregnancy. And it can easily get managed.
The pain gradually magnifies as your belly grows up until the birth of your baby.
However, having excessive pain and aches are concerning. You must not wait to console with your doctor if you have symptoms including
- Swelling that does not improve after two to five days by home treatments
- Having a persistent pain that has not improved after several weeks
- Burning pain
- Numbness and tingling sensations
- Face and hands are also swollen
- The swelling is more than that you had before
- Restless legs with increased pain
It is expected to expect foot pain when pregnant.
If pregnancy is causing extreme foot pain that you can not tolerate anymore then it is out of your hands now. Call your doctor right away.
LAST WORDS FROM PREGARLYBODY
Here the article terminates.
I am obliged that you are still tuning in.
And I also hope that you came to know a thing or two about how to relieve foot pain during pregnancy.
But more importantly, police your symptoms and get medical help as soon as possible if you notice there is a sharp increase in the foot pain and that’s gradually developing.
Al at the end preglybody wishes you a healthy pregnancy ahead.
