Swelling during pregnancy is quite common for a lot of women. It’s one of the side effects of pregnancy that doesn’t get spoken about until you experience it for yourself. I personally swelled during all three of my pregnancies. I discussed my swelling symptoms with my obstetrician to ensure that what I was experiencing was normal. It didn’t matter if the weather was warm or cool, I still swelled, but there were some things I did that helped reduce the swelling. I would often get advice from other women who had experienced the same symptoms and most aligned with recommendations from doctors. Please keep in mind, any symptoms throughout your pregnancy should be talked out with your doctor. These tips are what helped me so take this advice as if I’m a mum relaying information to help a friend.

1. Keep your feet up. This one was a hard one for me to do during my first two pregnancies because I was on my feet all day as a plumber. By night I had cankles and my feet throbbed from the pressure of the fluid. At night I would sit and have my feet elevated using a pouf. I would do foot rotations while sitting. One of my clients suggested elevating the mattress by placing magazines or books under the mattress to keep my feet elevated while I slept. This worked for her while pregnant with twins. I tried this but couldn’t sleep.

2. Talking about sleep, it’s suggested that lying on your left side while you sleep helps a major vein draining the legs feel less compressed which allows blood to drain more easily.

3. Drink lots of fluid. It is recommended to drink 3.1 litres of fluid to help flush the kidneys. Your fluid intake also includes the tea, coffee and juice drinks consumed during the day. It is recommended that soft drinks should be avoided because of the high sugar content. I rarely drink soft drink myself unless I go out for dinner, but during my three pregnancies, I enjoyed a diet ginger ale every now and then.

4. Eat less salt because salt retains fluid. I ate a lot of Jatz during my first pregnancy. Not sure if that may have contributed to my swelling. It’s always best to eat unprocessed food during pregnancy… which is great if you can keep your food down. A dry cracker goes a long way when you have bad morning sickness. Do what’s right for you and ask your doctor for advice on how to keep your salt intake down.

5. Compression stockings may be recommended if you have severe swelling. These are easy to hide if you’re pregnant during winter, but during summer they can feel hot and uncomfortable and look hideous when worn with a dress and sandals. Pride in appearance aside, just remember it will be worth it when you have your darling baby in your arms.

6. Regular exercise is good for the body. The muscles work with veins to move fluid out of the tissues and back to the heart.

7. Don’t over layer. This one is a bit of a given because during pregnancy you have an internal heater. Summer can be your enemy, but winter can be your friend. In summer, relax in air-conditioning if you have that luxury, or swim in a pool. Even dangling your feet in the water can do wonders for keeping cool.

8. Dr Ginni Mansberg admits there’s not a lot of evidence to support massage, acupuncture, reflexology treatments or even compression stockings will reduce swelling, but if any of them make you feel better, go for it. There is debate reflexology massage can bring on labour if certain areas of the foot are massaged. Talk specifically to your doctor and do your own research and make an informed decision. I did get reflexology to help with the swelling in my feet. The reflexologist avoided the areas of the foot that relate to the reproductory system. I went on to have all three of my girls full term (well via c-section).

9. This last piece of advice is from me and that is not to get upset if you do swell. I used to joke with my girlfriends that I’m not glowing, I’m BLOWING, because every part of my body swelled! By around 20 weeks I had to get my wedding rings off and was unable to get bangles over my wrists. Just remember the swelling is for a couple of seasons.

Have you experienced swelling during your pregnancy? Have you got any tips to share with other mums who may be swelling?

Disclaimer: This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. Our writers use all reasonable care in compiling the information but make no warranty as to its accuracy. Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.