Swelling of the legs and feet, and sometimes even the arms and hands, is common in late pregnancy. Few women go through the whole nine months without experiencing this to some extent. During pregnancy, levels increase of several hormones, such as cortisol, oestrogens, and progesterone. These hormonal changes alone can lead to some water retention, but there are other causes too.  Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet is mostly caused by pressure from the uterus on a large vein in your pelvis. This vein is called the vena cava, and carries blood from your lower body back to your heart. Pressure on this vein makes blood flow more slowly so that it pools in your legs and ankles. The extra pressure in your legs forces your capillaries to leak fluid into the tissue spaces of your legs. You may find that the swelling gets worse the more time you spend on your feet. Warm weather also tends to aggravate the problem.

How to reduce swelling in legs

• Avoid too much standing still, and put your feet up whenever possible. This helps to stop fluid collecting in your legs.
• Move your feet and ankles as often as you can when you do have to sit for extended periods. Rotate your ankles, stretch your legs and wiggle your toes. Get up and walk about occasionally.
• Don’t cross your legs, this restricts your circulation.
• Wear comfortable shoes.
• Soak your feet in cool water.
• Drink plenty of water. This helps your kidneys and reduces water retention. When your body is well-hydrated it will not hold on to water so much.
• Get as much exercise as you can: walking, swimming, for instance, will help to boost your circulation.
• Gently massage tired, aching legs with witch hazel cream.
• Exercise your calf muscles by standing up and lifting your heels off the floor so that you are standing on tip-toe. Do this quickly ten times, several times a day.
• Lie on your left side. During the later stages of pregnancy, lying on your back puts pressure on the vena cava vein. Lying on your left hand side instead will help your blood to return to your heart instead of collecting in your legs.
• Heat can aggravate water retention in legs. Instead of taking hot baths try cool showers instead.
• Consider following the Waterfall Diet. It will improve the strength of the blood vessels in your legs, it is low in salt, and high in dietary fibre which helps to prevent constipation.

Safe, gentle remedies

In his wonderful Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, Master Herbalist Thomas Bartram recommends drinking cornsilk tea for water retention in pregnancy. Cornsilk is the silky strands found under the green outer sheath of a head of sweetcorn (maize). Historical records show that cornsilk extract was being used in the 18th century for its diuretic properties. It was also used for kidney, urinary tract and bladder infections, bed wetting problems, cystitis, liver or gall-bladder complaints, arthritis and gout.

You can buy tincture of cornsilk on the internet or in larger health food stores. Use as directed on the pack.

More helpful advice and natural remedies for water retention can be found in the paperback version of the Waterfall Diet book (see right-hand panel opposite).

Water Retention in Pregnancy is a post from: Water-Retention.Net

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1. High Blood Pressure and Water Retention In Pregnancy
2. Swollen Legs Feet Ankles | Causes and Treatment

Barbara had severe water retention and consulted me in 1992 when she was seven months pregnant. She was aged 23 and a vegetarian, and it was her first pregnancy.

Food was a problem for Barbara. Her appetite was so poor that she only ate foods for their taste, not from hunger. While the rest of the family had a complete meal, she would only pick at a piece of cheesecake. Yet in spite of this she was very overweight. Her legs and ankles were very swollen with water retention.

Barbara was also badly anaemic. Her haemoglobin levels had been progressively dropping since early pregnancy, despite increasing doses of iron prescribed by her GP and then by the hospital. By the time she consulted me, Barbara’s skin was extremely pale, and her blood pressure sky high due to the water retention. Both Barbara and the baby were at risk. Barbara agreed to see me because her doctor wanted to keep her in hospital in order to give her iron injections. She had refused this, and was desperately seeking alternatives.

Barbara had received counselling about iron-rich foods recently from a hospital dietician, but told me that she couldn’t follow the advice because she had no appetite.

In taking Barbara’s history, I found a lot of indications that her high blood pressure was due to water retention, which in turn was due to a number of nutritional deficiencies. By throwing her out of balance, the massive doses of iron that Barbara was getting from her doctor were making her worse.

I asked Barbara to obtain permission from her doctor to stop the iron supplements, and I gave her instructions for the Waterfall Diet and a more balanced supplement program.

To her doctor’s amazement, Barbara’s haemoglobin levels started to rise within days, and she went on to produce a healthy baby.

High Blood Pressure and Water Retention In Pregnancy is a post from: Water-Retention.Net

Related posts:

1. Water Retention in Pregnancy