Edema and swelling after childbirth occur due to chronic diseases or due to poor lifestyle choices. Even during pregnancy, a woman should give up alcohol, smoking and fatty foods, and walk more outside.
Edema after childbirth occurs in every eighth woman. There is swelling of the face and limbs, which goes away within a few months. Most often, young mothers complain of stagnation of fluid between the legs, namely vaginal swelling. If this problem does not go away or causes great discomfort, you should consult your doctor.
During pregnancy and after childbirth, the female body accumulates a lot of fluid. This is due to the restructuring of all vital systems and changes in hormonal levels. Swelling after childbirth can occur due to many reasons.
The main factors that provoke stagnation of fluid in tissues:
Phlebeurysm. With increased load and poor circulation of the pelvic organs, varicose veins worsen during pregnancy. In addition to swelling, there are networks of blood vessels on the thighs and calves.
Diseases of the genitourinary system. Urolithiasis or cystitis provoke urination problems and make it difficult to naturally remove water from the body.
Cardiovascular diseases. When the heart muscle functions abnormally, swelling of the legs is often observed.
Diseases of the endocrine system. With diabetes mellitus, swelling of the extremities is observed, especially pregnancy provokes the pathology.
Accumulation of sodium salts during gestation.
Drinking plenty of fluids in early pregnancy and after childbirth.
Eating large amounts of fried, fatty, salty foods.
Swelling is caused not only by chronic diseases, but also by a sedentary lifestyle or heavy load on the legs. Also, this pathology is a consequence of cesarean section. To eliminate swelling, the woman wears elastic bandages or special compression stockings.
If the cause of fluid stagnation is not chronic diseases, you can eliminate the discomfort at home. Swelling after childbirth will go away after adjusting your usual lifestyle.
The postpartum mother is recommended to follow the following rules:
If after following the rules for a week, swelling increases or does not go away, consult a doctor. After examining and examining the patient, effective treatment is prescribed. The main thing is not to ignore this symptom.
Drug treatment of edema should only take place under the supervision of a doctor, especially if the woman is breastfeeding. Many medications can interfere with milk flow or harm the baby.
Treatment of pathology depends on the cause of its occurrence:
Diuretics. Prescribed to remove excess fluid naturally. Drugs that can be used during breastfeeding: “Canephron”, “Fitolysin”, “Urolesan”.
Antibiotics. These drugs are rarely used and are indicated for vaginal swelling. This pathology can be caused by an infection introduced during delivery.
Iron-containing preparations. Often prescribed for varicose veins, which provokes anemia.
Vitamin complexes. The body of a young mother is under a lot of stress, so vitamin deficiency may develop. Vitamins are prescribed to prevent many diseases.
With the help of drug therapy, you can not only relieve swelling, but also eliminate the cause of the pathology. Problems with the genitourinary system or blood vessels are solved within a month of effective treatment. If the swelling occurs due to an advanced stage of varicose veins, you will have to undergo a treatment course of more than 6 months.
Often after childbirth, swelling occurs due to an abundance of too salty and unhealthy foods. In this case, a small adjustment of the diet will help the woman. You can return to your normal diet gradually after the swelling is completely eliminated.
The following should be excluded from the menu of a young mother:
Also, to combat swelling, it is recommended to completely eliminate alcoholic and carbonated drinks. If a woman is breastfeeding, she must adhere to proper nutrition in any case. Therefore, the listed restrictions should not cause difficulties.
Postpartum edema can occur due to a sedentary lifestyle or constant sitting and standing. Therefore, physical therapy is considered an effective method in combating the problem. It is recommended to spend 15 minutes daily on morning exercises.
If a woman is often in a sitting position, she should take a five-minute break every hour. During rest, it is recommended to rotate your foot clockwise and back, perform squats and walk on your heels.
To avoid problems with veins after childbirth, start doing daily therapeutic exercises during pregnancy. Among the exercises, the most useful are “bicycle”, “scissors” and “birch tree”. Also, any elements with raising and holding the legs will help restore blood circulation and improve the functioning of the pelvic organs.
To get rid of swelling of the arms and legs during breastfeeding, doctors may recommend traditional medicine. Medicinal herbs with diuretic and sedative properties will help eliminate many postpartum problems.
For swelling, drink the following:
It will be useful to use the listed plants not only internally, but also to add decoctions to foot baths. This procedure should be carried out before bedtime, adding sea salt to the water. Afterwards, rub your feet with moisturizer and massage problem areas.
If you have severe varicose veins, you should not prescribe baths and massages without consulting a doctor. Since the impact on vascular nodes can lead to deterioration of the condition of the legs.
Some herbs can cause individual intolerance, so actively using traditional methods is not recommended. Consult your doctor, and then monitor your health. If you experience rashes or problems with stool, it is recommended to stop using medicinal decoctions and tinctures.
After childbirth, the female body requires time to adjust. Normalization of the condition occurs within two months. If a woman does not breastfeed, a longer recovery process is possible.
Swelling that occurs after childbirth should not frighten a young mother. They go away within a couple of months. If the woman is healthy and the delivery went without complications, swollen legs and arms will quickly return to normal. In the presence of chronic diseases, the condition of the limbs and face depends on timely and effective treatment.
If swelling occurs due to varicose veins, the woman will have to undergo long-term treatment. In this case, the swelling will subside after eliminating the main symptoms of varicose veins: dilated veins in the form of spider veins and nodes.
After childbirth, swelling of the entire body, and especially the legs and arms, is often observed. A woman should not worry, as this condition should go away in a few weeks. If swelling causes discomfort or takes a long time to resolve, you should consult a doctor.
Swelling in the legs after childbirth can be caused by various reasons: poor lifestyle, as a result of exacerbation of chronic diseases. In any case, only a doctor can quickly eliminate postpartum swelling in the legs, who, based on the research, determines what to do in each specific situation.
As pregnancy progresses, changes in the functioning of internal organs and systems occur in a woman’s body, causing swelling. As a rule, after childbirth, the functioning of the body returns to normal, and swelling goes away on its own. In cases where natural recovery is impossible for some reason, the patient is prescribed drug treatment. The necessary medications are determined by the doctor based on the tests and visual examination.
The following manifestations are characteristic of edema of the postpartum period:
The reasons why swelling of the legs occurs after childbirth are different.
While carrying a child, the body of many expectant mothers is shocked by various changes: hormonal changes, increasing weight, disruption of the functioning of internal organs and systems. The kidneys are the first to suffer. Disruption of their work leads to the fact that excess fluid accumulates in the body, swelling develops, which persists for a long time after childbirth.
Also, swelling in healthy women after childbirth can be caused by:
The main reasons causing swelling in the legs after childbirth:
The process of natural childbirth, as well as a caesarean section, is accompanied by numerous intravenous infusions - droppers. Already existing kidney diseases, disorders of the heart muscle, as well as pathological conditions of blood vessels make it difficult to remove excess fluid from the body. Such factors explain why legs swell after childbirth and what to do in such a situation.
If swelling does not go away after surgery, you should immediately seek help from a specialist. Swelling can be caused by mechanical damage to blood vessels during surgery, compression of blood vessels and capillaries by postoperative edema, disrupting the blood flow of the lower extremities.
There are many reasons that provoke postpartum swelling of the legs. Because what to do and why your legs swell after childbirth can only be determined by a doctor, based on the results of a visual examination and laboratory tests.
To quickly relieve symptoms of severe swelling of the legs after childbirth, provided that they are not caused by diseases of the internal organs or surgery, first aid actions for swelling will help:
By applying simple first aid rules in practice, postpartum edema will disappear within seven days. The situation when swelling persists for a longer time requires serious study by doctors.
Only a doctor who has studied a specific, individual case can give an accurate answer to the question of how to remove swelling in the legs after childbirth. According to the results of the study, depending on the cause of the swelling, appropriate drug treatment is prescribed:
Important: drug therapy, the effect of which is aimed at relieving swelling after childbirth, must be carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor. Uncontrolled use of medications can disrupt the natural flow of milk and harm the baby.
Having diagnosed the cause of swelling in the legs after childbirth and outlined the necessary course of treatment, doctors recommend using some traditional medicine at home. Herbal infusions, having diuretic and sedative properties, not only help in the treatment of edema, but can also eliminate many other postpartum problems.
Herbal decoctions can be taken orally or added to foot baths. Evening massages using sea salt also have a good decongestant effect.
Important: what to do if your legs become very swollen after childbirth can only be determined by your doctor. Illiterate use of traditional medicine recipes can have a negative impact on vascular nodes and worsen the condition of the legs.
Also, young mothers who are breastfeeding should be especially careful when using herbal treatment. At the slightest allergic reaction (both in a child and in a nursing woman), treatment with decoctions and tinctures must be stopped.
When the first symptoms of swelling of the legs appear after childbirth, you need to consult a general practitioner, who, based on the results of the examination, will be able to determine the cause of this unpleasant condition and give a referral for further treatment from a highly specialized specialist.
So, in case of vascular diseases (the most common cause of swelling), a consultation with a phlebologist is necessary.
A nephrologist will help quickly eliminate swelling if the pathology is caused by kidney disease.
The cardiologist will prescribe the necessary treatment to eliminate swelling caused by heart problems.
Taking steps to combat how to get rid of swelling in the legs after childbirth is necessary even during the period of bearing a child.
During pregnancy (especially in the last months), it is necessary to wear a bandage that relieves stress on the legs and minimizes the risk of developing varicose veins in the legs.
Using compression garments is a good measure to prevent leg swelling.
For a while, it’s better to forget about high-heeled shoes, flat shoes, flip-flops, and tight shoes.
A healthy diet, the absence of fatty, spicy foods, and carbonated drinks from the menu will help not only get rid of edema, but also restore the natural defenses of the female body.
The following exercises can be a good preventative measure:
Daily foot baths, contrast showers, and good sleep will help quickly relieve swelling after childbirth and maintain the good mood of the woman who gave birth.
Knowledge of why it occurs and how to treat swelling of the legs after childbirth will help eliminate the problem in the shortest possible time and quickly return to normal.
When a woman is in an interesting position, slight swelling of the limbs is considered quite normal. They are usually associated with the natural accumulation of fluid in the body of the expectant mother, which is necessary for the full development of the future baby. But why do swelling of the legs appear after childbirth, because after restructuring, the body must remove unnecessary water?
The reasons for such phenomena may be hidden in the occurrence of health problems. Often, swelling appears due to exacerbation of old chronic diseases or the emergence of new ailments provoked by physiological changes that occurred during pregnancy.
Many young women are frightened and alarmed by the appearance of swelling of the legs after childbirth; they do not know what to do about it. These concerns are not unfounded. Most often, after the birth of a child, the kidneys and veins of a young mother suffer, since they are the most difficult to recover from global changes occurring in the body. In any case, in order to establish the exact cause and get rid of such phenomena, you need to consult a doctor. After examining you and ordering the necessary tests, your doctor will be able to recommend appropriate treatment for leg swelling after childbirth.
Pregnancy is a very difficult period for the kidneys. It is quite difficult for them to quickly return to normal after the end of pregnancy. Therefore, for some time they will slowly remove the liquid. The situation can be aggravated by chronic diseases of the genitourinary system that the mother has. To exclude the occurrence of serious pathologies, a woman needs to see a doctor and undergo a series of tests.
If swelling of the legs after childbirth is accompanied by noticeable pain in the lower abdomen, which, by the way, is very often confused with general postpartum pain, then most likely there is an exacerbation of cystitis. Inflammation of the bladder can have extremely unpleasant consequences, so you should not delay visiting a urologist either. A few simple but very important tests will help determine or rule out the cause of swelling.
Circulatory disorders in the extremities, caused by the pressure of the fetus on the pelvic vessels during pregnancy, predispose to the appearance of various pathologies. Inelastic walls of blood vessels or weak vein valves provoke the development of varicose veins after childbirth. Swelling of the legs, heaviness or burning may become a fundamental symptom.
Preeclampsia is a severe pathology during pregnancy. Usually its manifestation is observed at the end of the second – beginning of the third trimester. It is practically not amenable to drug treatment and most often goes away after delivery. Mild forms of this pathology have no consequences and completely disappear on the second day after birth.
More severe forms of gestosis may persist after childbirth. The main symptoms here will be: high blood pressure, detection of a large amount of protein in the samples taken, rapid weight gain associated with the appearance of severe swelling of the legs. After childbirth, such phenomena should stabilize, however, if the disease has seriously affected the mother’s organs, this does not happen. Treatment in this case takes place under the strict supervision of a doctor.
Often the common cause of this pathology is poor nutrition. Abuse of fried, spicy and salty foods, drinking large amounts of tea or coffee in combination with bad habits can cause swelling of the limbs.
Swelling of the legs does not go away for a long time when, after giving birth, the mother immediately returns to work in the office. Lack of physical activity and prolonged sitting at the computer is clearly not what the body needs during this period. And the appearance of additional loads in the form of still unusual worries significantly “embellishes” the picture. Sometimes a young mother can only rest at night, and even then only for a few hours.
It may take up to four weeks for the body to return lymph flow and blood circulation to normal.
Very often, when swelling of the legs appears after childbirth, women self-prescribe diuretic medications. This is fundamentally wrong. You should be very careful with such medications, since most diuretic tablets remove potassium from the body, which negatively affects the functioning of the heart and the condition of blood vessels. After inadequate diuretic therapy, not only does the risk of cardiovascular diseases appear, but there remains a possibility of increased swelling after discontinuation of the drugs. In addition, diuretics will be absolutely ineffective in the formation of venous pathologies.
Diuretics are less dangerous for the body, but even their use must be agreed with a doctor. When using medicinal herbs in situations where the legs and ankles swell after childbirth, there is always a risk of allergic reactions. Such techniques are also undesirable during breastfeeding. Since all the products that the mother consumes will be received by the baby through breast milk, the baby also has a chance of developing an allergy.
In addition, in order to properly brew a medicinal herb, sometimes you have to tinker a lot, and this is not always useful for a young mother.
Are your legs swelling for unknown reasons? In this case, special gymnastics can help, which doctors often recommend to their patients. These exercises will be much more effective if you do them standing:
The following exercises are performed in a sitting position:
If swelling appears on the limbs, then there is no need to postpone a visit to the doctor - it is necessary to start treatment immediately. Such phenomena do not go away on their own, but only worsen over time. Depending on the true cause of unwanted symptoms, the doctor prescribes treatment. So, after the birth of a child, your legs swell. This summary table will tell you how to relieve swelling so as not to harm the body and at the same time get rid of the disease quickly.
In some cases, swelling of the legs may remain after a sunburn. Most often, the fair half of humanity faces this problem. Leg swelling refers to an increase in the volume of the lower limb. As a rule, this occurs due to prolonged standing or walking, drinking large amounts of liquid and after sunburn.
Modern medicine does not distinguish leg swelling as a separate disease. It's just a symptom. However, in some cases it may indicate serious and dangerous diseases. Swelling of the legs is associated with fluid retention in the space between the cells. Of course, there is nothing good about this.
The most common causes of swelling of the lower extremities:
Very often, women in a special situation face such a problem as swelling of the legs. This is due to hormonal changes in the body and excess weight. As the uterus enlarges, it begins to put pressure on the vessels, thereby retaining fluid in the body. That is why, when examined by a gynecologist, the doctor checks the condition of the legs. Such symptoms can negatively affect the health of both mother and baby. Moreover, fluid retention is a rather unpleasant sensation.
In some cases, swelling of the legs may indicate serious illness. One of them is varicose veins. In recent years, varicose veins have been diagnosed not only in women, but also in men. The main reasons are clogged veins and weak muscles.
This leads to a delay in the movement of blood and fluid in the lower extremities. Visually, the swelling looks like an enlarged leg. The cause of an unpleasant symptom can also be harmless at first glance - the consequences of a sunburn. However, it also requires special treatment and monitoring by a doctor.
If fluid retention is not associated with any chronic diseases, lifestyle may be the cause of edema. For example, standing on your feet for a long time. You can get rid of such consequences yourself, without turning to doctors. How can I do that?
After a hard day at work, you need to do contrasting foot baths. Dip your feet alternately in cool and hot water. After this, dry your feet, put on warm socks and lie down. Try to keep your lower limbs at a level higher than your torso. To do this, you can place a pillow or a blanket under them. This will help reduce swelling and speed up the outflow of fluid. If there is a strong delay in water excretion, you can take a diuretic drug that will help the body cope with its excess.
Treatment at home is only permissible if there are no other signs of the disease. If the swelling does not go away for a long time or your health worsens, consult a doctor for a diagnosis.
Many people do not even suspect that a harmless tan can lead to serious consequences. You need to learn to distinguish harmless sunburns from serious lesions that may indicate problems with blood vessels and internal diseases.
You should consult a doctor in the following cases:
If these symptoms appear, take them seriously. Do not self-medicate - it can be dangerous to your health.
For minor lesions and redness, you can lubricate the skin with a moisturizer or sour cream and avoid exposure to the sun for a couple of days. Try to prevent consequences by using tanning products.
Sunburn occurs when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet radiation for a long time. Every representative of the fair sex dreams of beautiful tanned legs, however, you should not abuse the sun. Peeling skin not only looks unattractive, but also causes pain. How to quickly get rid of the effects of sunburn?
Many people use vegetable oil for these purposes. However, doing this is strictly prohibited. The oil creates a film on the skin and prevents air from entering. This delays the wound healing process.
To relieve pain, you can use cold compresses or take a contrast shower. This perfectly soothes the skin, relieves itching and swelling.
When the first symptoms of a burn appear, apply tanning cream to your skin. It will moisturize the skin and relieve inflammation a little. If you are lying in the sun and feel like your legs are getting hot , hide in the shade. Continued exposure to the sun may cause blisters. And this is a more serious problem that causes a lot of inconvenience. Moreover, blisters are dangerous because they can become infected, which can lead to blood poisoning.
If you have burns, it is recommended to drink plenty of still liquids to avoid dehydration. However, this rule does not apply if the tissue begins to swell. You can only make the situation worse. If the signs of a burn do not go away for a long time (more than three days), you need to consult a doctor so that he can prescribe anti-burn and decongestant medications.
There are many traditional methods of treatment using simple and affordable ingredients.
Starch quickly and effectively relieves redness and soreness after burns. Grate the potatoes and apply to the affected areas. Secure the top with a bandage and leave for an hour. Potatoes quickly heal wounds and other skin lesions.
Many people remember after sunbathing for sour cream, which is famous for its anti-inflammatory properties. You can use it or another fermented milk product that you find in the refrigerator. Apply a thin layer to sore areas. This will relieve redness, burning and other unpleasant symptoms.
Apply the protein to the affected areas and leave for an hour. The egg will relieve burning and redness, and also help reduce swelling..
Everyone loves hot summer days when you can lie in the sun and sunbathe. Many people don’t even think about the consequences after such a pleasant vacation. In addition to a natural, beautiful tan, you can get thermal injuries.
Few people know that prolonged lying in the sun and excess sun rays can lead to fluid retention in the lower extremities. In fact, ultraviolet radiation in large quantities interferes with the removal of fluid and leads to an increase in the volume of the legs, that is, to swelling. To avoid such unpleasant consequences, you need to follow some recommendations:
Treatment of swelling after a sunburn is also possible using traditional methods. However, if you experience a fever or other unpleasant symptoms, go to the hospital. For mild lesions, a contrast shower, alternating cold and warm water, can help.
To avoid discomfort after sunbathing, follow these recommendations:
By adhering to simple rules, you can not only get a beautiful tan, but also have a pleasant time under the gentle sun.
If your legs swell after childbirth (which happens quite often, since excess fluid and weight do not go away in “5 minutes”), doctors advise performing special exercises. Moreover, you can “take the baby with you” - a little warm-up will be useful for him.
Most often, the legs swell after childbirth for the same reason as during pregnancy, it’s just that their cause was then incorrectly determined. Alas, most likely, this was not a slight swelling natural in this position, but the initial stage of varicose veins. After all, pregnancy is one of the reasons why varicose veins occur. It's all about the enlargement of the uterus, which begins to compress large venous trunks in the pelvic area, mechanically preventing the outflow of blood from the lower extremities. In addition, it is necessary to nourish two organisms; the volume of circulating blood increases by 30%, which also puts additional stress on our veins.
Swelling of the legs with varicose veins develops quite slowly. For this reason, patients complaining of other symptoms of varicose veins come to phlebologists (doctors who deal with this problem). Unfortunately, we do not pay enough attention to leg swelling, or even think that it is some other disease. At the initial stage of the disease, swelling is not very noticeable. Swelling of the legs is especially noticeable in the late afternoon, since the longer we are in an upright position, the greater the flow of blood into the leg veins. After sleep, swelling decreases (or disappears completely) and may appear again in the evening.
Of course, everything can be much more prosaic, and the legs swell after childbirth due to poor nutrition, but in any case it is worth visiting a doctor and not letting things take their course.
As mentioned above, the first thing you need to do is visit a doctor to determine the exact cause of the swelling. In parallel with this, it is worth taking note of a few tips.
It is necessary to give your legs a rest as often as possible. From time to time you should lie down, and so that your legs are on a hill; it is also important to perform special simple exercises: circular movements of the feet, raising on the toes, toe-toe rolls. When sleeping, try to lie on your left side to improve blood flow. Do not cross your legs when sitting or stand for long periods of time. If you have to stand for a long time, periodically rise on your toes.
Don't forget about diet. To thin the blood, you can include some foods in your diet - viburnum, sea buckthorn, cranberries, lemon, grapefruit, tomatoes and grapes. Any food should be consumed in moderation and preferably after consulting a doctor, because during pregnancy a woman may experience an allergic reaction to the most common foods. Blood thickening can also be caused by a lack of vitamins and minerals, such as lecithin, vitamin C, zinc, and selenium. Excessive consumption of fatty, smoked, spicy, and canned foods has a detrimental effect on the blood condition.
Do not overuse coffee, tea, cocoa (often causes allergies), and carbonated water. You can drink herbal teas, cranberry juice, grape juice, but water should be the basis for quenching your thirst.
A foot massage will help alleviate the condition, as well as a decoction of dried apricots: pour boiling water over the dried apricots and leave overnight, and in the morning drink this compote 30-40 minutes before meals.
Foot baths help a lot. For example, a bath to relieve fatigue: 100 grams of juniper berries per liter of water; 100 grams of sea salt per liter of water; 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dry mustard per liter of water; two teaspoons of baking soda per liter of water. Contrast baths are also effective: you need to keep your feet in hot water, periodically immersing them in very cold water for a short time. If desired, you can also add herbal decoctions or sea salt to such baths.
Laser treatment of varicose veins: innovations in the service of beauty
Most young mothers complain of swelling after childbirth. It is worth noting that this is a fairly common phenomenon among women who have recently given birth. Such a defect causes concern, especially if it does not go away for a long time.
The swelling itself occurs as a result of the accumulation of excessive amounts of fluid. You can determine whether there is swelling using normal finger pressure. In this case, a pit forms on the skin. Swelling after childbirth can vary in severity.
Sometimes the whole body swells, other times only a certain part. If doctors had to give intravenous infusions during childbirth, the defect will appear only after 5-6 days.
In some cases, this condition is accompanied by breast tenderness and engorgement, dryness and increased sensitivity of the nipples, so there is severe discomfort when putting the baby to the breast.
Sometimes the pain is so severe that natural feeding is stopped for a while. Increasing the volume of the limbs or the whole body requires wearing larger clothes, which also creates an unpleasant feeling.
If the trouble does not go away a week after the birth of the baby, then there are probably more serious reasons for its occurrence.
Significant accumulation of fluid in the body. This disorder occurs due to poor kidney function. But in this case, the pathology of these organs will be noticeable even during pregnancy.
If they could not cope with the increased load, then after childbirth they will not be able to restore their normal functioning and the removal of excess fluid will be difficult for some time. Chronic kidney disease in a woman increases the risk of swelling for a long period after childbirth.
Unbalanced diet and inappropriate lifestyle. Very often the reasons are hidden in excessive fluid intake and unhealthy diet. You want to drink after a lot of fried, spicy and salty foods. But high physical activity can also be harmful. In this case, the reason is hidden in a long stay in a standing position. As a result, the legs swell in the evening, a feeling of heaviness arises in them, and the swelling subsides in the morning.
Vascular diseases. The main source is varicose veins, which, unfortunately, also very often occurs in pregnant women, especially in the last months of pregnancy. The enlarging uterus compresses large venous trunks in the pelvis and thereby prevents the outflow of blood from the lower extremities.
Every fourth woman has this pathology, but all of them know about it, since in the early stages the disease is quite mild. If persistent swelling occurs that is not caused by other reasons, then it is necessary to consult a specialist - a phlebologist, because varicose veins are a rather dangerous disease with serious consequences if left untreated.
The method for eliminating a defect directly depends on the cause of its occurrence.
If kidney disease occurs, it may require drug treatment. In this case, only a doctor can prescribe the necessary medications, because a woman cannot take many medications during lactation. Perhaps he will allow the use of folk diuretics, for example, birch sap or an infusion of apple peels.
When the cause of trouble is a poor diet and improper daily routine, you need to correct them. For example, it is better to eat steamed or boiled dishes, eliminate smoked foods, and limit the consumption of liquid and salt.
As for drinking, preference should be given to still mineral water, compote without sugar and herbal teas. Activity and rest should constantly alternate; you cannot spend the whole day “ on your feet .” This also applies to excessive passivity. Unpleasant phenomena go away only if the regime is followed.
For varicose veins, you must contact a specialist who will select a course of therapy depending on the degree of the disease. In any case, such a patient should rest more in a supine position, placing a bolster or pillow under her legs so that they are above the level of the heart.
It is necessary to take special relaxing foot baths and possibly wear compression garments to relieve swelling. A special diet may be prescribed to thin the blood. Then the diet includes such products as sea buckthorn, viburnum, lemons, tomatoes, grapes, cranberries.
The doctor will give recommendations on this matter, because during breastfeeding, some substances from the mother’s menu can pass through the milk to the baby and the latter will have an allergic reaction.
Blood thickening can also be caused by a lack of vitamins and minerals, for example, lecithin, zinc, selenium and vitamin C. A young mother should not overuse coffee, green and black tea, cocoa, and soda. It is recommended to drink cranberry juice, grape juice, herbal teas, but it is better to give preference to plain water.
Normally, these defects should go away on their own within a few days after birth. If they are observed for more than a week or occur repeatedly, it means that there is some kind of disorder in the body. In chronic kidney disease, it goes away within a few weeks.
It is worth noting that the time for swelling to subside also depends on the fluid accumulated during pregnancy, which is eliminated by urination. Probably every woman notices that after giving birth she begins to visit the toilet more often.
An important point is that it is not advisable to limit fluid intake, as milk production may decrease, so it is important to seek advice from a qualified specialist in this regard.
In some cases, restricting drinking is a necessary measure. Also, excess water from the body can be eliminated through sweating, so increased sweating in the postpartum period is normal.
Swelling of the legs after childbirth should also go away within a few days if the woman has healthy blood vessels. If this does not happen and the swelling increases, it means that the valves of the external and internal veins are not working well and varicose veins are present.
These recommendations can be used during pregnancy as measures to prevent edema.
If swelling does not go away and you have a headache after childbirth, then your blood pressure may be high. Another problem that is a reason to consult a doctor is swelling of only one limb, which is accompanied by severe pain. This condition indicates deep vein thrombosis, a life-threatening condition.
After the birth of a baby, each woman has to go through her own recovery period, which lasts differently for everyone. Almost 80% of young mothers in the first months face such a problem as swelling after childbirth, which spreads to the face and figure as a whole. However, the legs and vagina most often suffer, because while carrying a baby they had to withstand enormous loads. What are the main causes of postpartum tissue swelling and is it possible to somehow stop this process?
First, you should make sure that you actually have swelling and not swelling. Press your finger against the enlarged tissue and release. A hole is formed, which will disappear in a couple of minutes. This is swelling, and after childbirth it occurs for the following reasons:
All these problems can be solved quite quickly and easily if the cause is identified correctly. Most often, swelling of the legs is observed after childbirth, since all the excess body fluid accumulates in them, and the outflow is impaired due to the above factors. To get rid of them, you first need to eliminate the root cause of this phenomenon.
As soon as you notice that your legs are swollen after childbirth for no apparent reason (i.e. you did not receive intravenous infusions during the birth of your baby and you have never suffered from a disorder of the genitourinary or circulatory systems), try to solve this problem yourself with the following ways.
If you did everything correctly, the defect will disappear in just a week, returning you to your former shape. However, everything is much worse if after childbirth the swelling does not go away for a long time. In this case, you should worry and seek help from doctors.
With such a misfortune, it is quite understandable for women to worry about when the swelling will go away after childbirth and they won’t have to worry about it. Ideally, if the process is not provoked by serious diseases of various organs and systems, everything should go away in 1 - maximum 2 weeks. Despite the fact that these terms are very individual and arbitrary, if the problem does not go away longer than the specified time, you should immediately consult a doctor, undergo an examination and find out the causes of your condition. Only after this they will tell you for sure whether the swelling on your body after childbirth will go away in the near future. For a speedy recovery, you will have to undergo a full course of treatment prescribed by a specialist.
Modern women, thanks to the Internet, are maximally informed about the processes that occur in their bodies before and after childbirth. Knowing that the main cause of edema is fluid retention in the tissues, they begin to actively drink diuretics, thereby driving themselves into a trap. Firstly, lactation is disrupted. Secondly, the child suffers, who also has to swallow these drugs through mother's milk. Thirdly, in most cases the swelling never goes away, because the kidneys turn out to be fine.
Do you want to know for sure how long after childbirth the swelling goes away and your figure is completely restored? Only a doctor can answer this question after an examination:
If you know the causes of postpartum edema, you can get rid of them in the shortest possible time, which will shorten the recovery period and quickly return to normal. It is better to think about this as early as possible: even while carrying a child. If you take preventive measures, then you won’t have to suffer from pain and complexes about blurred forms. If you were unable to avoid this misfortune, be sure to undergo a course of treatment so that nothing interferes with your communication with your baby.
Many physiological factors explain the swelling that accompanies the last weeks of pregnancy. The legs are hit the hardest: the load on them increases with the growth of the fetus, and the enlarged uterus puts pressure on the vessels of the perineum, disrupting the outflow of blood. Normally, leg swelling after childbirth goes away within a week or two, even if nothing is done about it. See a doctor if your feet continue to swell despite taking preventive measures.
While expecting a child, a woman's hormonal levels change, which leads to fluid retention in the body. At the same time, the volume of circulating blood also increases - after all, it is required not only by the mother, but also by the growing baby. In the absence of complications, swelling after childbirth disappears on its own as these indicators return to normal.
Some circumstances slow down this process. The following reasons explain why many mothers have swollen feet after childbirth:
If swelling after childbirth is caused by natural changes in the body, then no special measures need to be taken. You can do simple physical exercises to help get your legs in order faster:
All this improves blood circulation and disperses fluid accumulated in the subcutaneous tissue.
Normalizing the daily routine and increasing rest time will help relieve swelling that occurs from the mother's fatigue. It is also necessary to review the diet, eliminating spicy and salty foods and fried foods.
But what to do if leg swelling increases after childbirth or persists for more than two weeks? Even when at first glance there is no reason to suspect a disorder of any organ, you should not self-medicate. Only a doctor can correctly determine why fluid is retained in the body.
Treatment of postpartum leg swelling is aimed primarily at combating the underlying disease. During lactation, they try to minimize drug treatment and postpone surgical interventions if possible.
A successful birth without a rupture or cut in the perineum means that the restoration of blood circulation in the legs will occur quite quickly, and with it the symptoms of varicose veins will be eliminated. If they do not go away, the swelling only increases, the bruises of the protruding vessels grow, then an examination by a phlebologist is necessary. The results of duplex angioscanning of the superficial and deep veins will show the condition of the vessels of the lower extremities. In agreement with them, treatment is prescribed.
If the examination does not reveal venous thrombosis, then local therapy is recommended until the end of breastfeeding. Ointments such as Troxevasin, Lyoton, and Heparin ointment improve the condition of veins and eliminate microthrombi. They increase blood circulation in the legs, which helps to quickly get rid of swelling and bruising. As a preventive measure and to alleviate the condition, wearing compression stockings is recommended.
If the reason why your legs swell. associated with impaired renal function, a consultation with a nephrologist is recommended. They select medications (including those of herbal origin) taking into account the feeding of the child. Self-administration of decoctions of diuretic herbs is extremely undesirable.
You can take care of the absence of swelling in your legs even before giving birth. These recommendations are also relevant after the birth of the child.
Following these rules is useful not only for mothers suffering from edema, but also for all women who have given birth in the first weeks after childbirth.