Swelling during pregnancy worries many expectant mothers. For some this is a variant of the norm, for others it is a manifestation of dietary disorders, and for others it is a manifestation of pregnancy complications or extragenital diseases. As a rule, swelling reaches its maximum in the third trimester and gradually disappears after the birth of the child. In our article we will talk about what to do if swelling after childbirth or cesarean section does not decrease or appears for the first time, and we will also discuss why legs swell after childbirth?
Pregnant women are prone to edema due to fluid retention, since the state of pregnancy itself contributes to this unpleasant phenomenon. There are a number of reasons for this:
Now that we have discussed the main reasons for the appearance of edema during pregnancy, we can find out why the legs swell after childbirth?
In the vast majority of cases, swelling after the birth of a child (regardless of the method of birth) goes away within a few weeks. The maximum subsidence of edema can be observed already in the first day after childbirth - a woman can lose up to 3 kg in weight due to excess fluid. Thus, swelling and pastiness of tissues, caused precisely by pregnancy factors, should go away within 2 weeks after the birth of the child.
If leg swelling continues after childbirth, you need to figure out what is causing it. Below we provide a list of the most significant and important causes of swelling after natural childbirth and cesarean section. Special forms of edema, characteristic specifically for women after a cesarean section, will be taken out in a separate block.
The insidiousness of gestosis lies in the fact that its manifestations can persist even after childbirth. Fortunately, this rarely happens. In the vast majority of variants of the course, gestosis is maximally manifested in the third trimester and during childbirth, quickly fading away after the birth of the child. Despite this, if they persist or increase for a long time, it is necessary to contact a gynecologist or antenatal clinic to monitor blood pressure and a general urine test.
Nursing mothers usually diligently monitor their diet and the range of foods they eat, so they do not have any serious dietary violations leading to fluid retention. Women who, for one reason or another, have given up breastfeeding, on the contrary, often indulge in excess - salty, spicy foods, smoked foods, coffee and sweet carbonated drinks. These products contribute to the retention of salts and fluid, and for this reason, swelling occurs after childbirth.
Nursing mothers can provoke the appearance of edema in a fundamentally different way. Trying to maximize the amount of breast milk, many young mothers may force themselves to drink 3 or more liters of liquid per day. Of course, such a water load, especially in combination with any disturbances in the functioning of the kidneys and heart, will definitely lead to swelling.
For normal and sufficient lactation, 2 liters of fluid per day is more than enough, and you need to drink when you feel thirsty, and not “through force.” The volume of fluid consumed is far from the main criterion for normal milk flow. It is important to eat normally and nutritiously, feed the child on demand and get proper rest and sleep.
Varicose veins are a real problem for pregnant women, since it is the state of pregnancy that provokes both the onset of the disease and the worsening of its course. As a rule, after the end of pregnancy, the condition of the veins improves and the swelling in the legs that accompanies varicose veins after childbirth should decrease. However, many young mothers spend a lot of time on their feet, walking with the child, carrying him in their arms, and getting little rest. Therefore, the load on the veins of the lower extremities remains high even after childbirth.
To treat swelling of the legs associated with varicose veins, you need to seek help from a phlebologist. Of course, during the period of breastfeeding, many medications and medical procedures are prohibited, but an arsenal of local creams and gels remains in stock. Such local preparations, especially herbal ones, are approved for use by pregnant and lactating women. The doctor may also recommend contrast baths and showers to the young mother, and special sets of exercises to unload the lower half of the body.
A real salvation for postpartum women with varicose veins is compression hosiery - knee socks, stockings and tights. It is recommended to wear them during the day, especially when standing for long periods of time, removing them only for rest and night sleep.
Immediately after breastfeeding, more radical treatment options for varicose veins should be considered - surgery and sclerosis of varicose veins.
Unfortunately, certain “problems” in the functioning of the heart and blood vessels are increasingly common in young women. Many cardiovascular diseases complicate the course of pregnancy, forcing women to take medications and give birth in specialized hospitals. For some types of heart disease, especially congenital ones, pregnancy makes it easier, but for others it puts a woman’s health at additional risk.
Cardiac edema, that is, swelling in the lower half of the body that occurs in the evening or after physical activity, accompanies all heart diseases with chronic heart failure. Weak pumping function of the heart muscle cannot cope with the volume of blood. Blood stagnates in the venous vessels of the lower extremities, as well as in the vessels of the lungs and internal organs.
As a rule, during pregnancy, women with cardiovascular pathology are carefully monitored by gynecologists and cardiologists, take prescribed treatment and give birth in specialized hospitals. After childbirth, finding themselves at home and immersed in new worries, many women forget about their illnesses and do not take the necessary treatment, so cardiac edema after the birth of a child may worsen, which will indicate worsening heart failure.
That is why in the postpartum period, when a reverse “restructuring” of the heart and blood vessels occurs to the previous – pre-pregnancy state – it is important to be under the control of a cardiologist. There are a lot of cardiac medications that can be combined with breastfeeding, so it is necessary to discuss in detail with your doctor possible options for further therapy.
Another important system that regulates the exchange of salts and fluids is the urinary system. Women may suffer from some form of kidney disease even before pregnancy. Such diseases include:
While waiting for the baby, the kidneys are forced to work for two, since the fetal metabolic products are also excreted from the body by the mother's kidneys.
Pregnancy in such patients is observed together with a gynecologist, a urologist or a nephrologist. During pregnancy, kidney function is carefully monitored, ultrasounds, Doppler measurements of renal vessels, biochemical blood tests, and so on are performed many times. As a rule, after the end of pregnancy, renal edema decreases, since the “double load” is removed from the kidneys.
However, there are various situations and conditions due to which the kidneys can suffer during pregnancy itself:
This does not mean that the same diseases and conditions cannot occur in women after natural childbirth, just that surgery significantly increases the risk. Why do my legs swell after a caesarean section?
Surgical delivery, as well as complicated natural childbirth, often require intravenous infusions - droppers. It often happens that the kidneys do not immediately cope with excess fluid received in the form of medicinal solutions. Sometimes a woman receives about 2 liters of fluid in the form of intravenous infusions during childbirth or postoperative observation. The body does not manage to cope with this additional volume immediately, so such swelling takes a little longer to subside than physiological swelling.
Swelling of the lower extremities and genital organs due to complications of surgery is rare, but such a factor cannot be excluded. When manipulating the uterus and pelvic organs, the surgeon may accidentally damage the vessels through which blood flows from the lower half of the body. Also, these vessels can be compressed by postoperative tissue swelling or hematomas - accumulations of blood.
In such cases, edema is characterized by:
Similar symptoms may be characteristic of thrombosis of large vessels of the legs or pelvis. Both surgical intervention and anomalies in the blood coagulation system lead to the formation of blood clots: thrombophilia, antiphospholipid syndrome, etc. Therefore, if a young mother sees such swelling in her legs after a caesarean section, this is a reason to urgently consult a doctor.
Swelling of the legs after childbirth and during pregnancy has become a fairly common occurrence among expectant mothers.
Swelling can be a completely normal phenomenon, or indicate complications of pregnancy or various diseases. In this article, we will discuss the causes of swollen legs after childbirth and possible solutions to this problem.
Pregnancy itself provokes fluid retention, and as a result, the formation of edema. The reasons for this may be:
As we found out, swelling during pregnancy is not always a deviation from the norm, but what to do if your legs are swollen after childbirth?
Normally, swelling after the birth of a child disappears within 2-3 weeks. During the first day after childbirth, a woman loses up to 3 liters of fluid.
If, after a long time, swelling of the legs after childbirth persists, there is a need to find out what is the reason for the deviation from the norm.
The peak activity of symptoms of gestosis occurs in the third trimester, and normally after childbirth the disease rapidly fades away. If this does not happen, or the symptoms intensify, you should urgently contact a antenatal clinic physician or a gynecologist, where you will most likely be prescribed blood pressure monitoring and sent for a general urine test.
Pregnancy as such can often cause the development of such an unpleasant disease as varicose veins. The deterioration of the condition is also facilitated by the heavy workload on the woman after childbirth associated with caring for the newborn child.
The treatment of swelling in the legs that accompanies varicose veins is carried out by a surgeon. Obviously, when breastfeeding, the young mother’s hands are tied when using various medications, but there are ways to solve the problem, such as:
And only after stopping breastfeeding should a woman turn to more radical methods of treating venous enlargement of the veins. Such as sclerotherapy of varicose veins and surgical operations.
When turning to doctors and friends with the question: Why do my legs swell after childbirth?, a young mother often does not think that the direct cause of this problem may be nutritional disorders. After childbirth, both during breastfeeding and when refusing it, a woman faces some dangers in this area. And we will talk especially about nursing mothers, who, wanting to take better care of the child, often harm their health.
In particular, there is an opinion that the amount of milk directly depends on the amount of water a woman drinks. Therefore, in an effort to improve the nutrition of her child, a woman sometimes drinks up to 3 liters of liquid per day. Such a load on the body, and especially if there are problems with the kidneys or heart, will certainly lead to swelling. For necessary and normal lactation, 2 liters of water per day is enough; it is much more important to eat well and get enough sleep.
But women who refuse breastfeeding often allow themselves to eat not very healthy foods - spicy, smoked, salty, as well as carbonated drinks and coffee.
Such abuse of unhealthy food during the postpartum period will certainly provoke the retention of salts, fluids, and, as a result, swelling.
It is no secret that the urinary system is the most important link in the process of regulating the exchange of salt and fluids, therefore it is typical that kidney diseases can lead to the accumulation of fluid in the body and subsequently to edema. Such diseases are: chronic glomerulonephritis, hydronephrosis of the kidney, specific disorders of the kidneys and damage to the renal vessels in diabetes mellitus, vasculitis and autoimmune diseases, chronic pyelonephritis - both with and without stones, various congenital anomalies of the kidneys.
The outcome of any kidney disease is chronic renal failure, which also provokes swelling of the legs after childbirth.
During pregnancy, women suffering from such diseases require special care, since the kidneys, already weakened by the disease, are forced to do double work, removing metabolic products from the body of the mother and fetus. Therefore, in such cases, pregnancy should be monitored by a gynecologist, urologist or nephrologist. Most often, the end of pregnancy marks a significant decrease in the load on the kidneys, and as a result, a decrease in renal edema.
However, various kidney diseases can occur during pregnancy, namely:
According to statistics, disorders of the heart and blood vessels are increasingly being diagnosed in young women. Of course, there are often cases when pregnancy alleviates the course of the disease, but this is typical for congenital diseases; in other cases, problems with the heart put the health of the expectant mother and child at great risk. In this case, the woman is forced to take medications and give birth in specialized hospitals.
Chronic heart failure is characterized by weakness of the heart muscle, which cannot cope with the required volume of blood. And as we already found out earlier, the amount of blood in a pregnant woman is significantly increased, which only complicates the situation. Blood certainly lurks in the venous peripheral vessels of the lower extremities and provokes characteristic “cardiac” edema in the lower half of the body.
However, the end of pregnancy is not a reason to stop carefully monitoring the mother’s body. After childbirth, a woman with cardiac dysfunction may experience such an unpleasant ailment as postpartum swelling in the legs. The cause most often lies in heart failure. Monitoring your body's functioning during the postpartum period is just as important as during pregnancy.
Surgery significantly increases the risk of various diseases and dangerous conditions.
There are often cases when the kidneys do not immediately eliminate excess fluid formed as a result of infusions. Such swelling takes longer to subside than naturally occurring swelling. This is due to the fact that sometimes a woman receives up to 2 liters of foreign fluid in the form of such infusions.
During surgical interventions in the area of the uterus and pelvis, the surgeon can damage the vessels responsible for the outflow of blood from the lower half of the body. Because of this, swelling of the genitals and lower extremities may occur.
Postoperative swelling of the legs may not always be caused by a surgeon’s error. There is also a danger of compression of blood vessels by tissue swelling that occurs after surgery, or complication of blood supply due to the formation of hematomas - accumulations of blood.
Symptoms of postoperative edema are:
The appearance of these symptoms indicates the need to immediately consult a doctor.
Swelling of the legs during pregnancy and in the first 2-3 weeks after childbirth is a relatively normal phenomenon and is not a reason for premature panic, however, you should not let everything take its course, especially if the young mother has problems with the kidneys or cardiovascular system . Complications are possible in women with varicose veins.
But what to do if a woman’s legs swell after childbirth, and the swelling does not subside for more than 3 weeks? First of all, don't panic. It is necessary to reconsider your diet, avoid exceeding the required water consumption and, of course, eat right. Avoid eating foods that cause salt and water retention. After childbirth, a woman’s body experiences great stress associated with a very drastic change in the functioning of all body systems, which can lead to various complications.
The presence of various chronic diseases during pregnancy requires additional attention and monitoring, which should be provided by a qualified specialist. In this case, you should not stop monitoring after the birth of the child. Many diseases tend to worsen after the end of pregnancy.
Particular attention to edema should be paid to women who have had a caesarean section. Cases of postoperative edema, although very rare, carry a great danger.
This is especially true for young mothers who have abnormalities in the blood coagulation system, which automatically puts them in a special risk group.
It is important for a young mother to always be extremely attentive to her health, and in case of suspicion, immediately consult a doctor.
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 of the legs after childbirth is a common problem that can affect every woman who has given birth. This is due to a number of physiological factors that occur in the body during this period. The heaviest load falls on the lower extremities, since during pregnancy the uterus, fetus, and weight increase, and all this leads to impaired blood flow. If everything is normal, then the trouble should go away about a week after birth, otherwise the first thing you should do is consult a doctor.
Edema occurs when excess fluid collects in the tissues and is not removed from the body. Most often this happens against the background of an excess of sodium in cells and blood vessels. The main signs of this condition include:
During pregnancy, a woman's hormonal background changes - this can lead to many unpleasant consequences, including fluid retention in the body. If a woman is healthy and there are no abnormalities in her condition, swelling after childbirth should go away within a few days without any special procedures or special treatment. If the swelling does not go away within 14 days, you need to contact a specialist who will identify the cause of the problem. The main factors for leg swelling after childbirth include:
If swelling appears for natural reasons, then you can alleviate the condition with the help of simple exercises that are accessible to everyone:
This will help stimulate blood flow and improve the removal of fluid accumulated in the tissues. At the same time, you should monitor your diet and drink enough ordinary clean water, without gases, sweeteners, or mineral additives. Do not overuse fried, salted, smoked, seasonings, mayonnaise, or preserves.
It is advisable to reduce the consumption of coffee and black tea; they can be replaced with fruit compotes, chamomile infusion, green tea, and rosehip decoction. Store-bought juices should also not be drunk in unlimited quantities, since there are few natural ingredients, but a large amount of citric acid, sugar, and dyes are added, which can negatively affect the removal of fluid from the body and provoke swelling.
Experts recommend spending more time in a horizontal position with your legs raised up; this will improve the circulation of lymph and blood and restore the functioning of the drainage system. From time to time you can take warm water baths with the addition of regular sea salt and wear compression tights and stockings.
You cannot prescribe diuretics yourself, without preliminary examinations and recommendations from doctors. Self-medication can end in disaster. If you suspect health problems, simple prevention is not enough - you need to undergo diagnostics and choose the right therapy.
Swelling does not subside for a long time after childbirth - this is a symptom of a number of diseases that need to be diagnosed and treated.
To do this, you need to go to the hospital and undergo all the necessary procedures:
What kind of examinations and tests will be needed is determined by the therapist, who can refer the patient to a doctor of a narrow specialization.
In case of heart disease, swelling of the legs manifests itself as follows:
The following may also occur: pain in the heart area, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, weakness, high blood pressure. In advanced cases, swelling spreads throughout the body, which can lead to dropsy and fluid accumulation in the lungs. In severe situations, the following medications are prescribed:
Swelling due to kidney disease also begins in the area of the feet and toes and over time can move throughout the body.
This type of disturbance in the removal of fluid from the body is characterized by: pale and dry skin, and scanty urination is also noticed, which does not exceed 500 ml per day.
It is very important not to cause swelling of the larynx, which can be fatal.
For each individual diagnosis, the nephrologist selects individual treatment, mainly prescribing diuretics, anticoagulants, a special diet and daily routine.
Swelling in this case appears due to a violation of the outflow of blood, which occurs due to increased pressure in the vessels. Swelling in the legs may be accompanied by fever, pain, and redness on the skin.
With varicose veins, the swelling is milky and blue. In the first case, the skin acquires a white tint, which may lead to surgery to prevent the movement of a blood clot to the myocardium. The second type of edema is even more dangerous; in this case, the skin becomes bluish in color. It is necessary to consult a doctor immediately after the onset of symptoms, this will help avoid surgical intervention, the occurrence of trophic ulcers, and gangrene.
Treatment in this case is carried out with the help of special creams, ointments, gels; in extreme cases, surgery is prescribed.
Since many women breastfeed after childbirth, taking medications may be contraindicated, so you can choose “grandmother’s recipes,” but only if the situation is not complicated and does not require medical supervision.
The most natural and safe diuretic can be created with your own hands from the simplest ingredients. It is necessary to mix lemon, cucumber, and carrot juice in equal proportions. The product will be concentrated, and therefore will need to be diluted with water before use. Drink it 3 times a day before or after meals.
Many mothers recommend “Vanga’s recipe,” which surprises with its simplicity. To prepare a diuretic, take an egg yolk and combine it with 3 grams of milkweed. The resulting product is drunk 3 times a day in small portions. The taste is unpleasant, but the effect is wonderful.
Mint is not only a good sedative and tonic, but its infusion also helps relieve mild swelling. 30 grams of fresh or dried herbs are brewed with boiling water and left for about an hour. Drink several times a day, bringing to room temperature. You can also add mint to regular tea, especially if it is green.
Can be used as a diuretic and flaxseed. Brew one tablespoon with a liter of boiling water and cook for 20 minutes over low heat, leave for 60 minutes and filter. Take 0.5 cups every 2 hours for 14 days or more.
There is a simple warming remedy that helps increase the flow of lymph and blood and stabilize the drainage properties of the body, removing all stagnation. Camphor and olive oil are mixed in equal proportions. The resulting mixture is applied to the leg from the knee to the foot, the treated part is covered with natural fabric and insulated on top, leaving overnight. It turns out to be a kind of compress.
Almost every woman is very worried that she experiences swelling during pregnancy and after childbirth. Calm down, this is normal.
Almost every pregnant woman suffers from edema. This is a normal condition during pregnancy due to hormonal changes. Swelling after childbirth goes away within a few days, depending on the accumulated fluid in the woman’s body during pregnancy. If you are not pregnant for the second time and your blood pressure is normal, then edema after childbirth is not a disease and it does not require drug treatment in most cases.
Fluid that accumulates during pregnancy is eliminated through urination. Remember that after giving birth you go to the toilet very often, this means that your kidneys are involved in the process of removing excess fluid from your body after childbirth. Do not limit yourself to fluids so as not to dehydrate your body and reduce your milk production if you are breastfeeding. This will not help you, but will only harm you.
Also, excess fluid accumulated over 9 months will be eliminated through sweating. You will sweat very often and heavily, which is also normal after childbirth.
Most women suffer from swelling in their legs during pregnancy and after childbirth. This is due to the additional weight gain in the last weeks of pregnancy. At that time, the veins of the legs become stressed and some women begin to suffer from varicose veins. Swelling in the legs after childbirth should go away within a few days if the woman has healthy blood vessels. In some cases, swelling in the legs does not go away, but on the contrary, the swelling increases. This is explained by poor functioning of the valves of the internal and external veins of the lower extremities.
Birch sap is good for swelling after childbirth and also during pregnancy. Birch sap is healthy and quenches thirst well. Contact your doctor, he may recommend some herbal infusions or diuretics.
If you have swelling in your legs, here are some tips to get rid of swelling:
If swelling after childbirth does not go away within a few days, but pain in the legs and a headache have been added to the swelling, then consult your doctor; you may have high blood pressure. Another problem that requires immediate medical attention is when only one leg or ankle is swollen; the swelling is accompanied by severe pain in the leg. These are symptoms of deep vein thrombosis. Women who develop varicose veins during pregnancy are susceptible to thrombosis. If you experience these symptoms, consult your doctor immediately.
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According to statistics, every fourth woman suffers from edema during and after pregnancy. During pregnancy, swelling is natural; it is rare that a woman manages to avoid it, and some women get so used to it that they are surprised to discover how the swelling sharply decreases a few days after childbirth. However, for some young mothers, swelling after childbirth does not go away completely. What to do in this case?
Edema is a consequence of the accumulation of large amounts of fluid in the tissues of the body. A distinctive feature of this phenomenon is that if you press on the swelling with your finger and hold it for about a minute, a small depression will appear at the site of pressure, but after a while it will become even with the rest of the skin surface.
Swelling during pregnancy in most cases does not pose any danger. The only exceptions are situations when they are accompanied by severe pain or increased blood pressure. But such problems are rare.
The main cause of edema after childbirth is excess moisture in the body. During pregnancy, this condition is normal, because in order to carry the baby, the mother needs a supply of fluid. However, swelling after childbirth should alert a woman, especially if it does not go away for a long time.
Most often, the expectant mother's legs and arms become swollen, but sometimes there is swelling of the face, bags under the eyes, or even swelling of the entire body. Let's consider the main prerequisites for the appearance of postpartum edema.
Women who have been tormented by edema throughout pregnancy dream of quickly feeling slim and fit. In most cases, this desire is fulfilled within one week, sometimes a month after childbirth. But if this still does not happen, the reasons may be the following:
Depending on the cause of edema, their treatment will be different. In order not to guess and not accidentally prescribe the wrong treatment for yourself, you need to consult a doctor. He will do the necessary tests, examine the swelling and tell you about the factors that influenced its appearance.
If it is determined that edema is associated with kidney disease, then a course of drug treatment will most likely be necessary. You should not ignore it, nor should you change the prescribed medications at your discretion. For nursing mothers, there is a separate, very narrow group of medications, and all other medications can negatively affect the baby and not help in the fight against edema after childbirth.
Varicose veins are more difficult to treat. In general, the treatment method is based on simple recommendations: rest more, change the position of the legs, etc. Despite their simplicity, they help relieve swelling, but only if they are performed regularly and consistently. A complete list of recommendations can be obtained from your doctor.
With poor nutrition and excessive activity, the situation is better. In this case, there is no treatment as such. You just need to change or at least adjust your lifestyle. It is important to remember that now the mother is responsible not only for herself, but also for her baby, and therefore taking care of herself and resting more is not a whim, but a necessity.
Women suffered from edema long before the advent of modern medicine. And to make their life easier, they found and came up with ways to relieve swelling.
Since swelling after childbirth most often occurs in the legs, the first thing to do is to give the legs a rest. What does it mean? From time to time you need to lie down, and so that your legs are raised above your head - this promotes the outflow of blood. And this should be done not once a day in the evening, but periodically - every hour or two.
In addition, it will be useful to perform small exercises:
You also need to sit correctly: you should not allow your legs to cross, even at the ankles. The back should be straight and the chair comfortable, not pinching the arteries in the legs.
It is best to sleep on your left side - this improves blood flow. If you have to stand in one place for a long time, then periodically you need to rise on your toes.
Foot massage and salt baths to relieve fatigue will be very useful. It is best to carry out such procedures before bed, and for greater effectiveness, you can add a decoction of chamomile or juniper to the water along with salt.
To thin the blood and reduce swelling after childbirth, you can include foods such as viburnum, grapefruit, grapes, tomatoes, lemon, and sea buckthorn in your diet. However, this must be done carefully, because the body of a young mother is very sensitive to new foods and can react to them with allergies.
During pregnancy, swelling of the limbs is a common occurrence. Usually, unpleasant symptoms disappear in a timely manner, but sometimes swelling of the legs after childbirth does not go away, which confuses young mothers.
The severity of postpartum swelling depends on the location and intensity of symptoms. There are 4 degrees:
A healthy woman who does not suffer from pathologies, when a painful condition is discovered, wonders why her legs swell after childbirth.
Reasons that can provoke a painful condition of the lower extremities:
The given causes of swelling in the legs after childbirth go away on their own if you follow the recommendations for the prevention of painful symptoms.
But swelling may be accompanied by concomitant diseases, if detected, you should definitely visit a doctor. Pathologies include:
Since a woman’s body has not yet “rebuilt” in the postpartum period and the kidneys do not cope well with removing excess fluid, the introduction of solutions through droppers (up to 2 liters) increases the problem. Against this background, severe swelling of the legs is more difficult to relieve.
During any operations there is always an increased risk of diseases and unpredictable dangerous conditions. Swelling of the legs can be caused by a surgeon's mistake during surgery (damage to the vessels responsible for the outflow of blood from the lower half of the body). Compression of blood vessels by postoperative edema complicates blood flow, which leads to stagnation of blood in the legs.
Let's consider ways to eliminate edema of the lower extremities that arise after delivery.
The recovery period after the birth of a baby, when changes in the body return to normal, goes differently for each woman.
In a healthy mother, swelling of the legs should go away within a month after childbirth.
The following recommendations will help women remove swelling and reduce swelling of the lower extremities:
Do not self-medicate with pills.
Only a qualified specialist will prescribe the correct medication treatment, since when a woman is breastfeeding, the use of medications is limited.
How long will it take for treatment? The answer to this question depends on the chosen method to resolve the problem. The choice of drugs will be determined by the attending physician after a comprehensive examination.
During lactation, doctors try to prescribe more gentle medications, and also often resort to traditional healing.
Any herbal tinctures and foot baths can only be used with the permission of a doctor.
For high blood pressure and as diuretics, the following infusions are used:
The following additives are used for foot baths:
After baths with herbal raw materials, you can do a light massage for your feet.
For varicose veins, these procedures should be approached with particular caution (preferably after consultation with a specialist).
Typically, women who take care of their health are aware of the diseases they have. They are treated by specialists and are “registered”.
If after 4 weeks the postpartum swelling of the limbs does not disappear, then there is every reason to consult a doctor. In this case, a comprehensive examination with tests is required.
There are many methods for diagnosing the vascular system of the legs.
A doctor (phlebologist) will help you choose the most effective way to study blood vessels (according to the symptoms described, the presence of concomitant diseases and a history of pathological heredity).
An experienced nephrologist will prescribe treatment if kidney problems cause swollen limbs.
If the pathology is caused by heart problems, a cardiologist will help.
Preventive measures against the occurrence of edema of the lower extremities should be taken before birth. In addition to protecting against stretch marks, wearing a bandage during pregnancy in the last stages (third trimester) reduces the pressure of the growing uterus on the vessels of the perineum, reduces the load on the legs and minimizes the likelihood of developing varicose veins.
What to do if your legs swell after childbirth, how to reduce the risk of a painful condition? First of all, it is necessary to get rid of the causes that provoke the symptoms.
To do this, you need to follow the following recommendations:
A contrast shower, foot baths, massage, a walk in the fresh air, good sleep, rest, light exercise, and a good mood are the key to the health of a new mother.