Pregnant & Swollen Ankles or Legs? Edema & More

If you are pregnant, you can retain an average of 2 to 3 kilos of extra fluid. This is also called edema. This can certainly increase considerably in the last month. Besides being anything but charming, it can hurt a lot. Your feet, ankles, legs and even arms swell, putting tension on your skin. The positive point is that it happily disappears after pregnancy.

How do you get all that fluid when you're pregnant?

There are several reasons that can cause you to retain fluid during your pregnancy. Of course, the hormones play a major role in this. These ensure that the wall of your blood vessels becomes a bit thinner, but there is more blood in the body. Not a good combination. This makes it harder for your body to secrete moisture to the surrounding tissues. And tadaa, you feel like a Michelin female. You could say that this is part of it when you are pregnant, but fortunately you can do something about it.

Pregnant and yet stylish without moisture.

You may have read it before, but compression stockings are a good solution for this ailment. Compression stockings? Those high, beige socks? No, STOX! STOX combines the function of a support stocking, namely the medically based compression technique, together with a beautiful and hip design. When you wear STOX under your clothes, it looks like you are wearing nice black, white or blue socks. The socks only exert the highest pressure on you. The further to the knee, the less the compression. This ensures that they feel comfortable. STOX socks are made from 'Moisture Wicking Fabrics'. These are temperature regulating materials. Despite the fact that it is a high stocking, you will not suffer from feet that are too warm.

What else can you do against moisture retention?

Drink a lot! You would think you should drink less because you are already holding so much fluid anyway, but this is incorrect. By drinking a lot and therefore also a lot of toilet visits, the excess moisture is drained.

In addition, it is wise to avoid foods that contain a lot of salt. Salt ensures that you retain moisture and you want to lose this.

Move, move, move. This is good for everyone and everything, including when you are pregnant. This stimulates the blood circulation so that moisture is expelled.

Massage! Normally very nice, but with a lot of moisture in your legs and ankles this can feel a bit painful, so be careful. However, by massaging your legs from bottom to top you push the moisture out of your legs, as it were.