Out of everything you must be thinking about during your pregnancy, foot health is probably last if not at all. But I am here to tell you the importance of foot health during pregnancy! If you are reading this, you must already be aware of the many changes that can take place in your body during pregnancy and your feet are no exception. The most common problems that arise during pregnancy are flattening of your arches and swelling in the lower extremities that can lead to significant pain to the heels, the arch, and the ball of the foot.
During pregnancy, the two hormones that are elevated during pregnancy are relaxin and progesterone. Due to the rise of these hormones, this causes your ligaments and muscles to stretch and become more flexible also known as: ligament laxity. Ligament laxity in combination with the additional weight gain during pregnancy leads to flattening of the arch causing increased pain when walking. Modifications that can be made during this time to help support your feet are proper shoe gear that consists of arch support as well as space. With all of the above changes, you may start to notice your feet getting bigger in size. Your gait may also start to change as there is a change in your center of gravity which may cause heel pain. Let’s not forget the swelling or edema that takes place with the water retention in the lower extremities that can start to be very uncomfortable and painful when walking. Here are some modifications for my Mama’s to be:
- Wear supportive shoes AT ALL TIMES, including at home. Make sure your slippers and your outdoor shoes have adequate arch support
- Wear compression socks whenever possible excluding when sleeping. You want to look for compression socks that are 18mmhg-20mmhg.
- You may want to start investing in a bigger shoe size. As your feet are becoming wider, this may cause pressure to the forefoot in your current shoes and you may need to start sizing up.
- Elevate your feet throughout the day
- Lastly, if you are an active mama which I hope you are and do experience any pain to your feet, listen to your body, stop the activity, and call your local podiatrist.