Pregnancy… It’s the most beautiful part of being a woman because you are in the process of creating a new life. However, there are not so beautiful parts about being pregnant. And that can make your life uncomfortable.
When you are pregnant, you will naturally gain weight and develop varicose veins in your legs and feet. You will also experience having swollen feet and cramps at some point of your pregnancy. Fortunately, there is a solution to these discomfort. And that is… wearing compression socks.
For this article, we’ll talk about the how’s and why’s of compression socks, swollen feet pregnancy, and compression socks for leg cramps during pregnancy.
1. Why Are Compression Socks Used for Swollen Feet During Pregnancy?
During pregnancy, you may notice that your feet and legs have mild swelling. Nope, you don’t have to get alarmed since swollen feet and legs are natural occurrences that come with pregnancy. It is better to understand why swelling happens during this phase and how you can lessen them.
When you get pregnant, your body will undergo a lot of physical and chemical changes. This includes a lot of hormone excretion, more blood production, and your body will hold more water than usual.
So the increased blood volume will force your veins to displace body fluids to accommodate more blood flowing through them. These displaced body fluids will then accumulate in the muscles and tissues of your leg, making them look swollen.
2. How Do Compression Socks Reduce Swelling During Pregnancy?
There are two things you can do to reduce swollen feet during pregnancy. One is to rest with your feet up as often as you can throughout the day, which is quite impossible especially if you are a working mom.
And the second one is wearing compression socks. Most doctors often prescribe wearing compression socks to reduce swelling of your feet and legs during pregnancy. These socks will put subtle pressure on your leg muscles and tissues, forcing any excess fluids out of them. In turn, your body’s excretory system will then pick up these excess liquids and remove them in the form of sweat or urine.
3. Why Are Compression Socks Used for Leg Cramps During Pregnancy?
Leg cramps. They are involuntary muscle contractions of the feet, calf, and legs. It’s normal to have leg cramps during pregnancy, especially if you have reached the second and third trimesters. You may experience leg cramps more often during nighttime.
Unfortunately, there is no clear explanation as to why women experience leg cramps more often during pregnancy. It can be due to changes in blood circulation, holding more water, and increasing body weight.
These annoying cramps may also be caused by your leg muscles getting overwhelmed with the sudden increase in your body weight which causes them to contract involuntarily.
4. How Do Compression Socks Prevent or Reduce Cramps During Pregnancy?
Taking oral medications such as magnesium and calcium supplements can help prevent feet and leg cramps. However, the best way to address cramps is to physically massage your feet and legs to stimulate better blood circulation. That means having to do it yourself or ask someone else to massage your feet for you. Or you can wear compression socks which is the most practical solution for these issues.
What compression socks do is add small amounts of pressure on your feet and leg muscles, similar to a soothing massage. Most OB/GYN recommend wearing compression socks for leg cramps during pregnancy in the daytime. On the other hand, there are no rules or medical advice that says you cannot wear compression socks while sleeping.
If you often get leg cramps while taking a nap or sleeping, wearing compression socks to bed will squeeze your leg muscles and tissues to stimulate good blood circulation.
So if you want to experience a more comfortable pregnancy, then don’t forget to invest in a few compression socks. It will not only relieve swelling, and leg cramps but can also save your time and energy as you await for the coming of your bundle of joy.
Unisex
8-15 mmHg