Leg Pain During Pregnancy : Causes and Relief Tips
During pregnancy, our body undergoes a lot of changes. At such times, leg pain during pregnancy is a common occurrence and lots of different reasons contribute to this. In this blog we will walk you through the reason that leads to swelling and pain in the legs during pregnancy and how you can treat it .
Common reasons for leg pain during pregnancy
Most of the pregnant ladies suffer from leg pain during pregnancy. We have listed down all the possible reasons that lead to this condition:
Gaining weight
Leg pain during pregnancy and leg swelling during pregnancy – are a common condition faced by pregnant women. It happens because during pregnancy, the baby grows, which leads to weight gain. It increases the weight that causes pressure on the legs and feet leading to pain and swelling in the legs.
Cramps in the leg
During pregnancy, many women face leg cramps, which causes leg pain during pregnancy. They may feel severe pain in their calf, foot or thigh.
Hormonal changes
When a woman is pregnant, many hormonal changes occur in her body. One of these is a new hormone called relaxin, which loosens the ligaments in the pelvic area for childbirth. However, it also causes joint discomfort, which is one of the reasons for leg pain during pregnancy.
These are the reasons that lead to leg pain during early pregnancy as well as at the later stage of pregnancy. However, you don’t have to ponder over it as it is a common occurrence during pregnancy.
When does leg pain during pregnancy happen?
Leg pain during pregnancy is a common problem faced by most of the women during early as well as the later phase of pregnancy. leg swelling in pregnancy starts somewhere between the 20th week of the pregnancy or during the second trimester and continues till delivery. The reason is that, during pregnancy, the female body retains water and as your belly continues to grow, it starts building pressure on your legs.
This pressure causes blood to collect in the legs, causing leg swelling during pregnancy. Therefore, it is important to know when swelling in feet occurs during pregnancy and pay attention to its causes.
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Guide to deal with leg pain and swelling during pregnancy
Here’s how you can deal with leg cramps during pregnancy:
- Stay hydrated. Drink at least 3 litres of water. It helps calm down the swelling and muscle spasm.
- Don’t wear heels, switch to flats or Sneakers to support your legs and waist better.
- When you lie down, make sure to put a stack of pillows under your legs. It will help in easing swelling and pain in your legs.
These tips will prove helpful if you religiously follow them to ease pain, swelling and cramps in your legs during different stages of pregnancy.
Home remedies and natural remedies for pregnancy
Now that you have become fully aware regarding what causes leg pain during pregnancy and leg cramps during pregnancy. Here we are listing down a few home and natural remedies that can help you comfort during this challenging time.
- In leg cramps during pregnancy, take a large tub of hot water and put black salt/rock salt in it and dip your legs for around 20-30 mins. It will help ease swelling and pain.
- Give your feet some good massage with coconut, olive or Argan oil. It will help in better blood circulation, easing your spasm and cramps in leg muscles.
- Make a balanced plate: get yourself a balanced meal packed with protein, vitamins, minerals and fibres. It will help in maintaining your health and reducing pain.
These home remedies can help you go a long way during pregnancy, so make sure to adopt them.
When should you consult a doctor?
You must be aware about why leg pain during pregnancy happens. Because sometimes these are the indicators of underlying complications that you must not ignore. Here’s when you need to see a doctor while experiencing leg swelling during pregnancy:
- If alongside swelling in the legs, you are facing difficulty in breathing.
- Your legs swelled up unevenly (one leg has more swelling than the other).
- When you face sudden painful swelling in your feet.
These leg cramps during pregnancy might be an indication that your health is not faring well during pregnancy, so make sure to see a doctor if you are facing these conditions.
Conclusion
Almost everyone experiences leg pain during pregnancy and swelling in their feet during pregnancy, so you do not need to worry about it. You can also treat swelling in feet during pregnancy with home remedies. But if the swelling is very severe, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Swelling in legs begins in the second trimester (4th month) of the pregnancy.
If you are facing severe swelling in your face and hands during pregnancy then it might be a critical condition.
You need to drink water, support your legs while resting and see a doctor.
If only one leg is swelling, then it is a matter of concern. Go see a doctor right away.
