Are you pregnant and notice that your legs, ankles, and feet appear bigger because they are swollen? You can prevent this condition from worsening by wearing compression socks designed for pregnancy. These specially designed garments will help minimize discomfort in the ankles and feet, keep you comfortable, and support your cardiovascular system by ensuring proper blood flow. They’re definitely must-haves for most mothers and are great investments if you want to avoid developing varicose veins and swelling.
Benefits of compression socks to pregnant women
As the baby develops and grows, it’s harder for the body to properly circulate blood to your lower extremities. Here’s how compression socks can be beneficial for alleviating this condition:
1. Wearing knee high compression socks can help reduce the diameter of blood vessels in the legs to enhance their ability to circulate the blood properly back to your heart. This way, discomfort and swelling can also be reduced, and there is a lower risk of developing blood clots.
2. If you like to take walks, cook, or your job makes you stand for extended periods of time, then compression socks can be a great investment.
3. Wearing them will provide external support to reduce discomfort and swelling that is caused by standing too long, so you can remain active without worrying about leg pain and fatigue even while pregnant.
4. You can travel more comfortably while pregnant when you wear knee high compression socks.
5. Even if the swelling has not occurred yet, ask your doctor if you can wear compression socks to prevent it from occurring at the start of the day.
Causes of swelling feet and varicose veins during pregnancy
Edema is the term that pertains to feet swelling, and 80 percent of pregnant women experience this in their third trimester. When blood flows from the heart, it should circulate throughout the body through the veins all the way to the feet. From there, blood should go back to the heart in a one-way system.
When the baby grows and blood volume expands, blood vessels dilate and there is an increase in pressure from the pelvic veins on the uterus, causing circulation issues. As a result, blood vessels in the legs reduce their return load by pushing fluid into extracellular spaces. This causes swelling.
When to wear compression socks during pregnancy
Normal pregnancy swelling would accumulate throughout the day and become better when your feet are level or propped up while you’re in bed. But can you wear compression socks to bed?
The best time to wear them is when you know that you will be on your feet for an extended period of time, like during exercise, hiking, or walking. You can also wear them when driving or traveling. If your feet swell daily, wear knee high compression socks before getting out of bed. If you are wondering how long you should wear compression socks, the answer depends on how long you are engaged in a certain activity. There is no reason to wear them to bed unless your doctor says so.
How to choose the best compression socks for pregnancy
Consider the fit by making sure they are firm, but not too tight that it restricts circulation and causes pain, numbness, and discomfort. You should also look into the level of compression. Most pregnant women prefer medium to firm. Cost and style may also be considered when choosing compression socks for pregnancy.
Find high-quality compression socks at Lymphedema Products
We offer a great line of carefully chosen compression socks and stockings, which you can find in different materials, styles, sizes, and compression levels. At Lymphedema Products, we’re committed to providing only the highest-quality knee high compression socks from brands like BSN Jobst, Medi, Xpandasox, Solidea, and Sigvaris.
6 comments
i’m trying to find replacement compression stockings that can be used with juxtalite hd lower leg 28 cm medium #705781/1. I’ve been using the two that came with original package purchased in June of 2022. I have DVT in the lower left calf that has been there in excess of 30 years.