Swollen Feet and Ankles While Pregnant: Causes & Relief Tips

While you were without a doubt expecting your belly to grow throughout your pregnancy, you may not have anticipated your feet growing as well. However, mild, gradual swelling in your feet and ankles is a common pregnancy symptom, and it’s usually nothing to worry about.

Read to learn what can cause swollen ankles and feet during pregnancy, when they might be a problem, and how to alleviate the discomfort.

Most types of swelling (including in the feet and ankles) tend to show up from the second trimester onward, though this isn’t universally true, and swelling can start at any stage of pregnancy. 1

You might find that your foot and ankle swelling gets worse in the third trimester as your due date approaches. 2

What causes your feet and ankles to swell during pregnancy?

Many factors may contribute to swelling in your feet and ankles during pregnancy, including:

• Fluid retention: Your blood volume and bodily fluids increase during pregnancy. This extra fluid often accumulates in your body’s tissues, commonly in your feet and ankles (this is medically referred to as edema). 3
• Uterine pressure: As your uterus expands to accommodate your growing baby, it can affect the blood flow in your legs, ankles, and feet. This can also lead to fluid buildup. 4
• Changing hormones: The hormones relaxin and progesterone increase during pregnancy, making your ligaments, including those in your feet, more flexible. This can lessen their arch support, making them prone to widening. It can also cause muscle or tendon strain. 5
• Additional weight: Foot issues caused by your changing hormones may be exacerbated due to your weight gain during pregnancy. 5

You may need to go up a shoe size while you’re pregnant due to the swelling. In some cases, your foot structure may be permanently changed, and you’ll walk away from pregnancy with slightly larger feet. 5

To reiterate, a little swelling in your feet and ankles is normal and quite common among pregnant women.

However, very sudden or severe swelling in your feet and ankles can be a sign of preeclampsia, a serious condition involving high blood pressure. 3

If you have preeclampsia, you may also experience these other symptoms: 6

• Sudden or extreme swelling in your face and hands
• Severe headaches
• Vision problems (blurring, seeing flashing lights, etc.)
• Vomiting
• Pain just below your ribs

You may also experience rib pain during your pregnancy for other reasons, so it’s important to keep track of your overall health and symptoms in your journal or pregnancy tracker app for a better idea of your bodily changes.

If the swelling is painful and focused in one leg, it could also be a symptom of deep vein thrombosis (DVT)—when a blood clot forms in a deep vein. 7

Call your doctor immediately if you notice any preeclampsia or DVT signs, or if anything just seems out of the norm and you’re concerned. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Although mild swelling in your feet and ankles during pregnancy is harmless, it can be quite uncomfortable. Thankfully, there are ways to alleviate your discomfort.

Try these five strategies if you have swollen feet and ankles:

1. Rest in positions that improve circulation

One of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce swelling is to rest in positions that can increase blood flow.

Lie down or sit with your legs raised above heart level for half an hour to an hour during the day. Make yourself comfortable by putting your legs on pillows. 8

Make sure you avoid the wrong sleeping positions during pregnancy (i.e., lying flat on your back), and switch to side-sleeping—in particular, on the left. This position takes pressure off your inferior vena cava (the large vein that carries blood from your lower body to your heart), improving circulation. 9 10

2. Exercise your legs

Exercising may be the last thing you want to do when your feet and ankles are swollen. However, doing so can improve circulation and help fluid from your legs flow back to your heart. 3

The exercises can be as simple as:

• Taking short, regular walks
• Bending and stretching your feet
• Rotating each foot in a circular motion (clockwise, then counterclockwise)
• Swimming in the pool

Swimming in particular is one of the best pregnancy workouts because the water pressure can also reduce swelling. If you don’t have access to a swimming pool or don’t feel like swimming, you can just submerge your feet in a bathtub or basin with cool water. 9

3. Wear compression stockings and supportive shoes

Using compression stockings is a great way to manage swelling. You can find them at your local drug store. Ask your doctor for suggestions if you aren’t sure which one to get. 3

You should also invest in shoes that fit your changing foot shape and offer enough support. Wearing uncomfortably tight shoes can exacerbate your discomfort and even lead to lower back pain during your pregnancy. 11

You should also avoid tight clothing, especially if it has garters around your thighs. Opt for loose-fitting clothing around your lower legs and feet. 3

4. Drink plenty of fluids

Drinking fluids may seem counterintuitive when your issue is fluid retention, but it can actually ease the swelling by flushing out excess sodium and other waste. 9 Staying hydrated also helps prevent: 12

• Pregnancy-related constipation
• Hemorrhoids
• Urinary tract or bladder infections
• Premature labor

Pregnant women need about 10 cups of water each day. You can tell if you have enough fluid intake by the color of your urine, which should be pale yellow or colorless, not butterscotch or dark yellow. 12

5. Avoid salty food and caffeine

Caffeine isn’t among the foods and drinks to avoid during pregnancy. Under normal circumstances, you can still drink coffee while pregnant, along with tea and other caffeinated beverages, as long as you do so in moderation (i.e., taking in no more than 200 mg per day, which equals about 12 ounces of coffee). 13

With that said, consuming too much sodium and caffeine is linked to fluid retention and swelling. Try to maintain a low-salt pregnancy diet and stay away from caffeine if you’re struggling with swollen feet and ankles. 2

Your changing body can make it harder for you to move around during pregnancy, and swollen feet and ankles certainly don’t help.

The good news is that this won’t last forever, and your feet should go back to normal shortly after giving birth. 14 In the meantime, shop for supportive footwear, take care of your legs, and steer clear of salty foods and caffeinated beverages.