Carrying a baby is no easy task. Pregnancy affects your body in numerous ways, from swelling to hormonal spikes. Aside from your belly, your feet experience a large amount of that transformation, holding you up throughout each trimester. With the extra weight to carry and the swelling, your feet endure a lot of exertion and pain as your body changes to accommodate two instead of one. Here are four tips to avoid painful feet during pregnancy to make this exciting life chapter more enjoyable.
Compression Socks
Swollen feet occur from poor blood circulation. Any added pressure applied to your feet causes aches and pain in their vulnerable swollen state. Wearing compression socks helps apply a healthy dose of pressure that minimizes swelling and pain. The compressed force on your feet and legs from the socks applies pressure to your blood vessels, improving blood circulation and minimizing swollen, painful feet.
Reflexology Treatment
Like compression socks, reflexologists focus on applying pressure as a means to treat swollen and aching feet. They use certain massage techniques that work with your body’s pressure points, helping to improve your blood flow. On top of boosting your feet’s circulation, receiving a reflexology treatment also feels good. The massage therapy used with reflexology pressure theory relaxes your muscles, giving you a mini spa experience mixed in with the treatment.
Rest Frequently
Many find it challenging to stay put. Although it’s important to move your body every now and then, you need to balance it out with rest. Putting your feet up and kicking back relieves them from the strain of your body weight and gives them a chance to recuperate. Limiting your time on your feet ensures you don’t overstrain them, minimizes muscle tension, and keeps foot aches out of the way.
Added Feet Support
A little bit of support goes a long way. The extra weight, exertion, and force on your feet are a lot to handle on one’s own. Wearing orthopedic footwear gives your feet the added support it needs to brace the brunt of this new force. Orthotic footwear and inserts work alongside your foot’s natural structure, providing reinforcement against any applied strain and optimizing your foot’s structural functionality. Plus, they provide added padding and comfort. Z-Coil Footwear offers a range of orthopedic shoes for men and women, giving you lots of foot support options to choose from.
Taking care of your feet during pregnancy also helps the rest of your body. With a strong foundation holding you and your little one up, you’ll feel much better and make the most of this exciting adventure. These four tips to avoid painful feet during pregnancy keep your feet well looked after and in top condition as you grow and carry your child.