Pregnancy Varicose Veins: Tips for Brides!

Like 70% of all women today , you could develop pregnancy varicose veins ...

... or you could find that the ones you already have get worse!

8 tips for brides with pregnancy varicose veins!

1. Try to get a little exercise everyday. A quick walk around the block will boost your circulation ... and make you feel better too!
2. Try to keep within the recommended weight range for your stage of pregnancy. Talk to your doctor or midwife if you're unsure about how to work this out, or if you're at all worried about your weight.
3. Raise your feet and legs up whenever you are sitting or lying down ... try using a stool or box as a leg rest when you're sitting and a pillow when you're lying down.
   
   If you can get your legs up 6 to 12 inches above your heart, you'll gain the most benefit.
4. Don't cross your legs or ankles when you're sitting ... take frequent breaks to move around, whether you're sitting or standing.
5. For your wedding day, plan where you will be able to sit down during the day!
6. Get some Aloe Vera Gelly to soothe and relieve the itching.
7. Sleep on your left side with your feet raised up on a pillow. You'll probably find it easiest to get nice and comfy if you wedge a pillow behind your back ... a maternity pillow will help you stay in the right position.
Lying on your left side takes the weight of your uterus off one of your major veins ... this helps takes pressure off the veins in your legs and feet. If you're really uncomfortable, you can also get a special maternity air bed or maternity air mattress to help you rest and sleep better.
8. Invest in some quality maternity support hose

Why do I have varicose veins?

There's a big vein on the right side of your body that your growing baby puts pressure on ...

this increases the pressure in your leg veins.

Plus ... when you're pregnant ... the amount of blood in your body increases ... this adds to the burden on your veins.

And as your progesterone hormone levels rise, the walls of your blood vessels relax too.

If other people in your family have suffered from varicose veins in pregnancy, you're likely to get them and they do tend to get worse with each successive pregnancy.

And as you get older too!

You will be more prone to varicose veins during pregnancy if you're overweight, expecting more than one baby, and if you stand for long periods of time.

What are they exactly?

Varicose veins are simply veins that have swollen up ... you'll probably notice them as bulging blue veins that stick out from your skin, in your legs or thighs ... but you can also get them in your vulva or elsewhere.

(Haemorrhoids ... also known as piles ... are varicose veins in your rectal area ...

...unfortunately lots of pregnant women suffer from these!)

Varicose veins can make your legs feel achy and heavy; but some women are lucky enough not to find them at all uncomfortable!

If you do get them, you might find that the skin around them itches or throbs, or even feels like it's burning ... especially at the end of the day and if you've been on your feet a lot.

You might also suffer from mild foot or leg swelling and fluid retention.

If you have varicose veins in pregnancy ... you'll need to look after them properly on your wedding day or suffer!

Specially designed maternity support hose can help with prevention, but if you're prone to varicose and spider veins, pregnancy will definitely make them worse.

Maternity support hose may look like industrial underwear, but investing in these special prescription-strength maternity support hose (also known as graduated-compression stockings) will help you with the discomfort of pregnancy varicose veins. They are expensive ... compared to standard maternity hose ... but they are worth every last penny and you could be wearing them for months!

As they are a medically approved product, you may find that you can claim for them from your health insurance ... it's worth checking whether you can!

Twice as thick as normal hose or tights, maternity support hose are tight at the ankle, getting looser as they go up your leg. They make it easier for blood to flow back up toward your heart and they help prevent swelling.

Provided you wear them every day, they may keep your pregnancy varicose veins from getting worse ... but you must wear them all day ... even on your wedding day!

Maternity support hose are not designed to be worn to bed, but you need to put them on before you get out of bed in the morning, while you're still lying down; this stops blood from pooling in your legs.

My Tip : Keep them next to your bed, so you have them to hand first thing in the morning!

It's important to ask your doctor about the appropriate compression level for you.

Once you understand what compression level is recommended for your condition, you can buy these products safely online here. All you need to do is follow the online guide to taking your ankle, calf and thigh measurements. This will ensure that you get a perfect fit.

If you feel any discomfort or pain, you should seek medical advice without delay.