My feet and ankles have started swelling esp by evening time, 7 months chal raha hai. MIL says its normal but I wanted to understand why it even happens. Is this just water building up?
Oh god, my feet looked like twin ginger roots by the end! It's just the body holding onto everything because of hormones. Try to sleep whenever the baby... oh wait, you're still pregnant, so just enjoy putting your feet up while you can!
It's mostly because of increased blood and fluids in the body to support the baby, plus hormones. I used to keep my feet elevated on a pillow whenever I sat, and it really helped reduce the swelling. Just keep drinking water, it sounds weird but it helps!
I am no doctor so I won't give medical reasons, but for me, sitting with my legs hanging for long hours made my feet swell like balloons. Drinking lots of water and doing light ankle rotations was my only savior.
Hormones and the pressure of the growing uterus on your veins cause this. Even after my C-section, I had terrible swelling for a week, but slowly walking and elevating my legs made it better. Be gentle on yourself.
I think it is because the body naturally retains more fluids to help the baby grow. My sister used to have this a lot during her late months. Keeping feet elevated and eating less sodium is what elders suggest.
