Swollen Ankles?

Pregnancy brings with it the aches and pains, but also those dreaded swollen feet and puffy joints. Don’t worry, there’s lots you can do to help.

- Andrea Oakes

IT’S a strange moment in pregnancy when you look down at your ankles and don’t recognise them as your own. But if a dimpled pudginess has taken the place of any semblance of ankle shape, don’t despair! Swelling or ‘oedema’ of the body’s extremities is very common during pregnancy, causing ankles to swell and fingers to feel like sausages. And it’s a normal part of the process. “From around 28 weeks onwards, your body produces more blood plasma,” explains independent midwife Kay Hardie. “This is the fluid part of your blood that transports blood cells, which is made mostly of water. This increase ensures a good flow through the placenta to your growing baby. However, thanks to gravity, this fluid tends to drop, and so it can pool in your fingers and ankles, making them feel tight and uncomfortable. Added to this, as your uterus becomes bigger and heavier, it presses down on your pelvis and impairs the return of blood from the body areas furthest from your heart.”