The Ugly...

I actually wrote this post a few days before Thanksgiving but couldn't bring myself to post it because I didn't want it to seem like I was ungrateful. Before you read this, let me say I LOVE being pregnant and one of my biggest blessings in life is the opportunity I have been given to be a mother. However, with that said, I think everyone has some 'ugly' part of pregnancy. My sister Robyn had to give herself shots 2x a day to ensure her blood wouldn't clot her placenta. My other sister Erica would itch terribly all through her third trimester. Some women throw-up every day of their pregnancy, I have been so lucky to not throw-up once! So everyone has their own things to deal with.  Pregnancy is never the most glamorous thing. With that lengthy introduction, I am just sharing the following for memory purposes and to help any other woman out there that may struggle from the same thing.

One Word: Edema. Or Two Words: Swollen Feet. And when I say swollen, I really mean swollen. Like worse than my 87 year old grandpa's feet. They truly are so swollen that the only shoes I can comfortably fit into are my flip flops. Even my Ugg Boots are extremely difficult to put on and very tight. I really might be wearing flip flops for the next month and a half, so if you see me wearing flip flops in the snow...just know it isn't exactly by choice but rather necessity.  

It really is common for pregnant woman to have swollen extremities (hands, feet, face, etc.) Our bodies are much more prone to retain liquid… it makes sense. Here is what I have found to be VERY helpful to avoid water retention. This isn’t exactly medical, in fact I called my nurse and she said the only thing that would help would be to eat less sodium. While eating less sodium has definitely helped, it is extremely difficult to avoid sodium. Sodium is in EVERYTHING. Well…let me take that back. I have discovered it isn’t in Orange Juice. So obviously, avoid sodium. But if that seems really hard and you want other ways to help the swelling, here are some things I have found really help:

·      

•  Sleeping with my feet on a pillow. I actually don’t know how much on the night my feet are ON the pillow…whenever I wake up they are no longer on the pillow, but I re-adjust and hope it is helping.
• Elevating my feet as much as possible…gravity is not our friend in this situation
•  Drinking tons of water, this isn’t hard because I am always SO thirsty! However, one thing that helps even more than just water is water with a couple drops of lemon essential oil. Lemon is a natural diuretic so it helps clear the body of toxins.
• Foot massages from my dear Matthew…lots and lots of those…if only I could say the doctor ordered!
• Cyprus, Grapefruit, and Lemongrass essential oil. Every morning, noon, and evening I rub these oils on my ankles and it feels (and smells) heavenly.

The days I have done these things and tried (key word) to eat less sodium, I can tell a HUGE difference. Like a difference between I can actually walk and do things at 7:00 at night and submitting myself to voluntary bed rest.

If you have been pregnant (or are pregnant) and experienced dreadful, swollen feet and found something that really helps, let me know!!