OMG My feet are so swollen I have cankles!

I look like I have balloons for feet. Is this normal or warrant a call to my doctor?

Thanks ladies

 

I too had cankles from about 18 weeks on. My DH used to say I had Charging Rhino Legs. The good news is that they did go away after I delivered. Try and keep your feet elevated and drink plenty of fluids. GL!

 

You should call your doctor. and it is true - drink lots of water!!

 

I had cankles too. <_< And it hurt like heck! I did mention it to my doctor at one point and was told what Kyrstyn suggested, drink lots of water and elevate them. :hug: :hug:

 

Call your doctor, especially if they came on suddenly.

WATER WATER WATER!!!!

 

Thanks Ladies. They have gotten bigger and I am beginning to worry. My doctor office is now closed. Do you think I should talk to the after hours nurse? I know there is a $25 charge if it isnt a true emergency. I wonder if this would be one?

 

I would say yes - call!

 

Yes, swelling can be an indication of something more serious OR it can just be fluid retention from being on your feet. Have you taken a few hours to put your feet up? If so, and they're not improving, definitely call.

 

Okay I called the doctor and the on call doctor told me to just put my feet up and not to eat anything with salt tonight. I have had my feet up for the last hour and have been chugging down the water. She didn't seem very concerned but it is worrying me. My feet are so big and my lower legs are now twice the size as normal. I looked up online and it says a sudden onset of swelling in lower legs and feet can be a sign of pre-e.

I wish my reg doctor would have called me. But i guess if she isn't too worried should I just not be worried about it? I haven't had any swelling the entire pregnancy! Maybe I am just freaking out?

 

Just so you know, the other signs of pre-e to watch for are high bp, little floaters or stars in your vision and severe headache that won't go away with tylenol. You can have one symptom and it be totally normal, but the combination of them is when you want to really alert your doc. I've had high bp, but no other symptoms. Call your office again in the morning and just check in. I'm a big proponent of letting my doc know everything that's going on with me.

 

I just took my own BP...I know kinda weird, but I am really worried about it. It is 140/80. I had to do this all the time in dental hygiene school..(recently had to leave due to pg) I have an appt. in the morning with a cardiologist. Was referred to him due to breathing problems. It is at 10 am I wonder what his opinion will be. Thanks ladies for all of the advice. If it gets any worse. I am calling that on call doctor back. She knows nothing about me and I wish I could talk to my reg OB.

 

I hope the swelling is better tomorrow. Are you elevating your feet above your heart? I used to put mine up on the arm of the couch. You could also try laying in a bath with your feet up on the wall.

What has your blood pressure been during this pregnancy? I think the 140 number sounds a little high.

 

QUOTE(JessiePlus2 @ Sep 24 2008, 10:07 PM) [snapback]996477[/snapback]
I hope the swelling is better tomorrow. Are you elevating your feet above your heart? I used to put mine up on the arm of the couch. You could also try laying in a bath with your feet up on the wall.

What has your blood pressure been during this pregnancy? I think the 140 number sounds a little high.



I have had my feet up for the last couple hours. Still no change in the swelling. I had my 24 week ob appt. this past monday and my BP was 114/70. It has been low the entire pregnancy, the jump is a surprise. I have an appt. with my cardiologist for breathing problems at 10 am so I am glad to be seeing some kind of a doctor tomorrow. I hope the swelling and BP go down. I am about to go to sleep so I will update in the morning. Thank u ladies for all of the caring advice!

 

I hope your swelling improves. I started being really swollen with the boys around 18 weeks and took diuretics off and on for the rest of the pregnancy through 2 weeks pp (I ended up more swollen after delivery). Started this time around 18 weeks as well but it hasn't been near as bad as last time.

Keep an eye on it but definitely drink lots of fluid. Also when elevating your feet, make sure it's above your heart level...just having them up isn't enough. When in bed, put a pillow under your feet too so they are higher than your heart level. That may help some. Watch your sodium intake also (MSG too).

Good luck and update after your appointment.

 

If you can, get to a pool and float around a little you'll get at least temporary relief!! Let us know what the doc says!! (call your regular OB today during normal business hours!)

 

I've had swelling in my legs and ankles since about week 18. It has gotten progressively worse and more painful. The skin on my feet feels like it could just tear. The doctors are fine with it b/c my blood pressure is okay. It should go away with a good night of sleep, I usually put my feet on a pillow in bed as well. Although, in the past few weeks the swelling begins only a few hours after I have been up. I put my feet up as much as possible. I wear sneakers to help with the swelling during the day. I have also started to put my feet in a bucket of cold water after work. It's cold but feels fabulous. My doctor suggested support hose. I told her I wasn't putting anything on my legs until the weather cooled off a bit. Hope this helps.

 

Definately normal. There about 28 weeks my cankles turned into clegs!! :rotflmbo: Seriously, drink TONS of water, try to elevate them (but that didn't work for me b/c it just put pressure on my lower back) and call your dr if you are concerned.

 

I asked my peri about my swelling because my legs were pretty painful with swelling. He said totally normal and not much you can do about it but keep my feet up as much as I could when I was sitting down. The nurse at one of my NST said after my husband asked her about the swelling, that it's normal since the blood can't flow as easily to the feet since it stops at the belly for the twins. It improves after delivery, I was hardly able to fit my feet into my crocs it was so bad, socks forget it; they felt like the were making my feet even worse.

 

I have swelling too but really just my feet - my skin on my feet has gotten really cracked and icky I guess from all the swelling and pressure when I walk; they dont fit in my shoes! And they feel like they are on fire, I literally have my older ones put ice packs on them, they are so sore..

 

Eat less salt, drink more water and put your feet up.

I had thankles (like cankles, but with thighs) and Frodo feet.

 

QUOTE(Her Royal Jennyness @ Sep 25 2008, 06:27 PM) [snapback]998085[/snapback]
Eat less salt, drink more water and put your feet up.

I had thankles (like cankles, but with thighs) and Frodo feet.


:rotflmbo: :rotflmbo: :rotflmbo: :rotflmbo:

 

I've had cankles since about 30 weeks. My b/p is 100/60 so doctor is not concerned.
The only thing that helps my ankles is to lay down on my left side. not easy with a 2-year old and still working...but every chance i get, I try to lay down.

 

THIS IS AWSOME! i learned this trick with my last prg. get straight cran juice. not a blend, not a juice but straight 100% NOT FROM CONCENTRATE cranberry juice. put a shot of it in every glass of water you drink (youll get use to the taste). After about 2 or 3 days youll start peeing like hell. it cleans out your system. i could not survive with out it! trust me it was so worth it!

 

QUOTE(mollyjm+2 @ Sep 28 2008, 03:28 AM) [snapback]1000947[/snapback]
THIS IS AWSOME! i learned this trick with my last prg. get straight cran juice. not a blend, not a juice but straight 100% NOT FROM CONCENTRATE cranberry juice. put a shot of it in every glass of water you drink (youll get use to the taste). After about 2 or 3 days youll start peeing like hell. it cleans out your system. i could not survive with out it! trust me it was so worth it!


Cranberry juice is wonnnnderrrrfulllll! It can really help stop a UTI in it's tracks too-this is a great tip!

Now, I have to admit, at the risk of sounding like I'm not taking you seriously, the word "cankles" makes me laugh so hard I pee. The first person who ever said it to me was my best friend, and he was in a bitchy mood as only a gay man can get. He was trashing his boss (who is a truly horrible woman) and he calls me, and says (I shall try to convey the tone of voice here):

"Girrrrrrrrrrl, she is SO nasty, and b**ch has cankles, and she ain't even preggers! I just wanna slap her down on the ground!"

I laughed so hard, even though I know it was mean. I'm lovin' the image of Frodo feet too-I've got those! (And I'm a huge Lord of The Rings fan!) 'm not doing as bad with this pregnancy, but with Owen, my feet swelled up so bad, all I could get on my feet were men's Birkenstocks, with extra holes punched in the straps to boot! Try getting some pressure socks too, that will help. Rest, rest, rest!

 

I have had cankles for most of this pregnancy, now that I am off my feet most of the time they are gone. I've cut out salt completely, drink tons of water and only juice for breakfast and my doctor also has me on a B6 vitamine every morning. He said that B6 has show some diurretic qualities that help with water retention. I think the only thing that really makes a difference is being off your feet, when I take a shower or do anything on my feet, they immediately lose their natural color and begin to get red and white splotches all over them...you can just see the circulation disappearing from my feet. You might want to try the B6 though?

 

I first noticed my cankles the day of my baby shower [33.5 wks]. It came and went when I'd be on my feet for long periods of time [until about 36 wks - then it stayed until a couple days after delivery].

It sounds weird, but it is True. Drink Lots of water!! That helps. Oh, and also stay away from high sodium foods. That can cause water retension as well.

Soo.. stay comfy and drink lots of water my dearie!

 

Stay away from adding salt to your food or items that are too high in sodium, but don't cut it out completely. Your body needs some salt. Your doc will be the best judge of how far you should go with that.

 

if i was up and around too much i'd get big flinstone feet. put your feet up and drink lots and lots of water!

 

Yes, and Yes.

If you need support hose for work, I recommend this:
http://www.amazon.com/Signature-Sheers-Thi...1674&sr=8-1

Still expensive, almost as good quaility but less than half the cost of Jobst.

 

when i was pregnant with my daughter, my brother lovingly told me that i didn't have cankles, i had knankles... because it started from my knee and went straight down...

so sweet of him... so don't sweat it.. some women get it, and others don't... just stay off your feet as much as possible...

and mine were even worse after i got out of the hospital...all the IV fluids had collected in my toes i think... they looked like hobbit feet... it was not cute :nea: