What should be a happy and celebratory time as they prepare to welcome a new baby into the world, can be marred by severe leg pain and swelling, and the development of ugly bulging leg veins. For some women, the pain from their leg veins was so bad that they dread having another baby because they know it will get bad again. The question many women ask is about the best time to seek treatment for venous insufficiency. Should you seek treatment between pregnancies or wait until you’re done having children?
During pregnancy, your blood volume will increase and the rate that blood flows from your legs to your pelvic area decreases – putting more pressure on the veins. There are three main reasons for developing varicose veins:
- Your body responds to pregnancy and produces more blood than normal. This increased blood flow delivers critical blood and oxygen to your unborn baby as he/she is growing and developing.
- Pregnancy hormones tell your body what to do for the unborn baby and begin making the walls of your veins softer and more elastic to accommodate the increased blood flow. Unfortunately, a side effect is that the vein valves in your legs no longer function as well as they did prior to pregnancy, resulting in an increased chance of developing vein reflux.
- As your pregnancy advances and the baby continues to grow and develop, your expanding uterus takes up more space in your abdomen. The size and weight may impede blood flow, causing it to pool in your lower legs. It’s not uncommon to see swollen feet and ankles, especially in the third trimester.
Can I Prevent a Vein Condition During Pregnancy?
While you can’t prevent your body’s natural and healthy response to pregnancy, there are things you can do to help minimize the discomfort. Here are some tips to try out:
- Activity: Stay as active as possible. Going for a walk or swimming while pregnant will help your circulation and keep blood flowing in the legs. Calf exercises and walking in place are great to keep the blood flow up as well.
- Comfort over style: Wear comfy clothes that aren’t too tight, especially around the thighs. Avoid tight-fitting shoes, elastic tops, and belts.
- Sleep on your left side: Good news left-side sleepers! This helps to decrease pressure on your main blood vessels and keeps circulation moving.
- Watch weight gain: Obviously, during pregnancy, it is only normal to gain weight, keep it to what your doctor recommends – usually 25 to 30 pounds. More weight = more demand on your vessels and veins.
- Elevate: In the evenings when symptoms tend to worsen, lay down and elevate your legs and feet, propping them up with pillows. Gravity helps the blood flow back out of the legs. Most women, by morning, feel much better.
- Wear compression stockings: Compression stockings are designed to mimic the work of the vein valves, and when veins soften, compression stockings can help minimize the effects of vein reflux. Pregnant women do best with pregnancy pantyhose.
Keep in mind that these tips will help slow down or minimize the symptoms of a vein condition that develop almost naturally with the body’s response to pregnancy, but they won’t be able to stop it completely.
In the past, healthcare providers recommended that you wait until you are done having children to have your veins treated and some providers even today may still recommend this. What we know now, for women who had painful vein problems during their pregnancy, there is no reason to be miserable during what should be a positive experience. We also know that when vein problems develop during pregnancy, they will reoccur and worsen over time with subsequent pregnancies. Plus, women who develop a vein condition during pregnancy are more likely to have a recurrence of a vein condition later in life. For women who have had a lot of leg pain and swelling, restless legs, and leg cramps during pregnancy, I recommend treatment after the baby is born so that you don’t have to go through more pain with the next pregnancy.
The old-fashioned recommendation (no longer!) was to wait until you had your last baby before having vein treatments. That is a long time to wait if you have visible painful veins. This was because old-fashioned vein stripping was not very successful and was rarely recommended. These patients suffered needlessly and their visible veins expanded and worsened over time as a result.
Today, with patient-friendly and successful office treatments, there is no reason to wait to have treatments, especially if you are expecting more kids in the future. Treating the vein problems as they come up keeps your legs feeling and looking better, slows down the progression of the condition, and reduces the chance that you will have pain with your next pregnancy. We recommend an evaluation 6 weeks after delivery.
Remember, with pregnancy, your body is going through a lot of changes. Be kind to your body. Take time to rest, elevate your legs, and wear compression stockings. If you suspect you may be suffering from a vein condition with your pregnancy, a free vein screening will let you know for sure. And once that baby arrives, enjoy the moment and let your veins heal. If they are still visible or painful 6 weeks later, vein treatment can help.
Many moms, like Amanda below, tell us they have more energy and are able to get outside and play with their children without pain. If you’ve suffered from a vein condition during pregnancy, there’s no reason to wait to seek treatment especially if you are expecting to get pregnant again.
If you have questions or have had problems with your leg veins during pregnancy, contact us for a free vein screening. Don’t let leg pain keep you from what should be a positive and enjoyable experience.
