Swollen Feet During Pregnancy (Edema) Natural Remedies

What can I do about swollen feet during pregnancy ?

There are a number of diet and lifestyle choices that can help with swollen feet while
pregnant.

1. Don’t sit or stand for long periods of time

This may be tricky if you work in an office, but changing positions often can really
help relieve edema in pregnancy. A treadmill desk is a great solution, but if you can’t get
one of those, you can try a standing desk, or sitting for a while and getting away from the
desk frequently to get circulation flowing.

2. Use gravity to your advantage

If you’re having swollen feet during pregnancy, one great way to relieve the swelling
is by putting your feet up often. When you’re lounging at home, try to keep your feet
above your heart.

3. Drink more water

It may seem counterintuitive, but drinking more water will actually help you get rid of
excess fluids. When your body is dehydrated, your kidneys think they need to hold onto
as much water as possible since there doesn’t seem to be enough. Giving your body the
fluids it needs will remind your kidneys that it can get rid of the excess.

4. Drink less caffeine

Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it increases the amount of fluid you eliminate
through urine. However, it also causes dehydration, which makes your kidneys hang onto
more excess fluid. Try to reduce the amount of caffeine you have each day—which is
good advice for pregnancy anyway—and when you do drink caffeine, make sure to drink
plenty of water too.

5. Balance your electrolytes

Salt is very important for staying properly hydrated. Be sure to get plenty of healthy
sea salt in your diet. That means staying away from table salt and processed foods, and
instead eating real food seasoned to taste with high-quality sea salt.

In addition to salt (sodium), there are 3 other main electrolytes (potassium,

magnesium, and calcium) necessary to keep you adequately hydrated. It’s important to
keep these electrolytes in the proper balance.

For example, too much salt without enough potassium can cause heart problems.
That’s why balancing the electrolytes is usually more important than adding just salt to
your diet. You can get these electrolytes in this liquid supplement form, in a powder form,
or from food. Try this electrolyte drink or sip on coconut water with a dash of sea salt.
6. Exercise regularly

Though exercise can cause some edema (have you ever noticed your hands get puffy
after a workout?), its benefits are much greater. Regular exercise optimizes the circulatory
system so that excess water doesn’t pool in the legs or hands.

7. Optimize your diet

In addition to a healthy pregnancy diet, edema can benefit from a high-protein and
high-salt diet, known as the Brewer’s diet. Protein in the blood acts as a sponge to hold
water inside blood vessels. When there is not enough protein, fluid leaks out of the blood
vessels and into the surrounding tissue.

We know that salt is important in keeping fluid in the blood rather than in the tissue,
so the combination of the two is an excellent way to manage feet swelling during
pregnancy.