11 Ways To Preventing Varicose Veins During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a wonderful phase in every woman’s life. It is a phase where a woman is reborn. The life inside is nurtured and taken care by the body and it is indeed an eternal experience. However, the phase of these 36 weeks comes with a heavy price. The little life inside demands a lot of changes in the mother’s body for survival. There are heavy hormone fluctuations and anatomical changes that take place during this phase. While the body embraces those changes, there are certain side effects that might occur. To mention a few are morning sickness, varicose veins, gestational diabetes etc.
Read More: 11 Natural Remedies for Dealing with Varicose Veins During Pregnancy
What are varicose veins and how to prevent them?
Varicose veins are those veins which bulge up and become visible at the surface of the skin. The most common sight of varicose veins are legs and foot. During pregnancy, chances of developing varicose veins are high. This is due to the normal developmental cycle of the fetus. The uterus will keep accommodating the growing baby and grow large. This in turn will put pressure on legs and thus the blood flow will be affected. At threshold, the veins at the skin surface starts to fold and form varicose veins. This condition can be tackled well! Below are some tips for its prevention:
1. Do not skip exercising
Exercising regularly during pregnancy will keep the blood flow normal in your veins. However, that exercising doesn’t mean heavy treadmill and cycle. May be brisk walk around the house or a nearby park will be enough to keep varicose veins at a bay.
2. Diet
Check on the diet you generally follow during pregnancy. Few little cravings are ok but try to stay within the specified range. Gaining weight is unavoidable, but, can be kept at a check. Too much of food might not agree with the stomach and will simply get deposited as fat.
3. Sitting posture
Crossing legs and ankle while you sit is not advisable. The pressure of blood increases and thus the chances of encountering varicose veins. The sitting posture is as comfortable as you like, but the pregnancy phase might not support this fact.
4. Keep Moving
During the phase of pregnancy, movement becomes slower. However, a continuous short movement cycles is necessary. This movement will keep the blood flow in the body well and the same will prevent the occurrence of varicose veins in the body.
5. Rest Your Legs
Ok now while you sit, raise the leg almost at the level of your chest using pillows. Always make sure that you are resting your legs on a higher level than ground by using a stool or a pillow.
6. Pack the heels
No more heels for some time! Yes, high heels are a bit dangerous for now. Wearing high heels will add pressure on the calf muscles along with the uterus weight. Calf muscles might get tensed and the blood flow might not happen well. This is the starting point for varicose vein condition.
7. Sleep on the left
Try to sleep always on your left-hand side. This is no superstition and has a scientific reason for this. The interior vena cava is situated on the right and lying down on left will return the blood from the veins quickly. This will avoid improper flow of blood and hence prevent varicose veins.
8. Hydration Levels
Keep yourself hydrated at all points of time during pregnancy. And, do not go on a complete fiber diet. These events will lead to constipation and the same condition will trigger varicose veins. So, do not forget to drink water at regular intervals and keeping the hydration levels up to the mark.
9. Deep Breathing
The whole game of varicose veins is due to improper blood supply to the body. Mediation and deep breathing exercises tends to cool down the body. It also tends to relax the body and improve the blood supply. An, improved blood circulation will keep this varicose veins at a bay.
10. Reduce Sodium
If you are a sodium fan, then that’s a bad news. You might have to reduce the intake of sodium in the form of salt. Sodium will dilate of the veins, thus increasing the blood flow. The increased blood flow might turn opposite and suddenly drop. This will directly affect the veins as more blood will stay over and nowhere to supply next.
11. Maternity Support Hosiery
Wearing the same will ease the blood flow from the legs to the heart. These hosieries will push the blood with ease and you will have no accumulation. However, avoid wearing too tight ones as they will act just the opposite.
The above tips will surely help you in preventing varicose veins in the body during pregnancy. This is a wonderful phase and all should enjoy it. Health issues are again a part of the journey, but the tips above might be of some help!
References:
https://www.babycenter.com/0_varicose-veins-during-pregnancy_271.bc
http://americanpregnancy.org/naturally/treating-varicose-veins-naturally-during-pregnancy/
