Swollen Hands During Pregnancy: What Helps?

Thick feet and swollen hands during pregnancy – at some point most expectant mothers have to struggle with this. What you can do against the nasty water retention, you can find out here.

Water retention in the hands, legs and feet is not uncommon during pregnancy. Especially in the last trimester, swollen hands and feet are more common. This is unpleasant, but no cause for concern. With a few simple measures you can easily counteract swollen hands during pregnancy.

How do water retention occur?

During pregnancy, not only does your blood volume increase, but the amount of water in your body also increases. This is mainly because your blood vessels become more elastic and permeable. As a result, the fluid contained in the blood more easily passes into the neighbouring tissue and water retention, also known as oedema, occurs. At the same time, your calf muscle pump, which pumps your blood from the bottom up again, does not work quite as actively during pregnancy. As a result, the blood flows more slowly through the blood vessels and more fluid can flow more easily into the surrounding tissue. Especially on warm days, after long periods of standing or sitting, swelling of the legs and hands is often noticeable.

By the time your baby is born, the stored water in your body can even amount to four to six kilograms. But don’t worry, one or two days after the birth, the water will have disappeared all by itself.

This is what you can do for swollen hands during pregnancy

1. Healthy food: Pay attention to your diet during pregnancy and eat a balanced and healthy diet.
2. Salt: In the past, pregnant women with water retention were advised to avoid salt if possible. This view is now outdated. So you may continue to eat and season as normal.
3. Water against water: Sounds funny, but by drinking a lot, less water will be stored in your body. You should drink at least two litres of water a day!
4. Keep fit! Whether walking, hiking, swimming or cycling – exercise does you good!
5. Become a left sleeper: Try to sleep on the left side of the bed at night. This relieves your vena cava from the pressure of the uterus and promotes blood flow.
6. Put your hands up: Keep your hands at heart level. On the other hand, if you let your hands hang, more water will collect there.
7. Get some rest: Bed rest is usually enough to reduce the edema. So make yourself comfortable!
8. Warm-Cold-Warm-Cold: Alternating showers and brush massages stimulate the blood circulation. This not only promotes fluid transport in your body, but also helps with circulatory problems during pregnancy.

IMPORTANT: Drainage products are taboo to prevent swollen hands during pregnancy. This also applies to herbal products such as nettle tea.

When should I go to the doctor?

If your hands, legs or even your face are particularly swollen, consult your doctor or midwife immediately! Even if severe pain occurs, do not hesitate for long, but rather have a check-up. Because water retention in combination with pain can be an indication of gestosis or preclampsia – serious pregnancy diseases that must be treated urgently.

Otherwise, swollen hands are unpleasant during pregnancy, but in most cases harmless.