Why do my feet get bigger during pregnancy?

Swelling in the feet and legs is very common during pregnancy, and it occurs for a number of reasons. The first reason that women have increased swelling is that during pregnancy, the volume of serum in your body increases by 30 percent. That's essentially just extra water in your blood. That results in a change in the pressure gradients, resulting in more fluid in the tissue. As a woman progresses in her pregnancy and the uterus grows, it starts to compress the vessels as they leave the pelvis, and that creates even more pressure in the lower legs, resulting in more swelling.

The other thing that happens during pregnancy is sometimes women feel like doing less, and so they sit around more, and that results in more swelling. The best way to treat swelling during pregnancy is to be active and to try to elevate the legs as much as possible during the day. The other method that can be used if the swelling is significant is the use of compression stockings, or T.E.D. hose, that are placed each morning to help decrease the swelling.

It's sad to say, but you may have to retire your shoe collection after pregnancy. The combination of the relaxing of your soft tissues and the extra weight you're carrying can cause your feet to grow half to 1 shoe size.

During pregnancy, you're also more prone to developing plantar fasciitis—an inflammation of the tissues at the bottom of your feet that is particularly painful when you step out of bed in the morning or stand up after being seated for a long time. Wear low-heeled, cushioned shoes instead of walking with bare feet (to keep from aggravating the inflammation even further), and try massage and gentle stretches (with foot over your knee, pull your toes toward you while keeping g your heel firm—do it first thing and three or four times during the day). Shoe or heel inserts can help relieve some of the pressure.