Painful feet during pregnancy

Eine schwangere Frau sitzt auf einem Sofa und massiert ihren schmerzenden Fuß, um Beschwerden zu lindern.

Pregnancy

Making this special time easier

During pregnancy, your body undergoes immense changes. This means that, in addition to anticipating the birth of your baby, various concomitant symptoms will occur that are signals connected to the great changes taking place in your body during pregnancy. It may therefore happen that your feet will start hurting. Find out in our guide what causes this foot pain and what you can do to alleviate it.

From the first week of pregnancy, your body mainly has one objective: preparing for the birth of your baby. To do this, it initiates many processes that also involve accompanying symptoms. This includes, for example, back pain, heavy legs, and mood swings. Foot pain is also a part of it. This pain can have different causes that often come into effect at the same time and can impact each other.

Eine Schwangere sitzt auf einem Sofa und betrachtet und betastet ihre schmerzenden Füße.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy cause ligaments and tendons in the joints to become more elastic. In the hip area, this is important to make the birth easier – but this loosening also happens in other joints. In the feet, it can lead to instability which will not only make you more prone to injuries but also cause pain and even foot misalignments or dropping of the longitudinal arch of the foot. If you have been diagnosed with a foot misalignment such as arch decreased foot or flat foot before pregnancy, you need to be particularly careful.

During pregnancy, women of standard weight usually gain 11.5 to 16 kg on average. Your feet therefore have a greater load to bear. This can result in foot pain.

Your baby bump grows, which changes your body’s center of gravity. You will subconsciously adapt your posture and your movements to stay mobile and active. As a consequence, you will often suffer from back pain, and your gait changes. What is unflatteringly referred to as the “waddle” typical for pregnant women subjects the feet to unfamiliar strain during walking. Your feet will rotate outward more and the foot arches become unstable – pain occurs.

Swollen legs and feet are something that most pregnant women have to put up with. This is caused by water retention which is associated with the increased blood volume. During pregnancy, your blood volume will be about 40% higher than before. Owing to hormonal changes during pregnancy, the venous walls also loosen. The consequence: blood accumulates in the leg veins, and water can escape from the blood which pools in the connective tissue. Your legs will become heavy and your feet will swell as well as hurt.

We have collated some tips so you can do something beneficial for your feet. They can easily be incorporated into daily life.

Put your feet up: take breaks and regularly put your feet up (literally). This supports vein function and helps reduce swelling.
Foot bath and massage: a foot bath relaxes and loosens the muscles. It also soothes your soul. You can also ask your partner or a friend to give you a gentle foot massage.
Comfortable shoes: make sure that your shoes aren’t too tight. Tight shoes are not just uncomfortable, they also impair blood circulation and can exacerbate foot problems. In particular when your feet are swollen, it’s important that there’s enough space in your shoes.
Foot exercises: strengthening, stretching, and relaxing your foot muscles can help alleviate foot pain.
Orthopedic foot orthoses: Whether you already have a foot misalignment or your risk is increased because of your pregnancy – orthopedic foot orthoses are a great accessory during everyday activities. They stabilize and support your feet when you are subjected to additional strain, which is an inevitable part of weight gain. They will also protect your joints. This support will make walking easier and can help alleviate your pain.