How long does it take for swelling to go away after childbirth? How to remove swelling after childbirth. Kidney disorders

Almost every woman faces swelling of the legs in the third trimester of pregnancy. This is a completely physiological phenomenon associated with the natural accumulation of fluid in the body, necessary to increase the volume of circulating blood (BCC) and normal development fetus. The weight of the pregnant woman is constantly growing, it becomes harder to move, the enlarged uterus compresses the vessels of the small pelvis, making it difficult for venous outflow, the load on the lower extremities increases significantly - all this leads to the formation of edema in the last stages of gestation. But why do the legs swell after childbirth? After all, all these reasons are no longer relevant.

information Puffiness is normal lower extremities, the cause of which was only a physiological increase in BCC, disappear without a trace within a few days or a week after childbirth. But if swelling persists or reappears, then there must be more compelling reasons for this.

The reasons

To possible reasons postpartum edema relate:

• kidney disease;
• vascular disease;
• malnutrition and daily routine.

kidney disease
Women with chronic kidney disease (such as pyelonephritis) that a mother had before pregnancy are more likely to have difficulty coping after delivery. rapid elimination fluid accumulated during this time. Therefore, such edema can persist for a long time.

Vascular diseases
Pregnancy is one of the predisposing factors for the development of varicose veins. If you notice that on the skin of the legs appeared spider veins, you feel swelling and heaviness in the lower extremities by the end of the day, sometimes the arising cramps in calf muscles, then know - these are the first symptoms of varicose veins.
Symmetrical swelling of the legs after childbirth will testify in favor of varicose veins, but if one leg is swollen, swelling, redness and burning appear skin, it is most likely associated with deep vein thrombosis. The presence of such a symptom requires immediate examination.

Nutrition and daily routine
Sometimes the occurrence of edema and their preservation after childbirth is associated with a very commonplace reason - malnutrition. The use of salty, smoked, fried foods leads to excessive accumulation and fluid retention in the body. Moreover, high physical activity young mother (housework, caring for the baby) contributes to the development of excessive fatigue, which as a result leads to the formation of small edema in the evening and the appearance of heaviness in the legs.

Treatment

important Prolonged retention of swelling in the legs after childbirth is not the norm. No matter how you console yourself and think that everything will pass soon, this is not a trifle, but, perhaps, the first signs of a serious illness. Be sure to visit a doctor, find the cause of your illness in order to correctly, accurately, effectively and permanently get rid of it.

Swelling of the legs during pregnancy, especially in the second half, is not uncommon. Almost all women face this problem. And after the birth of the baby, everything returns to normal and the swelling stops.

But sometimes the problem of edema does not disappear even after childbirth, causing bewilderment among young mothers. Why does this happen and what can be done in such a situation?

Causes of swelling of the legs after childbirth

Pregnancy brings change hormonal background women, which provokes fluid retention in the body. Also, do not forget that the amount of blood circulating in the body future mother increases in parallel with the growth of the fetus.

Usually healthy women with a normal pregnancy after childbirth, it returns to normal and the swelling disappears. Sometimes this happens more slowly than a young mother would like, but you should not panic.

Occasionally, women complain that the situation does not improve after childbirth, or even vice versa - swelling of the legs increases. In most cases, this is not related to serious pathologies, but to visit or attend the doctor for specification of the reasons it is necessary. Most often, edema is caused by:

• Fatigue and disruption of the daily routine. Young children need nightly feedings, and often also games, dressing and motion sickness. Therefore, young mothers regularly lack sleep and get tired. This can cause swelling of the lower extremities.
• Wrong nutrition. It is known that salt retains fluid in the body. If mom leans on salty, her legs can easily swell.
• Phlebeurysm. Pregnancy often provokes the development or exacerbation of this disease, as a woman's body weight increases and activity decreases. If a woman had circulatory disorders in the limbs and weak venous valves even before pregnancy, there is a high probability of a rapid progression of the disease after childbirth.
• Kidney disorders. Pregnancy increases the load on all organs of the body, including the kidneys. Often, during pregnancy, they cannot cope with the excretion of fluid, especially if the woman previously had pyelonephritis or other similar diseases. This situation may continue in postpartum period.
• Heart disease. If the "pump" fails to do its job, the blood flow in the lower extremities can slow down, hence the swelling.
• . Inflammation Bladder can cause fluid retention in the body.

It is not worth diagnosing yourself, as well as self-medicating. It is better to visit a doctor who can recommend adequate therapy.

First of all, you need to put in order the regime of the day and relax more. Try to involve your husband and other family members in caring for the baby. If you can't sleep at night, lie down during the day. In this case, it is desirable to put your feet on a dais. It is also important to eat right, not to abuse salty and fried foods.

If the swelling of the legs persists for more than two weeks, consultation with doctors is necessary, as this may be a sign of pathology.

Most often, women with such complaints are referred to a nephrologist, phlebologist and cardiologist. If the cause of edema is varicose veins, the doctor will advise compression stockings and ointments for local application. Treatment systemic drugs and surgical interventions should be postponed until the end of lactation.

In case of problems with the kidneys or heart, in no case should you independently prescribe a diuretic or other medications. Only a doctor can recommend a medicine. You may have to stop breastfeeding for the duration of treatment, as many drugs can pass into breast milk.

If swelling of the legs after childbirth is not caused by a disease, but natural processes occurring in the body, treatment is not needed. In this case, simple exercises will help improve the condition of the legs:

• Rises on tiptoe;
• Clenching and unclenching "fists" on the legs;
• Foot rotation.

You can also do light massage feet, legs and thighs. This will help improve blood circulation and disperse fluid.

How to prevent leg swelling after childbirth

Measures to prevent edema must begin to be taken during pregnancy. The main rules for expectant mothers:

• Choose the right shoes, avoiding models with narrow socks and high heels;
• Wear compression tights or stockings that support the vessels of the legs;
• Perform simple exercises for the legs, walk more often;
• Do massage to improve blood circulation;
• Rest regularly with your feet above heart level;
• Accept cold and hot shower Or do foot baths.

It is also very important to eat right and observe drinking regimen. It is better to drink most of the liquid in the morning, and limit its use in the evening. These rules are useful not only for women suffering from swelling of the legs, but also for all young mothers.

Hello friends! Let's look at a topic today that is familiar to most new mothers. These are edema after childbirth, which are observed in almost 80% of women who have recently given birth. What causes swelling after childbirth? Can they be avoided? And how to deal with them? Let's understand in more detail.

Edema occurs due to the fact that too much fluid accumulates in the body. In its point nature, edema differs from swelling. If you press your finger on the edema, then after half a minute a hole will appear in this place. Edema after childbirth is a very common occurrence among new mothers. For some, only the arms or legs swell, bags appear under the eyes, and for some, the whole figure suffers. If intravenous infusions were given during childbirth, the swelling will go away later. Often, edema contributes to breast engorgement, a change in the shape of the nipple. The skin in these places becomes wrinkled and dry. The swelling interferes with the attachment of the baby to the breast, which is why some women simply cannot breastfeed their children. In addition, due to swelling after childbirth, women often have to wear shoes and clothes that are several sizes larger. Of course, they do not experience much pleasure from this, and they dream of returning to their former form as soon as possible.

Causes of swelling after childbirth

Edema after childbirth occurs not only due to abundant fluid intake, but also due to the accumulation of sodium salts in the tissues. In addition, edema may be associated with cardiovascular and urinary systems. Since the uterus actively grows during pregnancy and puts pressure on the organs, the outflow of blood from the lower and upper limbs slows down. As a result, edema occurs. Postpartum hypothyroidism also leads to edema, which occurs due to a decrease in the level of iron in the blood. If a woman stands and walks a lot, rarely rests, without resting her legs, and also has venous insufficiency, then she has every chance of getting edema.

Treatment of edema after childbirth

Doctors advise drinking as much as possible less water, do not eat spicy, salty, fatty, sour, smoked, fried. All this only increases the thirst. Useful for edema dill, honey water with lemon, green tea, diuretic herbs, but soda and sweet drinks will not do any good. Instead, you need to drink non-carbonated water, fruit drinks, compotes without sugar. It is necessary and you can use everything that is a diuretic. In general, it is allowed to drink no more than one and a half liters of liquid per day (not counting broths, soups, fruits, vegetables). Women suffering from edema are advised to wear slimming tights, often take baths for hands and feet with the addition of medicines with a diuretic effect. If edema prevails on the legs, then it is imperative to give them rest, and as often as possible: lie down horizontally, placing a pillow under your legs so that they are slightly raised in relation to the body. By observing these complicated rules, you can get rid of edema in a couple of weeks. Parents should remember that in the absence of chronic diseases, doctors do not recommend drug treatment of edema after childbirth. This is especially important if the newborn is on breastfeeding. During this period, the health of the mother needs attention and support more than ever, so you should not self-medicate and drink diuretics, and in case of all complications, immediately consult a doctor. Be healthy!

Most women know firsthand about edema after childbirth, and this phenomenon is not just unpleasant: often postpartum edema is a symptom serious problems with health. If they are observed only in the first week, and then they begin to gradually go away, you don’t have to worry too much: the body cannot get rid of the fluid accumulated during pregnancy “overnight” - however, sometimes this process drags on up to 3-4 weeks. This is explained by the fact that a young mother has a sharp increase in worries: sometimes she can only rest at night, and even then very little, and physiological processes, including blood circulation and lymph flow, do not have time to return to normal.

What are the main reasons

If swelling in the legs does not go away longer, the reasons may be more serious. For example, kidney failure or development chronic disease: during pregnancy, the kidneys are under high stress, and after childbirth, their function may not be restored - now this happens often.

Another cause of leg swelling is progressive varicose veins veins is also not uncommon: in many pregnant women, the veins are seriously affected, and after childbirth, persistent edema can be observed because of this - it is better to treat the veins immediately.

In the cases described above, you need to contact specialists - a urologist, phlebologist, etc. With the onset of varicose veins, it is recommended to rest lying down more often, laying your legs higher; make special foot baths; follow a certain diet, including foods that thin the blood.

Incidentally, the most common causes the appearance of swelling of the legs after childbirth are malnutrition and lifestyle. After giving birth, it seems to many that now you can eat what was forbidden during pregnancy, and especially for those who do not breastfeed: in such cases, women often begin to “break away” and allow themselves salty, smoked, fried foods and foods, and then drink plenty of fluids. Moreover, they drink not only tea or coffee, but also sweet soda: against the background of a lack of vitamins and minerals - during pregnancy, the body "spends" a lot of them - such nutrition can cause negative changes in the composition of the blood. The blood thickens, and this leads to the same problems: kidney disease, varicose veins, etc. Hence the swelling of the legs.

If you want to put the body in order after childbirth, fully restore all its functions and avoid swelling, it is better to eat food boiled, stewed, baked, with the minimum amount salt, and drink herbal teas, unsweetened compotes and pure non-carbonated water, including mineral water. Homework should be planned in such a way that the activity is not “continuous”: during the day it is necessary to rest several times - swelling of the legs will not go away if the body is always in an upright position.

Sometimes swelling of the legs occurs against the background of increased blood pressure: as a rule, in such cases, the head hurts, but also not always - you need to be more attentive to yourself.

How to quickly relieve swelling in the legs

If swelling is not caused pathological conditions you can deal with them on your own. Although the young mother most days "on your feet", you need to walk more on fresh air to improve blood circulation: calm walking on the ground is not the same as running around the apartment "back and forth."

Ice foot massage

It helps to relieve swelling of the foot massage with ice. It is better to use decoctions of herbs: yarrow, chamomile, sage, etc.

Contrast shower for swelling in the legs

Cold and hot shower - excellent tool: finish it cold water and rub your feet with a hard towel. You can apply an anti-edema cream with extracts horse chestnut, hazel, with menthol, shea butter (almond, jojoba), vitamins, minerals - now there is plenty to choose from.

Herbal foot baths

Warm baths with decoctions medicinal herbs or sea ​​salt also relieve swelling of the legs: you can take lemon balm, oregano, nettle, burdock, birch leaves, etc.

Shoes should be comfortable and soft; you can not sit cross-legged - this impairs blood flow.

Useful leg exercises

Simple regular exercises also help restore normal blood and lymph circulation in the legs - swelling subsides quickly. In the morning, after waking up, do the “bicycle” exercise in bed for 1-2 minutes, raising your legs as high as possible. The longer you get to do it, the sooner blood circulation improves, but you should not strain your muscles too much.

Immediately afterwards, while keeping your legs elevated, rotate your feet to the left and right, as if drawing a circle with your thumb.

During the day, periodically perform "standing" exercises for legs from edema: rolls from toe to heel; light jumps - stand on tiptoe for a few seconds, and then gently bounce 5-10 times. An easy and fun exercise: sitting on a chair (armchair, sofa), try to take a small ball or pencil lying on the floor with your bare feet.

Inside, you can take decoctions of herbs known for their diuretic effect: horsetail, leaves of white birch, dill, parsley, bearberry, etc.

Medications

About taking diuretics for swelling of the legs after childbirth, it is worth mentioning separately. It is clear that a woman with a small child, burdened with a bunch of household chores, is not so easy to find time to cook. herbal infusions and decoctions. It is much easier to go to a pharmacy and buy tablets with a diuretic effect: they are easy to take - just drink water, and they act quickly - after 10-15 minutes you can already run to the toilet.

The diuretic furosemide

However, one should not joke with diuretics: they should be prescribed by a doctor, choosing a medicine for each specific case. After all, drugs act differently: for example, some diuretics save potassium in the body, while others actively remove it. The latter include the widely known and fast-acting Furosemide, which has a number of side effects- in particular, it negatively affects the work of the heart, but is popular: many patients “prescribe” it to themselves, without thinking about the consequences.

Drug Trifas

There are milder preparations for swelling of the legs - for example, Trifas, which almost does not wash out potassium and calcium from the body, and is several times more effective than Furosemide. Moreover, after the abolition of the latter, the so-called “rebound effect” often manifests itself: the absorption of water increases, and it again accumulates outside the cells and inside them. Trifas is devoid of these shortcomings, but is much more expensive similar drugs traditionally used in Russian medicine.

Kanefron from swelling of the legs

Practically safe - contraindicated in case of individual intolerance to the components - Kanefron is considered, herbal preparation, including rosemary, centaury, rosehip and lovage. It acts so gently that it is prescribed even for pregnant women and infants, and not only relieves swelling of the legs, but also has an anti-inflammatory effect, and also significantly improves well-being in general. The price of this drug is quite democratic.

Nevertheless, even the possibility of taking safe diuretics to relieve swelling of the legs after childbirth should be consulted with your doctor, and it is strictly forbidden to take more “aggressive” diuretics uncontrollably. After all, the body of a woman who did not have time to recover after childbirth, even minimum dose chemical drugs can cause serious harm and cause the development of any chronic disease.

During childbearing, swelling of the limbs is a common occurrence. Usually unpleasant symptoms disappear in a timely manner, but sometimes swelling of the legs after childbirth does not go away, which confuses young mothers.

The severity of postpartum edema depends on the location and intensity of symptoms. There are 4 degrees:

• 1 degree - location on the lower leg;
• 2 degree - the stomach is added;
• 3 degree - progresses on the hands and face;
• 4 degree - covers almost the entire body.

Causes of postpartum swelling

A healthy woman who does not suffer from pathologies, upon discovering a painful condition, wonders why her legs swell after childbirth.

General factors for the occurrence of pathology

Reasons that may cause disease state lower limbs:

• Violation of the daily routine. Caring for a child takes a lot of a woman's time. Lack of rest good night leads to fatigue and swelling of the legs.
• Non-compliance with the diet. Snacks on the go and unbalanced diet lead to excess weight and increased stress on the musculoskeletal system.
• Abuse of salty and fried foods. This is especially true for mothers who, for some reason, have stopped breastfeeding. Desires to catch up on the forbidden during pregnancy ( great use salt and fried foods), the woman makes up for this limitation after childbirth.
• Vitamin deficiency.

Read also: What to do if the leg is swollen, blue and sore?

The above causes of swelling in the legs after childbirth go away on their own, if you follow the recommendations for the prevention of painful symptoms.

But swelling may be accompanied comorbidities, upon detection of which it is necessary to visit a doctor. Pathologies include:

• Phlebeurysm. Violation of blood flow and congestive changes in the vessels contribute to swelling of the extremities.
• Thrombosis. Loads on the legs can lead to blockage of the lumen of the vein (formation of blood clots, edema is visible externally).
• kidney failure, problems with urogenital systems e. Increased load on the kidneys ( hormonal changes and the pressure of the enlarged uterus prevents the outflow of urine) during pregnancy and after it contributes to the slow removal of fluid from the body.
• Diseases of cardio-vascular system. A weak heart muscle cannot cope with the required volume of circulating blood, which is increased in a woman's body during pregnancy, which leads to stagnation in the vessels. With this pathology, edema of the legs is round-the-clock (in contrast to edema arising from fatigue) and is characteristic of the lower half of the body.
• Preeclampsia. One of severe pathologies expectant mothers. Often, when it occurs during pregnancy, doctors decide on an urgent surgical intervention (caesarean section) to save the fetus.

Read also: Pain in the tibialis anterior muscle when walking

Swelling of the legs after infusions

Since the body of a woman in the postpartum period has not yet “rebuilt” and the kidneys do not cope well with excretion excess fluid, then the introduction of solutions through droppers (up to 2 liters) exacerbates the problem. Against this background severe swelling legs are harder to remove.

Edema after surgery

In any operation, there is always an increased risk of diseases and unpredictable dangerous conditions. Swelling of the legs can be caused by a surgeon's mistake during surgical intervention(damage to the vessels responsible for the outflow of blood from the lower half of the body). Compression of blood vessels postoperative edema complicates blood flow, which leads to stagnation of blood in the legs.

What to do with postpartum swelling of the legs

Consider ways to eliminate edema of the lower extremities that have arisen after delivery.

First aid for swelling of the extremities

The recovery period after the birth of a baby, when changes in the body return to normal, is different for each woman.

At healthy mom swelling of the legs should disappear within a month after childbirth.

Read also: How to treat pain in the legs with diabetes?

• Performing simple exercise for the lower extremities ( circular motions feet, lifting on toes, squeezing fingers).
• Massaging the legs.
• Normalization of diet, diet.
• Good rest and good sleep.
• Wearing compression underwear.

Medication treatment

Do not self-medicate with pills.

Only qualified specialist will prescribe the correct medication, since when a woman is breastfeeding a child, the use of medicines is limited.

How long will it take for treatment? The answer to this question depends on the method chosen to fix the problem. The choice of drugs will be determined by the attending physician after a comprehensive examination.

• The treatment course for diseases of the circulatory or genitourinary systems lasts up to 30 days.
• For the treatment of varicose veins, you will need to undergo a long therapy, up to 6 months (based on the stage of development of the disease).
• The prescribed vitamin complex can relieve swelling of the legs.

Doctors during lactation try to prescribe medicines more sparing, and also often resort to folk medicine.

ethnoscience

Any herbal tinctures and foot baths can be used only with the permission of a doctor.

With increased blood pressure and the following infusions are used as diuretics:

• birch and apple juices;
• urological fees (pharmaceutical diuretic herbal teas);
• decoctions of cranberries;
• linden tea.