I am experiencing really bad swelling and water retention. It's mostly in my legs and hands. From the knee down I have what they call pitted edema — the swelling is so bad that when pressed, the skin stays indented. Sexy, I know.
I don't have preeclampsia or toxemia, and all my tests have been coming up fine. It's just twins at 33 weeks can make a woman have the types of feelings like she's 41 weeks with one baby. That's what the doctor told me…and I'm also measuring like I'm full term, too.
So the OB told me to get compressions socks and I wrote all about it in another post. I've been wearing them for two weeks…but before you go out and buy them, here's a warning.
I bought the kind that are knee high at the suggestion of one of my doctors (there are three in the practice). But when I went in for another visit, another doc told me to take them off immediately. Since they stopped just below the knee, all the swelling was accumulating there, cutting off circulation, and she warned that I could cause myself to get a blood clot.
Instead she wanted me to try a full leg hose made for pregnant women to accommodate the belly.
I asked her if she thought I would then swell above the waist. Luckily she knew I was joking (sort of), so she smiled.
I'm wearing them now. Oh wow was it hard to get them on! But they feel good and aren't cutting off circulation anywhere. We'll see how they work. I'm still swollen, that won't go away until after the babies are born (or I go on strict bed rest), but it's helping.
Have you worn compression stockings?
Related posts:
Edema: Swelling During Pregnancy
