During pregnancy, many women experience growth in their feet, both in length and width, affecting up to 70% of them. This change has a significant impact on shoe size.

Relaxin, a hormone secreted during pregnancy, causes ligament laxity. This facilitates pelvic movement during childbirth, also affecting the feet. Experts indicate that this degradation in the ligament structure can result in a lowering of the arch and a greater tendency towards flat feet. This hormone acts on all the ligaments in the body, being responsible for changes in the flexibility and structure of the foot. Additional factors that influence this: Weight gain during pregnancy contributes to the growth of the feet. Women typically gain between 11 and 18 kilos, which can result in increased stress on foot structures, such as the plantar fascia and the Achilles tendon. This can cause pain and affect foot size.

Although both feet usually grow, there can be variations, such as localized edema that affects one foot more than the other.

“Most articles say that it usually affects both feet, but it is true that you might have a leg with a little more edema as well, with more fluid accumulation, which can affect one foot more than the other, although it is more common bilaterally,” Marta Vinyals, podiatrist and professor at the University of Barcelona, ??explained to EFE Salud.

Postpartum Normalization

After childbirth, in most cases, feet return to their previous size, although this is not universal.

Some women may experience a permanently larger size, depending on their weight recovery and habits.

Foot Pain Relief During Pregnancy

There are several safe exercises and treatments that can help to reduce pain and swelling in the feet during pregnancy, provided there is no medical contraindication.

Gentle Foot Exercises

Some simple exercises improve circulation and reduce tension in the feet.

Daily Treatments and Care

In addition to exercise, there are measures that relieve pain and swelling.

When to See a Doctor

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