Mom's development

Month 7

Your exercise tolerance may be less because the growing uterus makes it harder for your lungs to expand as fully as before pregnancy. This may cause you to feel a little short of breath – so slow down if you need to. Swelling of your legs and feet is common during the last few months of pregnancy, as your uterus constricts the veins leading from the heart to the legs. Gravity pulls the blood down to the legs, but it has a hard time getting back up out of them. It’s important to promote blood flow in your extremities.

Use these tips to keep the swelling in your feet to a minimum:

• Avoid crossing your legs
• Avoid constrictive clothing, especially with tight elastic around ankles, knees or wrists
• Avoid standing for long periods
• Walk around after you’ve been sitting awhile – especially when on long drives. Avoid laying flat - the weight of your uterus presses against major veins and arteries that bring the blood supply to and from the pelvic area/lower extremities.
• Limit or slow the amount of physical activity you do, especially in hot weather
• Wear support hose if recommended
• Firm massage of the legs from toes upward to thighs

Your shoes may feel tight. Some of this is due to a little swelling in your feet. But since early pregnancy, your body has released a hormone called relaxin - it makes the ligaments stretchier – this is to help your pelvic bones prepare for birth. Relaxin doesn’t only effect your pelvic bones – your feet stretch out a little too. Be careful to wear shoes that support your foot adequately. Ill-fitting shoes may cause calluses, corns and blisters.

Relaxin also makes you more flexible than before pregnancy – this actually increases your chance of sprains and ligament pulls. Make certain to stretch carefully before beginning any exercise or fitness training. The round ligaments, located in your groin region, support your uterus. These ligaments are stretchier because of the effects of relaxin, but they are also under considerable strain in supporting this growing and increasingly heavy uterus. Avoid over-straining these round ligaments, be sensible about how strenuously you exercise and avoid lifting heavy items.

Constipation and hemorrhoids
This may become more of a problem as the pressure on the rectal veins continues. Make certain that you are eating lots of fiber – whole grain breads, cereals, and fruits and vegetables. Increasing your fluids will help tremendously to keep the stool moister and easier to pass. Regular exercise will help to keep your bowels moving at a rate closer to pre-pregnancy. Schedule a 20-minute walk in the morning, at lunch or in the evening.

For problem, painful hemorrhoids, an old method of relief is to chill a bottle of witch hazel in the refrigerator, get a 4 inch square piece of gauze pad and saturate it with the chilled witch hazel, fold in half, and place it against the anal area. This typically helps with swelling and discomfort.