8 Tips for Relieving Foot Pain During Pregnancy

Something most pregnant women can expect is foot soreness and pain once they start gaining their baby weight. Try these suggestions for dealing with foot pain during pregnancy to give your sore feet some much needed comfort and relief.

1. Elevate them as much as possible.
2. Avoid standing for long times without a break.
3. Do exercises to relieve foot pain during pregnancy: flex your toes and then pull them toward you as you point the heel away from you; extend your leg, point your toes up and make a circle with your toes, rotating your whole foot and ankle. This also exercises the calf muscles after standing or sitting for a long time.
4. Solicit a foot massage: the masseur holds the aching foot in both hands, places his thumb just under the ball of the foot, and moves along the arch, massaging in slow, circular strokes.
5. Nurse swollen, painful, day’s-end feet in cool water.
6. Allow your feet to breathe by using cotton socks.
7. Choose shoes with wide, low heels (no higher than two inches) or wedges. Non-skid soles make you more sure-footed. Try soft leather or canvas shoes, preferably without laces, since sooner or later you won’t be able to bend over to tie them. Shop for new shoes at the end of the day when your feet are most swollen.
8. Try orthotics – plastic arch supports that fit into your shoes. These are available at most shoe stores, pharmacies, or molded custom by a podiatrist.