Experiencing foot pain after pregnancy is a common issue that many women face, yet it’s often not talked about enough. The strain of carrying extra weight during pregnancy, hormonal changes, and the impact of childbirth can all contribute to foot discomfort postpartum.

Here, I’ll delve into why foot pain may occur after pregnancy, how you can alleviate the discomfort, and when it might be time to seek professional help.

Whether you’re a new mom looking for answers or simply curious about this topic, this article will provide valuable insights into managing foot pain post-pregnancy. So kick back, put your feet up (literally!), and explore how to care for your feet during this unique phase of life.

What Is Foot Pain Post Pregnancy?

Foot pain post-pregnancy can start during pregnancy and last for a while after. During the second and third trimesters, symptoms often begin to show up. If you’ve had foot pain before, you may be more likely to get it during or after pregnancy.

The significant changes in your body during pregnancy may also play a part. Weight gain, hormone changes, and inflammation can cause postpartum foot pain.

The fascia is a structure that connects your heel to your toes and then to the rest of your body. It supports your muscles and keeps them apart. Small tears and rips appear when the stress on your arches rises quickly.

If you don’t treat plantar fascia, it can cause muscles to swell and hurt, and heel spurs may form. Due to losing weight after giving birth, many women still have more stress in their muscles after giving birth.

Postpartum foot pain is caused by muscles that aren’t tight enough in the foot. This can cause painful arches and make it hard to stand and walk. More weight and pressure are put on the feet, which makes the arches fall and lowers blood flow, which inflames the tissues.

Is Postpartum Foot Pain Normal & Common?

It is expected to cause foot pain after birth, especially in the first pregnancy. It can happen in any pregnancy, but most often in the third trimester and after giving birth. This is because you have a lot of the hormone relaxin in your blood, and your baby is growing and adding weight. The baby is now about 25 to 35 pounds.

Why Do My Feet Hurt After Pregnancy? – Causes Of Postpartum Foot Pain?

Relaxin

When you’re pregnant, your body makes a lot of the hormone relaxin, which is meant to loosen up the muscles in your pelvis. Its job is to help make room for the growing baby and get ready for birth. By turning on collages, relaxin changes how cartilage and ligaments work. It also changes how loose your foot’s ligaments are, which makes your arch flatter.

Weight Gain

When you’re pregnant, your body changes because your baby is growing. You also gain weight. The pain starts as your foot tries to keep up with the increased pressure.

Plantar Fasciitis

People with plantar fasciitis put stress on the plantar fascia tissue, which leads to heel spurs and pain.

Is Foot Pain After Pregnancy Caused By Plantar Fasciitis?

Yes, plantar fasciitis can cause pain in the feet after giving birth.

When you’re pregnant, your arch flattens, which puts extra stress on your plantar fasciitis and hurts your feet, especially your heels. After giving birth, ligaments become less rigid, and holding muscles become weak, which can cause an arch to fall.

What Helps Foot Pain After Pregnancy?

Wear Tight Socks

People don’t usually wear them, but they can help the blood flow to the feet. It goes from inside cells to blood vessels to help control inflammation, which causes calf muscles to swell and hurt. It also helps put pressure on swollen feet.

Massage

Mechanical pressure and stretching during massage make muscles more flexible, which leads to a broader range of joint action and less active stiffness. Besides that, it helps the blood flow. You should also roll a tennis ball around your ankle and the bottom of your feet.

Wearing Supportive Shoes

Getting shoes that give your feet extra support and cushioning is suggested to ease plantar fasciitis pain.

Elevate Your Feet Up

It may seem simple, but it is essential and helpful for fluid change. The force of gravity will move the fluid built up in the legs to the rest of the body. Using pillows to keep your legs and feet off the ground for a few hours might help.

Stretching

There are many ways to improve your short- and long-term range of motion. One great way is to stretch your muscles. It is suitable for you to stretch your legs and rub your feet and toes daily.

Physical Therapy

Seeing a physical therapist is a great way to deal with the structural changes that happen in your body after giving birth. You can work with your trainer to find the best ones. Some women would instead do the routines at home.

Diversion Therapy

For this treatment, fun and leisure activities are the most important things. Pay attention to something that takes the weight off your feet.

Food

Some foods that work against inflammation and build muscle can help keep your feet and ankles from hurting. Some of these foods are dark green leafy veggies, berries, and tomatoes.

Medication

Ibuprofen and other painkillers are safe for women who have recently given birth to use to treat foot and joint pain. But before taking any medicine, you should always talk to your doctor or nurse.

Tips For Managing Postpartum Foot Pain

Since everyone is different, some methods work better for some people than for others. This is taken into account by the different tips here. These tips from experts are meant to help with foot pain after giving birth by using methods that most people can use.

• Drink a lot of water to keep from becoming dehydrated, which makes the body hold on to extra water and make you swell.
• Keep the amount of water and sodium in balance (sodium holds water, so avoid it).
• Light exercises help stop pain, swelling, and other signs that come with it.

• Use custom orthotics, devices made just for you to support and relax your feet. Custom insoles can help support feet that are changing shape.
• There is less pain in the muscles of the arch when you rub your feet.
• Stay in a different position for a long time.
• Put cold pressure on your painful, swollen feet.
• Put on shoes that will help your feet.

Does Exercise Help To Manage Foot Pain Post Pregnancy?

Yes. Light exercise can help to manage Foot Pain post-pregnancy. Seven exercises can help in post-pregnancy foot pain.

Toe Spread and Press

Plantar fasciitis affects the muscle across the bottom of your foot and causes pain and swelling. Runners are more likely to get this condition. To treat this problem, Loberg suggests an exercise called the toe spread and press, which strengthens the arch.

How to do the toe spread and press exercise:

Place your feet about hip-width apart. Spread your toes out as far as you can. Hold until you feel slightly tired. Then, spread your toes out on the ground and press down on the ball of your big toe. Don’t let any other part of your foot move. Ten reps should be done three times a week after a run.

Standing Calf Raise

When you run, you push off with your big toe. However, many runners have a restricted range of motion in this area, which can cause foot pain and cramps. Mark Schneider, a personal trainer and medical massage therapist at Movement Minneapolis, says that to build arch strength, you should do a calf raise with your focus on the big toe.

How to do the standing calf raise exercise:

Place your feet about shoulder-width apart. Lift the heels up and then the big toe to finish. During the move, keep the ball of each foot on the ground. Before each run, do up to four or five sets of twenty reps.

Write the Alphabet

Schneider says drawing the alphabet with your big toe can help your ankles and big toes move better. Tight shoelaces and running shoes that bend the toes too far can cause muscle and tendon stress on the top of the foot. This exercise will help relieve that tension.

How to do the Alphabet exercise

Feel free to sit or stand. Lift your foot a few inches off the ground and use your big toe to draw the alphabet in the air. Start with capital letters. Make the downward movements bigger. Put down capital letters when you get to the end of the alphabet. Do it again with the other foot. Do this several times during the day.

The Asterisk

This move makes the heel, the ball of the big toe, and the ball of the little toe stronger. It also makes the ankles more flexible when the body weight is on them, which works them similarly to running, as Schneider says.

How to do the asterisk exercise

Put your weight on your right leg and stand up straight. Tap the floor in front of your left toe with your right toe. Press “Start” again and then “Tap in front of you.” Do it again, going counterclockwise. Tap the foot pointed behind and across the other foot to finish. Move clockwise around the left side and do it again.

Bent-Knee Heel Raises

Loberg says that a bent knee heel raises train the collagen that connects to the Achilles tendon to be strong enough to handle the force of your foot hitting the ground.

How to do the bent-knee heel raise exercise

Put your heels over the edge of a bench or box and stand on it. Put your hands on the wall in front of you to steady yourself. Put your weight on your left leg. Bring your left heel down to the floor and then push up to lift it above the height of the box or bench. Always keep your leg bent. Do it again with your right leg. Do two sets of fifteen reps on each leg three times a week.

Band Ankle Strengthening

You need to strengthen the joint and make it more flexible to keep your ankles from getting hurt. Both of these things can be done with banded ankle strengthening. If you slip or lose your balance while running, your ankle will be stable enough to handle the pressure.

Get ready by putting a resistance band around your left ankle. As shown, wrap the band’s right end around the arch’s left side and over the foot. Then, loop it under the arch and back across the foot. Hold the strength band’s ends on the inside of your leg.

As an exercise to strengthen her ankle, a woman puts a resistance band around her left foot and ankle. Loberg says that a bent knee heel raises train the collagen that connects to the Achilles tendon to be strong enough to handle the force of your foot hitting the ground.

The Move: To make stress, straighten your leg. Stand on your left foot and turn it from side to side. Make sure the band stays tight throughout the movement. If your foot starts to hurt, switch feet. Do the practice several times a day.

Multi-Directional Single-Leg Hops

If your hips are weak when you run, your body will make up for it by putting more force on your foot and ankle with each step, which makes you more likely to get hurt. Single-leg hops make your hips stronger and help you balance how your foot, ankle, and hip move.

How to do the multi-directional single-leg hops exercise

Place your left foot on the ground. When you fall, bend your knee and jump forward. Return to the beginning and repeat, this time going counterclockwise until six o’clock. Do five times on your left leg, then move on to your right leg and do the same thing again, this time going clockwise. Three times a week, do three sets on each side.How Long Does Postpartum Foot Pain Last?

If you don’t get help, foot pain after giving birth can last for up to 18 months. Notifying your doctor immediately is essential if you start feeling pain in your feet.

You don’t want to have painful feet while caring for a baby or chasing a child around the house. If you get the proper care, foot pain after giving birth can disappear in just a few weeks.

How to Take Care of Your Feet After Giving Birth?

Choosing supportive underwear or nursing bras that are comfortable can also make a big difference in how you feel after giving birth. The same is true for socks and shoes. It’s better to avoid sore feet after giving birth than to fix a problem after the fact.

After giving birth, you can wear compression socks to get more blood to your feet and reduce swelling. It’s essential to wear compression socks if you stand or walk for a long time.

Another way to care for your feet after giving birth is to be careful about your shoes. Psoriasis in the heel area can get worse when you wear high heels. You can get supportive shoes or inserts for your feet at running shops.

Do Your Feet Go Back To The Same Size After Pregnancy?

Some pregnant women say they had to go up a whole shoe size. Besides swelling, this could also be because of changes in how your muscles and bones are built. Your feet should stop growing, but your bones might never be the same as before you got pregnant.

When can you start running after giving birth?

Most doctors say that you should do light activities for the first six weeks after giving birth. This is very important if you have a C-section or any other problems during your pregnancy, like hypertension.

A few days after giving birth, start with light walking. Over the next six weeks, work up to a light jog. Always wear shoes that support your feet, and talk to your doctor before starting any workout plan.

When Should I Call A Doctor About Foot Pain Post Pregnancy?

It is usual for your legs and feet to swell during pregnancy, but pay attention to any rapid changes or painful swelling in your feet. You should call your doctor immediately if the swelling worsens in only one foot or if it hurts. One foot swelling could mean you have a blood clot.

If your feet start to swell up quickly, you should also make an appointment with your doctor immediately. It is expected to hold on to a bit of water over time, but rapid swelling is something to worry about.

Final Words

Dealing with foot pain post-pregnancy can be a challenging experience for many new mothers. Addressing this discomfort is essential to thoroughly enjoying precious moments with your little one. Whether you opt for supportive footwear, gentle exercises, or seeking professional advice, taking care of your feet is crucial.

Remember, self-care is not selfish but necessary for your well-being as you navigate this beautiful journey of motherhood. Prioritizing your foot health will benefit you and enable you to cherish every step you take with your little one.