princetonvasc
Many women first develop varicose veins or find that they get worse during pregnancy. This is particularly true for women carrying twins or during subsequent pregnancies. You may have little if any, discomfort from varicose veins, or they may make your legs feel heavy and achy. The skin around a varicose vein may also itch, throb, or feel like it's burning. The symptoms tend to be worse at the end of the day, especially if you've been on your feet a lot.
Pregnancy increases the volume of blood in your body, but it also slows the blood flow from the legs to the pelvis. This change in circulation is designed to support the growing fetus and prepare the body for labor and delivery, however, it can produce the unfortunate side effect of enlarged veins in your legs.
The good news is that most varicose veins tend to improve after you give birth, especially if you didn't have any before you got pregnant. However for patients with no improvement or pre-existing vein disease, family history, and multiple pregnancies--there are safe and effective treatments that are available.
Source: https://info.princetonvascular.com/blog/pregnancy-and-varicose-veins
The key is to allow the blood in your body to circulate. Don’t stand or sit too long in the same position which allows the blood to pool in one region and stress the veins.
Stay within the recommended weight range for your stage of pregnancy. A woman who was average weight before getting pregnant should gain 25 to 35 pounds after becoming pregnant.
Elevate your feet and legs to the level of your heart or higher whenever possible. This allow for the veins to naturally drain using the benefits of gravity. This will also help minimize swelling during pregnancy
Avoid crossing your legs or ankles when sitting. This tends to further slow down the circulation of blood particularly during pregnancy. Remember the goal is to make sure blood is moving well and the best encouragement for that is to get up and move.
