5) Foot Massager or Roller
Few things can make the feet hurt worse than packing on 30+ pounds in a matter of months. All the extra weight, fluid, and blood along with the loosening of the joints and ligaments can cause lasting changes and put a serious strain on your feet. Investing in a good foot massager or roller early on in pregnancy can help you to relieve foot pain and tension, keep you functioning on your feet with daily home and work activities, and improve stress levels throughout this emotionally straining time. Here are two foot massagers I use on a regular basis (along with frequent self-massage) to keep my feet feeling good.
4) Compression Socks
Again thanks to the increased fluid volume and increased abdominal pressure, swelling in the lower legs, feet, and ankles commonly occurs during pregnancy. Moving frequently and intermittent elevation improves the circulation to help return blood to the heart but for anyone who spends most of their day upright, sitting, standing statically, or traveling, your legs may need a little extra support to help those veins pump. Investing in a good pair of compression stockings can help improve circulation, reduce swelling, and prevent blood clots from forming throughout pregnancy. Here are a few options for compression stockings for pregnant women that require no medical prescription and won’t break the bank.
3) Good Lotion or Skin Cream
Did you know that your skin is the biggest organ in your body? The skin has many functions including protection, temperature regulation, sensation, absorption, and for the pregnant women, stretching rapidly to maintain coverage of your growing abdomen. For all this work, our skin deserves some love and attention so grab a great lotion or skin cream and get to massaging. Keeping your skin hydrated and performing regular gentle massage on a daily basis, especially to the trunk region, can help with the expansion of your skin and subdermal tissues as your uterus expands. This can help with stretch marks and discomfort that may come along with this stretching. Here are a few lotions/creams that can help you get the job done.
2) Pregnancy Pillow
Honestly, I recommend pregnancy pillows to many of my patients regardless of if they are pregnant or not, but pregnancy is one time when you absolutely need to take advantage of the many benefits this pillow has to offer. Restful sleep is so important during your pregnancy to allow your baby to grow appropriately and for you to be able to function, but sleep can be hard when you are not able to get comfortable. Pregnancy pillows provide just the right amount of support to keep you comfortable in a safe side-lying position while keeping your body in appropriate alignment and preventing excess force on the bottom hip, knee, shoulder from the increase load you are sporting. Here are a few pregnancy pillows that can help you get the sleep you need during (and even after your pregnancy).
1) A Physical Therapy Evaluation
My final recommendation is to “treat” yourself to a physical therapy evaluation. Even if you feel like you are doing great early on in the pregnancy, I promise you there will come a time when you run into aches, pains, issues that could be prevented or improved by a physical therapy evaluation. A physical therapist can talk you through safe training to help prevent post-partum issues like back pain, prolapse, incontinence, and we can help you safely progress through your post-partum recovery starting soon after your little one arrives. Just like all of the other products listed above, a physical therapy evaluation is an investment in you – in your health, in your physical and mental well-being, in your ability to function as a mom, worker, wife, athlete, human!
If you are ready to invest in yourself, visit or call Life Changes Physical Therapy today. We always offer a free consultation so you can be sure you are going to get what you need to thrive during your transition into the next stage of your motherhood journey!