For beautiful feet!

FOOT AND POSTURE PROBLEMS CAN BOTH GET WORSE AND REDUCE DURING PREGNANCY, BUT IT CANNOT BE PREDICTED IN ADVANCE. HOW CAN CHANGES IN THE FEET INTERFERE WITH THE LIFE OF AN EXPECTING MOTHER AND HOW TO REDUCE THEM?

The foot also changes

While expecting a baby, a woman's metabolism and hormonal system change, her body weight increases and the body's overall load increases. Hormones that affect skeletal muscle also change. As the concentration of hormones changes, the body's musculature relaxes, joint ligaments become more compliant and flexible, as a woman's body prepares for childbirth for almost the entire nine months. Hormones change the main parameters of the skeleton; as the muscles relax and the weight increases, the axis of the body changes, which the body tries to keep symmetrical and straight. This is an additional load on the muscles, which can also cause changes in the feet. Rapid weight gain during pregnancy can contribute to flat feet and other foot or toe problems. Aleksandra Kozlovski explains that flat feet can be inherited or acquired during life. Because of it, the arch of the foot decreases or disappears, the load on the foot changes. As the ligaments become more compliant, some women's feet change in size and their existing shoes no longer fit. This can be especially observed in the summer, when it is hot and there is an additional load on the body. Some women also experience increased edema, and then their legs appear to be large and swollen. It is difficult to say whether the feet will return to their previous state and the complaints will disappear, because the changes are physiological. It depends on many factors - weight gain, deformation, the woman's hormonal system and how the woman's body reacts and adapts to changes in general. Sometimes it takes a year, sometimes longer, but some women's feet do not return to their previous state.

The most common foot problems can be encountered during pregnancy

Foot warts can appear anywhere on the foot - on the heel, toes, under the free edge of the nail. Some women don't mind them and don't even notice it. If the wart forms in a place where the foot is supported, where there is a greater load, you may feel pain when walking. If there are complaints, it is recommended to visit a podiatrist or a dermatologist and decide together what to do. There are several methods for treating and removing warts (for example, wart freezing, laser treatment can also be performed during pregnancy), so when choosing a method, both the time of pregnancy and the location of the wart are usually taken into account. Since warts are related to stress, immunity, lack of vitamins, it is possible that they will recur even after treatment. Therefore, you should not worry about warts, especially if they do not bother you and you are in the last months of pregnancy. Once the baby is born, the warts can be removed. If the wart bothers you, hurts or expands and multiplies, you should definitely see a doctor. You can try to eliminate the wart yourself, for example, using pus. You can also buy plant-based preparations for eliminating warts in cosmetic stores, but it remains to be seen whether folk remedies will be effective enough. As the load on the foot in the shoe changes, calluses may occur - circumscribed thickenings in the stratum corneum of the skin. Most often, they are formed on the toes or in areas of the feet that are exposed to pressure and friction for a long time. Expectant mothers complain more often about corns, because they form a hard core that irritates and presses, thus causing unpleasant sensations. If the corn is painful, you can go to a podiatrist, who removes it by treating the thickened skin. In order to prevent the formation of corns again, it is advisable to use protective rings of silicone or other material, which are placed on the toe and which reduce the pressure and friction of the shoes. Patches for eliminating corns are also available in pharmacies, but as the podiatrist emphasizes, you should be careful with them. Applying the patch incorrectly or too often can result in a chemical burn - the finger becomes painful, swollen, and can also become inflamed.

Thickening, walking on the foot, heels, toes, which most often occur when wearing shoes that do not match the shape of the foot, also due to an increase in body weight. For example, if you wear shoes with very high heels, the greatest load is on the front part of the foot, where as a response to irritation, thickening is formed. Thin shoe soles and narrow toes also contribute to the formation of calluses. Thickenings can be treated both by a podologist and by the mother-to-be herself, regularly, once every three to four weeks, filing away one third of the visible thickened skin. The main thing is a gradual approach - do not try to remove a lot at once. Also, the podiatrist reminds that the foot should be treated with a pumice stone or foot file dry or by soaking the feet for a short time, about five to seven minutes. When treating a dry foot, you can feel the limit when it is enough, because unpleasant sensations appear, but if the foot is soaked, the upper layer of the skin is soaked, you can remove more than you should. After the treatment, the foot should be pampered with foot cosmetics, chosen according to the skin type, taking into account whether the feet are wet, sweaty or dry. If cosmetics are not used, the skin becomes drier, stretches and there is a possibility that cracks will appear. Interestingly, changes can occur during pregnancy, and for example, a previously dry foot becomes wet, sweaty, or vice versa towards the end of pregnancy. The reasons for cracked heels during pregnancy can be hormonal changes, varicose veins, significant weight gain, deformation of the feet, as well as improper treatment of the feet. Proper foot care, regular application of creams, healing ointments, and foot relief help solve this problem. During pregnancy, some women experience leg or foot cramps.

It is usually associated with a lack of trace elements, such as magnesium, potassium, in the body. Their cause can also be venous insufficiency. If you use complex pregnancy vitamins, these problems disappear. Also, the expectant mother should always remember to drink enough fluid - it not only reduces swelling, but also prevents increased cramps. Sometimes the difficult blood circulation of the foot tissues, sweating of the feet can reduce the protection of the skin and nails against nail fungus. Then you can go to a podiatrist and have your feet and nails treated. Pronounced fungus is usually treated with medication, so more serious treatment of nail fungus is postponed for a later time. It is recommended to wear comfortable shoes, after consulting a doctor, you can apply local products - varnishes, creams.

Some shoes, some feet

Due to both weight changes and joint ligament compliance, it is preferable to wear shoes that fix the foot as much as possible while expecting a baby. Therefore, shoes with a firmer arch that supports the foot so that it does not tilt are recommended. At the same time, shoes should be comfortable and loose so that they do not squeeze the toes, preferably made of natural material, such as leather. Shoes made of synthetic material cause more sweating. Of course, everyone chooses shoes that are comfortable for her, especially if her feet swell, sweat and she can't really put anything on. However, from the point of view of foot health, completely heelless, flat-soled shoes are not recommended, as the foot needs support. Therefore, shoes with a heel of three to four centimeters are recommended. It is also not recommended to wear slip-ons, as they do not have a locking part and the foot is less protected. When walking, the sole hits the heel, and this can provoke heel cracks. If you do choose slip-ons without straps, you should not forget to treat the skin of the feet and use an appropriate cream to keep the skin supple and soft.

Insoles, feet, orthoses made of silicone, felt or other material, which can be purchased in a wide range of pharmacies, can reduce discomfort and foot problems. •

An idea!
A compress-type procedure can maximally nourish and moisturize the skin of the feet - apply a thick layer of cream on the feet, wrap it in cling film, put on socks and keep it. About 15-30 minutes, so that the cream is deeply absorbed into the cracked, dry skin. After that, the excess cream is cleaned off.

Foot care for the new mother

• After each wash, especially if the toes are tightly closed, it is recommended to dry between the toes with a towel so that no water or soap residue remains in them.

• Afterwards, it is preferable to treat the feet with a cream suitable for the skin type, it is especially important to do this if there is dry, thickened, cracking skin. The cream should be used at least once a day.

• If the feet are wet and sweaty, creams or sprays are recommended, which reduce sweating and create a fresher feeling, nourish the skin of the feet.

• It is recommended to wear natural material such as cotton, socks and shoes suitable for the foot that do not press or rub, leaving high heels only for festive occasions.

My Little, Dace Rudzite