About half of pregnant women experience swelling (“edema”) around their ankles, especially in the last few months of pregnancy. I. Causes of swelling in pregnant women Swelling in pregnant women is caused by the increased pressure on the blood vessels in the legs and the pressure of the growing baby on the large veins in the groin. Water retention also makes swelling more likely to occur. Swelling in pregnant women is usually worse at night than in the morning, when you are standing and the earth’s gravity causes fluid to accumulate at the lowest point of your body and increase edema. Hot weather and fatigue can also make swelling more noticeable. Normal puffiness is usually found only in the feet and ankles, on both feet. If the swelling becomes severe, progresses to the calf and appears as a depression when pressed, if only one leg is swollen, and especially if your calf is red, sore, and thickened, you should all see a doctor because you may have a blood clot. If you are prone to swelling during pregnancy, be prepared that it will also temporarily increase during the first three or four days after delivery. This is because, as your body starts to return to normal, all the excess tissue, blood vessels and fluid that acted during pregnancy now have to be dissolved and excreted through the kidneys. This is the reason why you have to urinate a lot after delivery. However, since your kidneys cannot process all the excess water at once, some of the water will accumulate in the tissues of your body before it is excreted with urine. Second, prevention of swelling in pregnant women Although it is unlikely that a pregnant woman will be able to avoid some swelling, there are steps you can take to prevent it from becoming very serious and causing leg pain, skin tenderness, etc. Try to avoid gaining too much weight, eat a balanced diet, and eat less high-fat foods that will make you gain weight. Drink plenty of water to make sure your kidneys are functioning properly so that excess water can be effectively excreted through the urinary system. Eat plenty of foods that help maintain normal kidney function and have a diuretic effect, including celery, bean sprouts, parsley (in small amounts), apples and citrus fruits, in addition to onions and garlic, which also help with circulation. Eating foods rich in natural vitamins C and E will also help, including citrus fruits, green and red peppers, melons, potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, kale, and broccoli. Foods rich in vitamin E include vegetable oils (especially corn, soybean and wheat germ oils), wheat germ, sweet corn, cashews, almonds, corn oil butter, etc. Third, natural remedies for swelling in pregnant women Rest as much as possible and put your feet on a stool so that it is higher than your hips. Don’t stilt your legs because it will restrict blood flow and may also cause blood clots. Sit down and rest whenever you can, and if your job requires you to stand for long periods of time, rotate the weight of your two feet often to improve blood flow. Have your husband gently massage your feet and legs for you, using both hands to massage from your feet to your knees, or you can use some grape seed crude oil. But if your legs are very puffy and holding your skin tight, this may make you feel sore. You can try wrapping your legs with a dark green cabbage leaf to reduce puffiness, but don’t wash the leaf with water, just wipe off the dirt on it. Let the leaf cool in the refrigerator first, then use it to wrap your legs and feet where they swell the most. Once the leaves become wet, remove them and replace them with more cool leaves. The leaves are said to work by drawing out excess water through osmotic pressure, and you can repeat this as many times as needed until you feel more comfortable.