Women account for 55% of varicose vein patients, and more than half of them discover varicose veins during pregnancy and after the birth of a baby. Scientific studies have proven that the relationship between pregnancy and varicose veins is relatively clear. Although pregnancy itself does not directly cause varicose veins, the hormonal changes during pregnancy and the increased pressure in the abdominal cavity both contribute to the development and occurrence of varicose veins. Why are pregnant mothers more likely to develop varicose veins? Hormonal changes occur in the body during pregnancy – this is the most important factor. After a woman becomes pregnant, the ovarian corpus luteum secretes progesterone to maintain the pregnancy. It inhibits the contraction of smooth muscles and provides stability to the pregnant uterus. On the other hand, it acts not only on the smooth muscle of the uterus, but also inhibits the contraction of the smooth muscle of the vein wall, causing dilatation of the veins, which, together with other factors, may lead to varicose veins. The slowly enlarging uterus compresses the intra-abdominal veins The enlarged uterus compresses the inferior vena cava and iliac veins, impeding the venous return to the lower extremities and disrupting the valves, which can cause edema and varicose veins in the lower extremities. This effect is especially common in late pregnancy. The compression is more pronounced if the fetus is overweight, or if there is too much amniotic fluid. Weight gain and reduced exercise The rapid weight gain of pregnant mothers becomes a risk factor for the development of varicose veins. In addition, some mothers-to-be are less active during pregnancy and lack the squeezing action of the calf muscle pump to promote venous blood return to the lower extremities. In summary, pregnancy is a high time for women to develop varicose veins, and some studies have shown that the risk of developing varicose veins increases as the number of pregnancies increases. How to prevent varicose veins during pregnancy? 1.Manage pregnancy weight and fetal weight so that they are within the ideal range; 2.Avoid being sedentary and get up every half an hour to rest and move around when working in a seated position; 3.Walk for more than half an hour every day, the squeezing of the calf muscle pump during walking can promote venous blood return to the lower extremities; 4.In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, lying on the left side can help reduce the pressure of the enlarged uterus on the deep veins in the abdominal cavity; 5.For pregnancy For mothers-to-be who have swollen lower limbs and mild varicose veins, it is recommended to use medical compression stockings under the guidance of a doctor. Below: Left lateral position can reduce the compression of the uterus on the inferior vena cava What should I do if I find varicose veins in my lower limbs after pregnancy? Most varicose veins have a slow course and treatment during pregnancy is mainly conservative (refer to the five articles above), and surgery will be considered after the birth of the baby; once acute swelling and pain or bleeding from ruptured varicose veins occurs, you should go to the vascular surgery department of the hospital as soon as possible. How to choose the time to treat varicose veins when they are found before preparing for pregnancy? Many varicose vein patients who are preparing to become pregnant mistakenly believe that they should wait until after they have a baby to treat their varicose veins. However, in 2014 alone, we encountered several cases of varicose veins during pregnancy complicated by large superficial vein thrombosis that necessitated emergency surgery. Therefore women who have been diagnosed with definite varicose veins. Varicose veins in the legs should be treated before pregnancy to avoid problems during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and early surgery is advocated to avoid the risk of superficial vein thrombosis spreading to deep veins in a few patients.