Although swollen ankles can be a sign of pre-eclampsia, it is usually just one of the many lesser discomforts of pregnancy.
If your midwife of doctor is at all concerned about pre-eclampsia, their mind and yours will be put at rest with a quick urine sample (routinely check regularly throughout your pregnancy).
Most likely, you simply have swollen ankles, or, if you want to sound more scientific, ‘oedema’.
What is oedema?
This is a swelling due to excess fluid building up, causing your ankles or legs (usually) to appear as if they have been inflated. It can be only a minor swelling or seem to look very bad. It affects as many as three-quarters of all pregnant women at some point during pregnancy (and sometimes for a brief time after the birth, espcially if you have needed surgery requiring you to stay in bed).
Most usually, women don’t notice it coming on until they sit down at the end of the day, put their feet up and see these Nora Batty ankles staring back at them!
It most usually appears more if you have been on your feet for a long time or it is a hot day. It might well not appear until you reach the end of the day.
How can it be treated?
If you have swollen ankles, the best thing is to put your feet up and rest. If you are sitting on the sofa (making sure you and your bump are supported well so you don't get a stiff back), put your feet on a pillow on the sofa so they are slightly raised.
Keep up your fluids. This is advisable on any hot day, but drinking water helps flush your system through and can actually help to guard against water retention. (Drink it steadily through the day rather than over-filling in one sitting.)
Reduce your salt intake, especially on hot days.
Try to avoid tight-fitting shoes and hosiery. Some women find pregnancy support tights may actually help to keep the swelling at bay but discuss this with your doctor or midwife.
If the swelling does not go down overnight or after a few hours and is affecting your hands and/or face, call your midwife or doctor. Again, it might just be swelling due to heat, but they can quickly check to ensure pre-eclampsia is not an issue.
