How to massage edema during pregnancy and pay attention to diet and rest

Edema during pregnancy is a problem that more than half of pregnant mothers will encounter. The severity varies. Some only have mild edema in the feet, while others even have edema all over the body. Edema is very uncomfortable. Is there any way to relieve this symptom? Can it be relieved by massage? How to massage? Pregnant mothers, follow the editor to learn together.

How to massage edema during pregnancy

1. Rub the soles of your feet to warm them up. First, wash your feet with warm water. After drying your feet, cross one leg over the other, with the soles of your feet facing the opposite side. Use your left hand to rub the sole of your right foot and your right hand to rub the sole of your left foot. Finally, rub in circles until they become warm.

2. The thumb tip pressure method is to first bend the thumb joint into a right angle on the pregnant woman's foot skin. The focus should be about two or three millimeters away from the center of the nail tip. Press vertically with force, then remove the pressing force, relax the fingers, and straighten the fingers parallel to the pregnant woman's skin. In this way, one action is completed.

3. Leg massage 1. The expectant mother can take a comfortable supine position, and the expectant father gently holds his wife's knees with his left hand and his wife's ankles with his right hand; maintaining this position, the expectant father makes circular movements on the knee joints.

Identify 3 types of swelling

Expectant mothers must first learn to distinguish what kind of "swelling" it is. We have divided the "swelling" that expectant mothers generally think of into three categories to make it easier for everyone to understand.

1. The "swelling" of being overweight means that the expectant mother has a big appetite, a comprehensive nutrition, and does not effectively control her weight. In the late pregnancy, she gains a lot of weight. Such expectant mothers only need to pay attention to their diet and not gain too much weight.

2. Physiological edema is mainly caused by uterine compression. The enlarged uterus will compress the blood vessels from the heart through the pelvis to the legs. Poor blood and lymph circulation and poor metabolism lead to fluid accumulation in the leg tissues, which usually occurs below the ankles or knees. Usually, pregnant women do not have obvious symptoms when they get up in the morning, but after standing for a long time during the day and reducing activity at night, the symptoms of edema will be more obvious before going to bed at night. And the edema is in different parts at different times of the day. If you raise your feet for 1 hour, the edema in the legs and ankles will be reduced. The weight gain of the expectant mother is normal and will not increase suddenly. Her blood pressure is within the normal range, and there is no urine protein in the urine test during the prenatal examination. Since physiological edema generally does not have adverse effects on the fetus, and this edema will heal itself after delivery, expectant mothers do not need to worry too much.

3. Morbid edema is mostly caused by diseases, such as pregnancy toxemia, kidney disease, heart disease or other liver diseases. These diseases will not only affect the body of the expectant mother to varying degrees, but also harm the health of the fetus. And the symptoms of morbid edema are not only present in the lower limbs, but also in the hands, face, abdomen, etc. If you press the skin lightly with your hands, the skin will often show sunken, inelastic, dark blue skin color, etc. If the expectant mother encounters pathological edema, she needs to seek medical treatment in time and seek help from a doctor. Because edema may cause nerve compression, sometimes it will cause numbness on the outside of the thigh, tingling in the fingertips, or loss of sensation.

How to prevent edema during pregnancy

First, pay attention to sufficient rest time.

Some pregnant mothers still insist on working after pregnancy, but in the late pregnancy, it is best not to go to work, but to rest more and ensure sufficient rest time. Don't put too much pressure on yourself because of work, and don't be too nervous because of the approaching delivery. If you insist on working, it is best to rest for about an hour after each meal and sleep for nine hours every night.

Second, don’t stand or sit for too long.

Nowadays, some office workers sit in front of computers at work all the time. In the third trimester, it is best to move around more to avoid edema in the third trimester. If possible, put a small stool under your feet when you are working, which can relieve and prevent leg edema. It mainly relieves venous blood accumulation in the legs. Properly raising your feet can relieve edema. Also, don't cross your legs when sitting, as this will squeeze the baby. You can stretch your legs frequently or walk around.

Third, choose a pair of shoes that are more comfortable and suitable for you.

Pregnant mothers all know that they cannot wear high heels when they are pregnant, especially in the late pregnancy. They should choose a pair of larger and more comfortable shoes. It is best not to compress or squeeze their feet to ensure that blood flow is not obstructed and cause edema.

Fourth, don’t wear tight clothes.

How to prevent edema during pregnancy Generally speaking, women will choose loose clothes after pregnancy, instead of tight clothes, because tight clothes will make the blood circulation of the body unsmooth, which can easily cause edema. Therefore, pregnant mothers should keep loose clothes in their daily life.

5. Don’t eat food that is too salty.

If you take in too much salt during pregnancy, it will easily lead to sodium accumulation in the body, causing edema in the lower limbs. Therefore, during pregnancy, it is best for pregnant mothers to eat a light diet and not eat too much salt, which can effectively prevent edema.

6. You can do more massage in daily life.

Massage is the best way to promote blood circulation and is more suitable for pregnant women to do, which can prevent edema. If the pregnant mother wants to massage her legs but it is inconvenient to bend over, the prospective father should actively cooperate with the pregnant mother and help her do a good job of massage.

7. Eat more protein foods.

Prevention of edema can also start from the usual diet, eat more protein-rich foods, and eat more vegetables and fruits, because vegetables and fruits contain many vitamins, which can help prevent edema

Eating these can relieve edema

1. Red bean water

Red beans are rich in potassium and B vitamins, and have the functions of nourishing the heart and blood, promoting diuresis and drainage, promoting blood circulation and eliminating edema. However, it should be noted that the red beans should not be boiled to pieces when cooking red bean water, and it is not recommended to add sugar for seasoning. It is best to drink it warm to avoid affecting the effect. However, it is not suitable for people with kidney diseases.

2. Carp Soup

Carp is sweet and mild in nature, rich in high-quality protein, easy to digest and absorb, and can help increase blood colloidal osmotic pressure and promote the disappearance of edema.

3. Ginger tea

Ginger is spicy and warm in nature. It can dispel cold, promote peripheral blood circulation, improve metabolism, induce sweating, remove dampness, promote water circulation and reduce swelling.

4. Four Gods Soup

It is made up of Poria cocos, lotus seeds, Chinese yam and Euryale ferox. It has the effects of removing dampness and strengthening the stomach and intestines. It helps to increase the body's water metabolism by improving the spleen and stomach's transportation and transformation functions, thereby achieving the effect of relieving edema. It is suitable for pregnant mothers with relatively poor gastrointestinal digestion function.

5. Winter melon and pork ribs soup

In fact, the part of winter melon that has the effect of reducing edema is the winter melon skin, so you can cook it with the skin. Also, you should note that winter melon is cold in nature, so you can add shredded ginger when cooking to help correct the coldness. People with a cold constitution, such as those who are weak or prone to diarrhea, should not eat too much.

6. Corn silk tea

Corn silk has the function of diuresis and swelling reduction, which can promote the metabolism of excess water in the body and eliminate edema. However, corn silk is also slightly cool in nature, so it is not recommended to eat or drink it excessively.