Swelling During Pregnancy (Manas)

I am on my 8 months of pregnancy and I noticed that my feet are starting to swell. It is commonly known here in the Philippines as "manas" or "pamamanas." They said its normal for pregnant woman so I decided to do some research about it. It is not painful but I makes my feet look ugly.

This is not myfeet, just got it off the internet :-)

It can occur anytime throughout your pregnancy but it is most common during the trimester. It is known as "edema." This happens during pregnancy because the amount of fluid in our body doubles to support the proper development of the baby and makes the body more flexible expand to baby's growth. If swelling includes headache, blurred vision, abdominal pain, dizziness better consult a doctor.

Some reliefs for edema:

• drink plenty of water
• sleep on your left side to improve blood circulation
  
• keep your feet elevated when sitting down or lying down
• do not cross your legs
• take regular breaks from sitting and standing
• avoid consuming excess salt
• stretch your legs frequently while sitting

Good news, this swelling will subside usually two week after giving birth.