hands & feet swollen/bloated - 34 weeks along, normal?

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It was for me. Propping them up when not on them helped, do not wear tight shoes this seems to make it worse for me.

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if they are excessively swollen it could be a sign of pregnancy induced high blood pressure/preeclampsia which can cause premature birth. you should have your blood pressure taken asap.

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Yes, unfortunalty. I am 35+ weeks and I no longer have ankles and feet. My hands, thankfully, havent been swollen but I do have a little while to go. So, yeah, its normal and not pretty but it will get better. Good luck to you.

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Sounds like time to put your feet up and relax. You won't have the opportunity to do it for a while.

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What you're experiencing is called oedema, which results from the extra blood you've acquired during your pregnancy. What happens is, your growing uterus puts pressure your veins. That slows down circulation and causes blood to pool. Pressure from the trapped blood forces water down into the tissues of your feet and hands. That water is fluid that would normally be in your body but is simply displaced. Sometimes pregnant women also retain excess water, which adds to the swelling. You can do some things to help with this such as:--Elevate your feet when possible. At work, it helps to keep a stool or pile of books under your desk; at home, try to lie on your left side when possible. --Put on waist-high support tights before you get out of bed in the morning, so blood has no chance to pool around your ankles. --Drink plenty of water. Surprisingly, keeping hydrated helps your body retain less water. --Eat well, and avoid sodium and salty foods like olives and salted nuts.

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Yes its normal! I had it with my first pregnancy and here's what my doctor told me to do..If you have to wear panty hose to work, get you some good supportive maternity panty hose and sit with your legs up on the wall while you lay on your back for about 5 minutes.. this keeps your feet from swelling as badly during the day...When you get home at night, put your feet up as much as possible and you can also try to soak your feet to just help them feel better (just regular water, no epsom salt).Cut back on as much salt as possible.. Someone asked once before if Gatorade is good to drink during pregnancy.. NO.. It contains alot of sodium in it because when you sweat while working out you excrete mainly sodium in your sweat. So its got a whole lot of salt in it... Salt makes you retain water which makes the swelling 10 times as bad...Drink as much water as possible.. This was the hardest thing for me to do cause I dont drink much to begin with (water, tea, soda or anything, i just cant drink as much as recommended by doctors) so this could be hard for you as well. Keep some bottled water in your fridge so you can grab it quick to keep yourself hydrated...At your next doctor's visit make sure your doctor takes a look at your feet to see if the swelling is severe.. If you are at 34 weeks I believe you are starting to go every 2 weeks now (if I recall correctly) so chances are you have a doctors appointment right around the corner...Good luck!

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I am 37 weeks and I am experiencing the same problem...I thought there might be something wrong as well, but when I called my Dr. yesterday she said as long as my blood pressure was normal it was okay. She also said to watch my salt intake because too much salt in your diet can make it worse!

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