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Swollen Feet After Delivery?

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
I delivered 5 days ago and everything went well except that my feet became more swollen than they were before delivery. What could be the reason and could it be serious?

ANSWER

Some women do retain water after delivery, but most urinate it all out. It would be wise to have your blood pressure checked, just to be sure. If it's ok, then increase your protein A LOT and drink buckets of water and keep your feet elevated above your heart (on the end of the couch, like) whenever you can, and hopefully the water will leave you soon. Good luck!

-- Cynthia, CNM

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Cynthia Flynn

Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.