Sausage Cankles: Dealing With Pregnancy Edema

Maybe you can't tell by looking, but I can. The picture to the left shows my ankles after I put them up for over an hour. Yes, that means they aren't as swollen as they were when I put them up originally.

Originally I felt like I had a mild case of elephantiasis. My ankles, normally slender and lovely, had become enormous ghastly things. Of course (lucky me) this wasn't the only area affected - in fact my entire legs were swollen. My knees actually looked fat. When I touched them, I couldn't help but be reminded of those wretched "water baby" dolls developed in the 1990s.

Yes. Gross.

Some people might say I need to watch out - that I'm probably going to develop preeclampsia or some such thing. So far my blood pressure has been blessedly low, so that's *really* unlikely. However, it has been hot. I haven't been drinking enough water (because of the heartburn issue) and I do ingest caffeine (What can I say? Everyone has a vice, though I do limit my consumption.). I do eat a fair amount of salt (though I don't add it to food). Plus working at the school, I'm standing a lot.

I don't think this is a recipe for skinny ankles.

The result is now I have to force myself to drink more water. I have to stretch my feet and walk around every so often. I have to make sure I don't cross my legs when I'm sitting (Which honestly, feels weird to do now anyway, so it's not going to be much of a hardship.). I need to exercise a little more consistently (which I want to do anyway because it gives me more energy).

All that should help. And if it doesn't? Well, at least it's temporary. It's definitely temporary. It will go away once kiddo is born. I've been promised by multiple sources it's temporary [bites lip in concern as she stares at fat ankles].

It seems this temporary thing is becoming my new mantra. Now if only I genuinely believed it...