Pregnancy & Veins – Bellingham, WA
Pregnancy Leg Vein Problems affect 20% of pregnant women in Bellingham.
• Your body nearly doubles its amount of blood during pregnancy to meet your baby’s demands. This increases the pressure on your veins.
• Hormones that increase elasticity during pregnancy cause the walls of your veins to stretch and weaken, an effect that can be permanent.
• Your baby’s weight adds stress to your leg muscles and veins.
• Heredity puts some mothers at greater risk.
What are the early signs?
• Swollen, aching feet and legs
• Increased fluid retention
How to prevent vein problems.
Wearing compression stockings is the best thing you can do to prevent vein problems from developing or worsening during pregnancy.
Graduated compression stockings are designed to apply maximum pressure at the ankles with lessening degrees of compression up the leg.
Compression forces the blood from the tiny surface veins back into the deep vein system of the legs so it can be carried back to the heart. This reduces the back flow and pooling of blood in the leg veins.
FREE stockings for expectant and new moms
We are committed to prevention. If you are experiencing discomfort or other early signs of vein problems during or shortly after pregnancy, call our office to schedule a free no-obligation fitting for a complimentary pair of knee high or thigh high stockings of your choice up to a $40 value. Limit one pair per person.
What if I ignore the problem?
Without treatment 50% of women with vein problems during pregnancy will suffer from varicose veins for the rest of their lives. Untreated varicose veins can develop into more serious conditions, such as chronic swelling, aching, phlebitis (inflammation), or skin ulceration.
If you continue to have symptoms following pregnancy, you should schedule an initial consultation and ultrasound diagnosis and discuss the recommended treatment options with Dr. Taylor. Insurance generally applies to the initial diagnostic visit (including ultrasound) and most insurance will cover some treatment options if symptoms are present.