What Causes Swelling In The Lower Limbs During Pregnancy?

Posted on Thu, 8 Sep 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 8 Sep 2016 Answered on

Wed, 28 Sep 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : Hello Doctor ,
Its for my wife , we are expecting baby and my wife is in her 8th month of pregnancy , due date is 1 Nov

My wife is having swelling in her both legs from past two weeks , is it ok

> - After how many day of delivering Baby my wife can travel by train with Baby to my hometown

Answered by Dr. Sameer Kumar (53 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
swelling can be secondary to high blood pressure...gestational hypertension

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for the query to HCM,
Swelling in both lower limbs especially ankles is often associated with high blood pressure of gestational hypertension, hypoalbuminemia or prolonged standing leading to stasis of blood.
If blood pressure is also high then she needs medical intervention to prevent any chances of pre-eclampsia and have to be started on anti-hypertensive like labetalol soon. Urine proteins would have to be checked.
Please visit your gynecologist for a check up and also get a foetal ultrasound for growth parameters. If pre-eclampsia sets in then chances are that baby may have to be delivered early if the swelling progresses to the whole body.

Secondly , if she undertakes a vaginal delivery then after 4 weeks she would be fine to travel home by train and baby would also be a month old with all vaccinations over by then.
Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar