# Ingrown Toenails after Pregnancy



## MRoeber (Sep 13, 2011)

I have lived the first 28 years of my life without ever having an ingrown toenail. In the past two months I have had one side of each of my big toes surgically removed and been on antibiotics twice for infections in smaller toes. Right now I have bandaids on FIVE of my toes, trying to prevent another infection. The podiatrist thinks it's related to my recent pregnancy (my baby is 4 months old) and that it will just stop eventually. Has anyone experienced this? Did it eventually just stop for you? I'm doing all the tricks - cotton under the corners, epsom salt soaks, and while I know I'm not supposed to, I've cut out a few corners that were just SO painful. If anybody has any good tricks, I'd love to hear them, but I'd also really love to hear if anybody else has gone through the same thing and how it worked out. Thanks!


----------



## McGucks (Nov 27, 2010)

Too weird! I went 39 YEARS without ever having one and then had a terribly painful one on my big toe after the birth of my second child. The shots for the procedure to remove it hurt more than I could take and I am desperate to avoid having it again (the nurse was a jerk, too, which didn't help). What is it about pregnancy that could prompt these things? Maybe the swelling?

The infection finally got to be too painful despite anti-biotics, so I did the removal procedure after a couple of months. It eventually grew back worse than it started but has never gotten re-infected, so I am just trying to be very careful about not cutting it too short, wearing loose socks, and I dangle that foot off the end of the bed to avoid pressure.

I always wondered if I had gone to an actual podiatrist for the removal instead of a regular doctor whether it would have gone better (the shots were the incredibly painful part) and whether the outcome (nail growing back in) would have been better.

I am very weird and embarrassed about feet stuff (my dad was a podiatrist, go figure), so it was extra awful for me.

I hope you have success with the soaks and other things you are trying. I am awfully sorry you are having to go through this.


----------



## tdot5 (Dec 27, 2012)

Hello...I see this post is from last year but I am having the very same problem! I'm 28 and never in my life had an issue with nails. Since the birth of my daughter 5 months ago I have been getting awful ingrown toenails. Both my big toes AND the ones beside them. It's like my nails are super thick now and growing outward. I've been to the podiatrist twice where she once cut the nail on an angle to relieve the pressure so the redness/swelling would go away. Then when I want back she told me to put this foam stuff in the corners while it grows out. It doesn't seem to be working. What was your outcome? I'm assuming its my hormones? I'm still breast feeding too. Any advice? I feel like a monster...I just wants cute painted normal toe nails back, lol.


----------



## Natalizza (Dec 16, 2013)

I have the same exact problem; however, never in my life have I had ingrown nails. So, I was trying to figure out what could be the possible reason that all of a sudden my nails have changed. I went thru a check list for myself, as to what has changed and what was different in my life.

These are some facts I could think of when trying to reason my ingrown nail problem: 1. Started after my 2nd pregnancy (I have a 6 month old baby boy). 2. I had very swollen feet during my pregnancy (I am not overweight and had a very balanced diet, though). 3. Never used high heals throughout my pregnancy. 5. Took my prenatals 2 month prior to even getting pregnant, continued throughout pregnancy and stopped recently as a result of ingrown nails, thinking the vitamins made my nails extremely thick. 4. Got my first ingrown nail after pregnancy, after using high heels, when returned to work.

I like wearing high heels, and have always done it. But I can no longer use high heels, play/run/jog in tennis shoes, because I know for a fact after a day or two I can see the swelling on either of my 10 toenails, which is a first sign of an ingrown nail. Open toe sandals are my choice # 1. Thank God I live in Florida! It does interfere with my daily life tremendously. And my next question is: Does anyone else relate to the same or some of the things of my check list? And, is there a remedy for this? I will tell you this, I found out that applying and leaving over night or longer periods of time a piece of aloe plant, with the inside part directly on the ingrown nail, will sooth the pain/soften the skin and help you dig that piece out and cut it yourself without going to the podiatrist, which is what I do every time I get them. It's too painful, but I hate running to the doctor every time it happens.If anyone else experienced it as a result of pregnancy, please post it. It would be great to find out what causes it? Thank you....


----------



## neycie (Jul 31, 2013)

I get them only when I'm pregnant too, but sorry, no clue why. For me what prevents them is filing toenails straight across instead of cutting them, not too short, and keeping the skin around well moisturized.


----------

