# Edema/leg swelling after birth



## Mama Dragon (Dec 5, 2005)

Long birth story short, I had a great UC homebirth on Friday followed by a very short trip to L&D to get stitched up. On the ambulance ride, they started an IV fluid and at the hospital, antibiotics were added to it.

So Saturday evening, I notice my ankles are swelling. Today, they're swelling a bit more, and when I press into it, the dent stays for just a brief moment. My dad has heart disease and diabetes, so I'm well versed in what edema looks like, but my blood pressure is fine, not really anything else 'wrong', just some seriously sore muscles.

I'm drinking and peeing normal...maybe not quite as much as I should be with breastfeeding, but still a good amount.

I'm assuming the IV fluids backed up my kidneys and with all the birth stress, my body just needs some time to clear things out. When should I worry about this? I've never in my lfe had edema or swelling like this, even after 3 hospital births.


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## Triciabn (Nov 6, 2005)

I don't know what to tell ya... I had the same thing happen to me after my 3rd birth...It took a few days before I could see bones in my foot. The swelling was worse then I had ever experienced with a pregnancy let alone AFTER a pregnancy. I was concerned... but it eventually went away.
Congrats on the UC.
Tricia


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## Katana (Nov 16, 2002)

My bladder was squished pretty weirdly for the last two weeks of my last pregnancy. My feet swelled up the day before I had dd, and were still swollen after birth.

The doctor told me that as soon as my bladder moved back to where it should be (I guess my uterus and it were jockeying for position), the swelling would go away.

I drank a ton of water, cranberry juice and apple juice, and by two days after birth, my feet looked like they should.

I'll just say what I was told, drink, drink, and drink some more.

And if you're having problems peeing, from swelling, or soreness, I found that running the faucet while I sat there helped.

I never had anything like this for my other pregnancies, either.


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