During my two pregnancies, I managed to sidestep many not-so-great side effects that many expectant moms face. Varicose veins, however, turned out to be inescapable?and I was filled with dread when I first noticed those blue and purple bulges on my calves.
Varicose veins are swollen veins near the surface of the skin. They can be sore to the touch, itchy and make your legs feel tired and achy: symptoms that can get worse if you?ve been on your feet for a long time. Some women don?t experience the symptoms at all, but they still have to deal with those less-than-lovely lines on their legs.
While they?re common in the calves, they can travel up the leg and even beyond (yep?much higher than most women realize). Halifax obstetrician Jillian Coolen explains that they can even appear in the vulvovaginal area. ?Some women experience pressure or a bulge in their vulva and don?t know what it is. The answer is varicose veins.? They don?t impact vaginal births, but can cause the same soreness women experience in their legs. Even before pregnancy, the veins in our lower bodies are working against gravity to return blood to the heart, and once you?re pregnant, the hormone progesterone causes blood to pool down there. As your baby grows, your uterus compresses some of the blood flow returning to the heart, leading to an increased risk of varicose veins. Each pregnancy puts you at greater risk, and older moms are more prone. You?re also more susceptible if a family member is a varicose-v...