I am 34 weeks preg. How soon after the baby is born, will my water retention go away? My hands and feet hurt

Question

My doctor said I gained about 5 pounds of water weight in 2 weeks. My hands, feet, legs and face are looking pretty swolen. He advised me to try a low sodium diet, to help reduce the water retention. How long will it take to get rid of the water after the baby is born?

Answer 1

For me it went very quickly. By the time I was out of the hospital I could get my shoes back on. I would guess a good week, but you'll be busy recovering first.

Answer 2

I haven't had good luck fighting water retention with low salt, better to increase the water you drink each day and get more exercise, then eat a normal diet. If you aren't consuming enough water it can make you retain water. Also too many simple carbs (breads, rice, pasta). Note..don't eliminate carbs, just get the low value starches out of your diet.

Start walking or swimming or any other exercise that is safe - usually defined for pregnant women as:
not on your back or belly, doesn't require fast rotations of the joints (which rules out tennis), and is low impact.

Running is okay if you are already a runner, otherwise start jog walking and work your way up. Swimming is a favorite for pregnant women because it is no impact and it makes you feel light - something rare as your belly grows!

Yoga and/or pilates, if the class is designed for pregnant women is also an excellent choice.

Adding the exercise will help your energy level too, and keep your weight gain within a healthy limit so you won't have so much to lose.

And now for your original question, it starts to come off immediately. You will lose a lot of the water and baby weight in the first 6 weeks. After that, it will slow down.

Where it goes beyond that depends on you - your diet and fitness regimine.

I had bad water retention with my first, but I had been so sick (morning sickness that lasted the entire pregnancy, colitis and migraines) that exercise just wasn't much of an option. I was more active with the second and third. I faired best with the third one because I worked on my feet and was moving all day.

You can also work out in the gym, just be sure the trainer advises you on what is safe for a pregnant woman.

Again...diet isn't the key, drinking more water and moving is.

Answer 3

Usually, you will notice a difference in a day or two but it can take awhile to lose all your baby weight. Being up on your feet alot during the last weeks of pregnancy can make it worse, especially this time of year. The heat also has a huge affect on water retention. Just increase your water intake and try and keep your feet up.
Do not begin an exercise program at this point in your pregnancy. It is never a good idea to begin a new program during pregnancy. Sure, you can continue with exercise if that is what you have been doing before. But be careful. Talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program, even post-delivery. Low sodium diet does help with the retention as well. It just may not be noticeable at first.
Honey, I am 38 weeks along and my feet and ankles and hands are swelling too. I work as a Labor and Delivery nurse on my feet 13 hours a day. So I totally feel your pain! You will get through it. Contiue to see your doctor for your regular appointments as well. Sometimes if your blood pressure is beginning to get higher your swelling can increase as well.
Good luck to you!

Answer 4

When I was expecting, I had water retention. I found that if my hands and feet swole up, it meant that I wasn't getting enough rest. We can only push our bodies so hard. Are you laying down for most of the day? You should be. Edema is a serious condition.
When you go in to have the baby, hope that they give you the stockings for your legs to keep the water out of them. Those really help. I got them once and once I didn't. The time I didn't the water all went into my feet and lower legs. My feet were so swollen that the tops of them fell over and laid on the floor. Truth is the amount of time that it will take for you to get rid of the water will depend on how quickly your kidneys can process it. A small glass of cranberry juice once a day will help. But take it easy cran juice is powerful medicine, and don't take more than two small glasses a day.

Answer 5

It all depends on your individual body. My water retention went away within a couple of days to a week after giving birth. Also I had one pregnancy with no water retention. My doctors suggested, yes low sodium diet, but also drink lots and lots of water. The water will flush your system, cranberry juice will help too. But mostly drink lots and lots of water. Stay off your feet during the hottest parts of the day, sometimes a cool bath will help. It did for me. You should hopefully be seeing a reduction in the swelling from the water retention soon after giving birth. For some reason, water retention is more common during the summer than during the winter. Good luck!

Answer 6

my feet were so swollen you couldn't even see my ankle bones first thing in the morning after being off them all night, so I feel your pain. It took me a good 2 weeks before I was back to normal and by 3 weeks I had even lost all the pregnancy weight (breastfeeding, major calorie burner!). sounds like a long time, but trust me, it'll go fast. congratulations and good luck!

Answer 7

It just depends, with my first I had a vag. delivery and it went away while I was still in the hospital with him. (I was in for 4 days, but I also had complications.) With my second I was swollen more after my delivery, but he was taken via emergency c-section and they said a little swelling was normal afterwards. It didn't last a real long time though.

Good luck!

Answer 8

For me...it seemed like I had a bit of relief when my water broke, and then it was fine after I delivered my baby.

Answer 9

for me it was 2 weeks after my son was born both times

Answer 10

not very long but it can take about 6-8 weeks before it all goes away