My pregnant sister has swollen feet and she is in 3rd trimester, how can i help her?

It is common to have edema or swollen feet during pregnancy. Edema is caused due to fluid retention in the body. It can be experienced in many organs of the body. You can let your sister to try to do the following to ease the swollen: -Avoid standing for long periods. -Prop up your feet when sitting and avoid crossing your legs.-Stretch often when sitting for long periods. -Lie on your left side when sleeping. -Put maternity support stockings (that go to your waist) on before getting out of bed in the morning -Drink plenty of water. (This may sound odd, but if your body feels it is dehydrated, it will try to retain even more fluid.) -Swim or stand in a pool up to your neck. -Exercise regularly. http://sg.theasianparent.com/pregnancy-concerns-swollen-feet/ http://kidshealth.org/parent/question/infants/ankles.html

Your sister can - drink more water (prevents the kidneys from thinking that the body is dehydrated and also helps to flush the salt out) - elevate her feet (by resting them on a higher stool) when resting - place a couple of pillows under her feet when sleeping to keep feet elevated - limit her caffeine intake (caffeine is diuretic and also causes dehydration, which will cause the kidney to retain fluid) - limit her salt intake - exercise and keep active I suppose you can help by reminding her to drink more water, elevate her feet, cooking healthy meals (with less salt) and go for walks with her. Great sister bonding opportunities too!

Encourage her to do simple exercises like: 1) bending and stretching her feet up and down 30 times or/and 2) circling each foot one way 8 times and subsequently the same the other way. Aromatherapy might help too. Some essential oils like lavender and camomile can ease the pain and help her relax.

Do give her a foot rub I'm sure she needs that a lot! Walking also helps in blood circulation. You could accompany her for a walk in the park to get some fresh air as well as to relax a little. Do also encourage her to drink more water and refrain from coffee/tea.

thanks