6 Reasons Your Legs Feel Heavier Every Week of Pregnancy
And the One Thing You Can Do About It
by, Allison Comrad Co-Founder
25 weeks pregnant with baby #3. This is my #1 pregnancy hack. You probably think you won't need this or you’ll just deal with it. I did, up until week 30.
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Summary: Swelling, heavy legs and veins that show up out of nowhere are the part of pregnancy nobody puts on the announcement. Here is what is going on, and what thousands of moms (and the nurses who care for them) do about it.
by, Allison
Comrad Co-Founder
25 weeks pregnant with baby #3.
This is my #1 pregnancy hack.
You probably think you won't need this or you’ll just deal with it. I did, up until week 30.
Summary: Swelling, heavy legs and veins that show up out of nowhere are the part of pregnancy nobody puts on the announcement. Here is what is going on, and what thousands of moms (and the nurses who care for them) do about it.
1. It starts before you look pregnant.
Your body is making more blood than it used to, and your veins are doing the extra work. That is why ankles thicken and legs feel heavy around week 17, long before everyone knows you're pregnant.
Check your ankles tonight, after a full day. If there is a sock line, you should check out reason 6.
2. Varicose veins are taking shape long before you see them.
They ache, they itch, they get worse the longer you're on your feet. Extra blood and extra pressure on the veins in your legs is why spider and varicose veins can show up midway through pregnancy, around the same week the ankles do. The truth is they do not always go back to how they were after the baby arrives. If you are somewhere around 17 weeks and something already looks different behind your knee, you are not imagining it and you are not early.
This is the one most people wish someone had told them at week 12.
3. The flight, or the first hot weekend, is where most people find out.
Sitting still, cabin pressure, a change in elevation: this is the day "a little puffy" becomes shoes that will not go back on. Heat does it from the other direction. It widens your veins, gravity fills your feet, and "just put your feet up" stops working by lunchtime. Different cause, same restless evening ahead.
If there is a flight or somewhere warm between now and your due date, plan for your legs the way you plan for the sun.
#6 will help you plan well
Short on time? Jump to the fix
4. Standing and sitting both make it worse.
The advice is rest, elevate, put your feet up. The reality is a job, a commute, a toddler, groceries, and a shift that does not care what week you are in. Swelling builds through the day whether you are standing at a register or sitting at a desk. By evening the shoes are tight, the calves ache, and "put your feet up" is not on the schedule.
Life shouldn't stop. Nobody gets (or wants) to sit down for nine months.
#6 helped me through everyday life.
Life shouldn't stop. Nobody gets (or wants) to sit down for nine months.
#6 helped me through everyday life.
5. Restless legs = Restless nights.
The part nobody warns you about: you finally lie down and your legs will not settle. Restless, twitchy, feet going tingly or falling asleep, a calf that cramps at 2am. You are already up for the bathroom, the heartburn, the hips. This is the one that stops you getting back to sleep.
And it is not a separate problem from the swelling. It is the same legs, at the end of the same day you spent on them. That is the part you can do something about, and it is not at bedtime. It is the twelve hours before it.
Support your legs through the day and the restless nights start to ease.
6. Regular socks won't help, but graduated compression socks will be your best friend.
Regular socks do nothing for circulation. The tight pharmacy pair you tried once is why "compression" sounds like misery. Real compression is measured in mmHg and is tightest at the ankle, easing up the calf, which is what moves blood back up.
Learn all about the socks I wish I had during my first pregnancy and postpartum
1. It starts before you look pregnant.
Your body is making more blood than it used to, and your veins are doing the extra work. That is why ankles thicken and legs feel heavy around week 17, long before everyone knows you're pregnant.
Check your ankles tonight, after a full day. If there is a sock line, you should check out reason 6.
2. Varicose veins are taking shape long before you see them.
They ache, they itch, and they get worse the longer you are on your feet.Extra blood and extra pressure on the veins in your legs is why spider and varicose veins can show up midway through pregnancy. At 17 weeks, something new behind your knee is not your imagination.
This is the one most people wish someone had told them at week 12.
Reason 6 helped me stop them before they started.
3. The flight, or the first hot weekend, is where most people find out.
Sitting still, cabin pressure, a change in elevation: this is the day "a little puffy" becomes shoes that will not go back on. Heat does it from the other direction. It widens your veins, gravity fills your feet, and "just put your feet up" stops working by lunchtime. Different cause, same restless evening ahead.
If there is a flight or somewhere warm between now and your due date, plan for your legs the way you plan for the sun. #6 will help you plan well.
Short on time? Jump to the fix
4. Standing and sitting both make it worse.
The advice is rest, elevate, put your feet up. The reality is a job, a commute, a toddler, groceries, and a shift that does not care what week you are in. Swelling builds through the day whether you are standing at a register or sitting at a desk. By evening the shoes are tight, the calves ache, and "put your feet up" is not on the schedule.
Life shouldn't stop. Nobody gets (or wants) to sit down for nine months.
#6 helped me through everyday life.
5. Restless legs = Restless nights.
The part nobody warns you about: you finally lie down and your legs will not settle. Restless, twitchy, feet going tingly or falling asleep, a calf that cramps at 2am. You are already up for the bathroom, the heartburn, the hips. This is the one that stops you getting back to sleep.
And it is not a separate problem from the swelling. It is the same legs, at the end of the same day you spent on them. That is the part you can do something about, and it is not at bedtime. It is the twelve hours before it.
Support your legs through the day and the restless nights start to ease.
#6 is what the moms below are all talking about.
6. Regular socks won't help, but graduated compression socks will be your best friend.
Regular socks do nothing for circulation. The tight pharmacy pair you tried once is why "compression" sounds like misery. Real compression is measured in mmHg and is tightest at the ankle, easing up the calf, which is what moves blood back up.
Learn all about the socks I wish I had during my first pregnancy and postpartum
Comrad Socks are the better way and the one thing I wish I had in my first pregnancy.
"30 weeks pregnant now and a waitress… the only reason I can still work multiple nights in a row without pain."
Lillian L., verified reviewer
Compression that doesn't feel like compression.
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What moms actually wrote
4.8 stars across 20,000+ reviews sitewide
"I was expecting these to be hard to put on. Not at all."
Christina O., verified reviewer
"One evening/14 hrs of wearing them and no swelling for 2-3 days."
"My legs get very restless in the evenings while I am pregnant and wearing them makes me so much more comfortable."
Jackie M., verified reviewer
"I work as a nurse and was experiencing some edema in my lower legs in my third trimester… larger than average calves and these compression socks were perfect."
"After just 2 days of wearing my socks… I'm down to almost no cramping and sleeping much better"
Jade Ackerman, verified reviewer
Recommended and Trusted by doctors
"As a vascular surgeon who wears compression socks daily in the operating room, I love Comrad for their medical-grade compression, breathability, and comfort. That's why I trust their socks for myself and my patients."
Holly S. Ryan, M.D., Board Certified Vascular Surgeon
across 20,000+ reviews sitewide
verified clinicians on FrontRow MD
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Your shoes fit again by the evening. My shoes fit significantly better with these socks on.
Erin W., tested at 33 weeks, The Bump
The swelling stays down after you take them off. One evening/14 hrs of wearing them and no swelling for 2-3 days.
Lillian L., 5 stars
Shop the Pregnancy 4 Pack
HSA and FSA at checkout, Free Shipping over $85, and a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.
No more restless nights
Most moms feel the difference the first evening.
Four pairs of graduated 15-20 mmHg, the level The Bump tested and the one most moms start with. Four, so there is always a clean pair, which is the difference between wearing them and meaning to.
No more restless nights
Most moms feel the difference the first evening.
Four pairs of graduated 15-20 mmHg, the level The Bump tested and the one most moms start with. Four, so there is always a clean pair, which is the difference between wearing them and meaning to.
$148
$133
Save 10%
Your shoes fit again by the evening. My shoes fit significantly better with these socks on.
Erin W., tested at 33 weeks, The Bump
The swelling stays down after you take them off. One evening/14 hrs of wearing them and no swelling for 2-3 days.
Shop the Pregnancy 4 Pack
HSA and FSA at checkout, Free Shipping over $85, and a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.
The Bump chose Comrad's knee high compression socks as the overall best compression socks for pregnancy, after testing by pregnant reviewers, input from three medical professionals and a survey of over 350 expectant parents.
"I barely noticed them, and I mean that in the best possible way."
Erin W., tested at 33 weeks pregnant, The Bump
The Bump chose Comrad's knee high compression socks as the overall best compression socks for pregnancy, after testing by pregnant reviewers, input from three medical professionals and a survey of over 350 expectant parents.
"I barely noticed them, and I mean that in the best possible way."
Erin W., tested at 33 weeks pregnant, The Bump
Questions moms ask
When should I start wearing them?
Earlier than most people expect. Your blood volume rises from the first trimester and your veins do the extra work, which is why ankles thicken and legs feel heavy around week 17, long before anyone can tell you are pregnant. If there is a sock line at the end of the day, that is the signal.
Comrad also notes that pregnancy can raise the risk of varicose veins and of DVT, deep vein thrombosis, and that boosting circulation helps blood flow back up toward your heart, which can reduce swelling, ease discomfort and lower the risk of blood clots.
Can I wear them all day?
That is exactly how they work best. Put them on in the morning, right after waking, and wear them for the full day. They are built for all day wear, not for a bad hour.
How tight should they feel?
Firm at the ankle, easing as they go up the calf. Supported, not squeezed. They should never pinch, dig in or leave a deep mark. If they do, you are likely in the wrong size band rather than the wrong compression level. Shoe size picks the band and your calf measurement decides standard or wide calf, which is what keeps them up.
Which level do I need, 15-20 or 20-30 mmHg?
15-20 mmHg (Moderate Support) is true medical grade compression for everyday use, and a great level to start with, or if your provider recommends it, 20-30 mmHg level to pregnant women with more extreme swelling or discomfort. If you are late in the third trimester, on your feet for long shifts, or your midwife has already raised it, ask about 20-30. Ask your provider before moving up a level.
Can I sleep in them?
They do their best work during the day. Some moms wear them to bed for restless legs; check with your provider first.
Will they be hard to get on over a bump?
Some moms find it trickier as the bump grows, and some do not. It depends more on size selection than on belly size. Sit down, roll the sock inside out to the heel, place your foot, then unroll up the calf. If they feel tight enough to mark, size into the wide calf band rather than up a size.
What about postpartum?
Postpartum swelling is completely normal, especially in the legs and feet in the first couple of weeks after birth. The socks do the same job while your body resets. Put a pair in the hospital bag.
Can I use HSA or FSA?
Yes. Comrad socks are HSA/FSA eligible, so you can shop with pretax dollars at checkout. There is a full explainer on Comrad's HSA and FSA page.
Four of these differ slightly from your pasted copy, all noted in the README: the DVT paragraph was kept under question 1, "Comrad notes that" and the provider line were added to question 4, the sizing sentence in question 3 was corrected, and question 8 is scoped to Comrad socks rather than all compression socks.
Give your legs the support the rest of you is already giving.
You have about ten weeks where these matter most, and it does not stop at delivery. Postpartum legs need the same help while your body resets. Put a pair in the hospital bag. Free shipping over $85, which the 4 Pack already clears, HSA and FSA cards work at checkout, and there are 30 days to send them back if they are not for you.
Not medical advice. Talk to your provider about swelling that is sudden, one-sided, or accompanied by headache or vision changes.