Varicose veins are common condition experienced by more than 40% of pregnant women. The condition is not limited to legs when it appears during pregnancy. You can have swollen veins around the vagina and labia as well.
During the third trimester the condition will most likely deteriorate. During this time you will find both purple spider veins and swollen varicose veins, broken veins or thread veins around your legs. For some patients the condition will be severe and special care would be required. The severity of the condition also increases every time the patient gets pregnant. While it might not have been very visible during the first pregnancy, it would certainly show up in the second one and will be very obvious by the third. However, varicose veins got during pregnancy normally disappear after the baby is born and do not require varicose vein treatment.
Varicose veins during pregnancy are mainly caused due to the female sex hormones. Pregnancy in itself calls for major changes within the body. The changes are triggered by the changing levels of hormone. Levels of progesterone within the body are greatly increased during pregnancy, which cause the blood vessels to relax and subsequently cause the veins to swell. Apart from that, female sex hormones are capable of directly causing broken veins, thread veins and spider veins during pregnancy. The chances of getting varicose veins are greatly increased if you have a history of this condition in your family.
During pregnancy the blood level in the body increases and places extra weight on the veins. Due to the growth of uterus, pressure is also increased on the veins in the pelvic area. The added pressure increases the pressure on the large vein found in the right side of the body known as Inferior vena cava. Overpressure pushes the veins in the legs and cause varicose veins.
While it is impossible to influence the growing uterus or even to change your family history, there are a few things you can do to avoid varicose veins, like keeping your legs elevated as much as possible during pregnancy and making sure that you get pregnant when you have a healthy weight.