No Fat Feet!!

So I have a good friend who just told me that she's pregnant for the first time, and it's bringing back many memories of my pregnancy. One of the things she asked me about was the effect of pregnancy on your feet... A very good question.

First of all, you do know that there is a decent chance that your feet will PERMANENTLY grow a half size or more while you're pregnant, right? Yikes! I already wear size 11, so that was not an option. So I set out to prevent foot growth. According to my totally unscientific theory, if you can prevent swelling, you can keep wearing your normal shoes, and therefore keep your feet in their normal shape.

Based on my theory, I followed these FIVE STEPS to prevent swelling:

1. Drink lots of water (keeps your body flushed out and reduces water retention)
2. Wear shoes with good support for your feet (lace-up tennies work)
3. Walk
4. Walk
5. Walk

I found that when I walked EVERY day (usually at least two miles), I felt so much better and my feet were so much less swollen. If I skipped even one day, it was so obvious. As a result, I was a pregnant walking fool. In addition to our daily 2-mile walks, we went for 5-mile walks pretty often on the weekends, including one about a week before my little man was born. We even went for a 1-mile walk while I was in labor (with little stops for contractions). And I am proud to report that my large feet are not even larger following my pregnancy! Clearly proof that my FIVE STEPS work.