Why pregnant woman should ditch flipflops this summer.

 

As the weather improves (we hope) the Osteopath in me gets more and more irate when I see pregnant women wearing flipflops.  I’ve had kids, I’ve been pregnant in the hot summer months, I get it – flipflops are easy, slip on and keep you cool.  BUT PLEASE DON’T DO IT! I’ll tell you why ………

 

During pregnancy a hormone called relaxin is produced. It is vital in the preparation for birth, it relaxes the ligaments in the pelvis and softens the cervix. The problem is relaxin effects all the ligaments in your body, including your feet.

 

Ligaments help maintain the arch in your feet so when these ligaments relax, coupled with increased weight of pregnancy, the feet have a tendency to flatten.  Hence the increased importance of wearing shoes that provide arch support. Flipflops are completely flat so encouraging this arch flattening.

 

Many women report their feet ‘grew’ during pregnancy but actually they just flattened and spread due to the lack of arch support.

 

Plenty of summer sandals exist that do have arch support, so use the opportunity to go shopping and get some supportive summer shoes (and please bin the flip flops!)  You’ll thank me in Autumn when you still fit in your pre-pregnancy winter boots!

 

For information about how osteopathy can help reduce pain in pregnancy visit our website or speak to one of the team on 01202 890044.