Do Your Feet Get Bigger During Pregnancy?
Uh oh, can my feet get bigger from being pregnant? In a word …yes!
Not every woman’s feet get bigger during pregnancy but about 50-75% of women will experience about a half size larger after pregnancy.
Why is that?
It has to do with your arches flattening out just a little. You might think that weight gain would be a contributor but it actually comes from the production of the hormone called ‘relaxin’, which is 10 times more concentrated when a woman is pregnant.
Here’s what happens. Having a baby requires several parts of your body to expand. In order for you body to prepare itself for this expansion process, it releases the ‘relaxin’ hormone. As its name implies, ‘relaxin’ helps ‘relax’ certain joints and ligaments in preparation for your baby to pass through the birth canal. This loosening isn’t limited to just your pelvis or your ribcage, it can also expand the ligaments in your feet as well.
Don’t confuse getting bigger feet with swollen feet during pregnancy. Swollen feet or edema is fairly normal because your body retains more water during pregnancy. This swelling is most often an issue during the third trimester, particularly at the end of the day. It may be worse during the summer.
You should be concerned if you experience swelling in your face, hands or excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles. This could be a sign of preeclampsia, a serious condition. Women who suffer from preeclampsia that don’t respond to treatment often require a c-section.
What can I do to prevent getting bigger feet?
Unfortunately it comes with the territory. Things like wearing arch supports and watching your weight might help but they’re probably more likely to offer a psychological benefit than anything else.
The moral of the story? Don’t buy new shoes until after baby is born.
There is a bright side …the increase in size is so minimal, no one but you will really notice! 
You May Also Find These Interesting...
oh no! I was afraid of that.
my mother-in-law is 5’1” and wears a size 10. She had 5 kids. maybe thats why?
This seems very odd to me: My identical twin sister and I have each had three children. She had her children in her 20s; while, I had my children in my 30s. We were exactly same height and same shoe size. After having kids… she now wears size 7 shoes. I still wear size 6 — no increase at all. This makes no sense to me, except that she did weigh a bit more than me.
Hi Martha, I’m not sure there is an explanation for that one. Even though you are identical twins everyone’s body reacts to weight and changes differently. You might want to consider that when you gain weight, your feet do too. It might not be by much but it can be enough to bring you up one shoe size.
If you’re pregnant and you already wear a size 10 or 11, you can check out a large size shoe blog for women with large size feet called Your Feet Make You Unique. You’ll find really cute shoes in sizes 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. Great place to feel better about the size of your feet and shop for really cute shoes for your growing feet.