What should be a happy and celebratory time as they prepare to welcome a new baby into the world, can be marred by severe leg pain and swelling, and the development of ugly bulging leg veins. For some women, the pain from their leg veins was so bad that they dread having another baby because they know it will get bad again. The question many women ask is about the best time to seek treatment for venous insufficiency. Should you seek treatment between pregnancies or wait until you're done having children?
In the past, healthcare providers recommended that you wait until you are done having children to have your veins treated and some providers even today may still recommend this. What we know now, for women who had painful vein problems during their pregnancy, there is no reason to be miserable during what should be a positive experience. We also know that when vein problems develop during pregnancy, they will reoccur and worsen over time with subsequent pregnancies. Plus, women who develop a vein condition during pregnancy are more likely to have a recurrence of a vein condition later in life. For women who have had a lot of leg pain and swelling, restless legs, and leg cramps during pregnancy, I recommend treatment after the baby is born so that you don't have to go through more pain with the next pregnancy.
The recommendation to wait to seek treatment until a mother is done having children stems from the old outdated practice of vein stripping. Vein stripping was not well tolerated by patients and is rarely performed these days. New techniques for treating vein reflux are easy and comfortable. Vein treatment won't result in any downtime. For nursing mothers, we recommend pumping breastmilk - "pump and dump" - for 24 hours after treatment.
Many moms, like Amanda below, tell us they have more energy and are able to get outside and play with their children without pain. If you've suffered from a vein condition during pregnancy, there's no reason to wait to seek treatment especially if you are expecting to get pregnant again.
If you have questions or have had problems with your leg veins during pregnancy, contact us for a free vein screening. Don't let leg pain keep you from what should be a positive and enjoyable experience.
