Tingly Feet During Pregnancy - Is It Dangerous? Reasons & Cures

Pregnancy can almost feel as if you’re not in control. Your emotions are sent out of whack, tiger stripes are the new fashion and your breasts have doubled in size. The typical joys of pregnancy can become overwhelming but tingling feet during pregnancy isn’t always a symptom that has its own spotlight. So why are your feet not your own all of a sudden?

What’s Causing Tingly Feet During Pregnancy

Tingly feet while pregnant are quite the norm for expectant moms nearing the third trimester. Hormones like Relaxin allow for ligaments and muscles to become almost elasticated to house your growing baby, coupled with the extra weight these ligaments are placed under pressure from swelling which can pinch and compress nerves in your legs leaving you with the uncomfortable tingling sensation.

Less Talked About Symptoms of Pregnancy

Losing the sensation to feel in your hands or feet can be worrying not to mention uncomfortable. When you have pins and needles in your feet your mind may turn to your circulation, is there a blockage? Will I get the feeling back?

The anxiety of it all can be extreme especially if you are not the only one to worry about. Being an expectant mom can be exhausting in itself with the wonderful mirage of symptoms so experiencing a dead feeling in your limbs is the last thing you wish to worry about.

Before you turn to panic mode thinking your feet are one step from falling off, continue reading whilst we unveil exactly what is happening to tingly feet during pregnancy and explain when it’s best to get a medical opinion.

What Causes Numb Feet During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy foot numbness can be a common symptom of pregnancy. It is not up there with the morning sickness but it can make your simple daily tasks difficult. As with your other pregnancy symptoms, hormones are the main culprit for the tingling feeling you are getting in your toes. The main game changer is called Relaxin. This hormone is responsible for loosening your ligaments and joints helping your body stretch as you progress through pregnancy and preparing you for the birth of your baby.

Changes in your posture also have a part to play. If you have been pregnant before or are experiencing pregnancy for the first time you will agree that the pregnancy waddle and back arch is not something that is forced, it just comes naturally to us beautiful moms. As you waddle like a duck and work hard to keep your forever growing belly from dragging on the ground you may not realize that this can impact your nerves. This in turn can cause them to become compressed and pinched leaving you with a tingle down to your toes.

Common sense then leads us to believe that the more you progress in pregnancy the heavier your bump becomes which in turn puts extra pressure on your nerves and muscles which can also impact the severity of numbness you may be experiencing.

Symptoms

If you’re subjected to nerve compression, then the main symptom you can experience is feeling pins and needles in your feet during pregnancy. This can present itself at any time during the day or night but you may find it is more prominent if sat in a certain position or if you’re using repetitive movements.

Other sensations may include:

Burning up and down the legs
Painful to move your feet.

Typically we would expect for you to experience nerve tingles toward the end of your second trimester as this is when your belly begins to pop but many women may find it starts earlier or later.

I can remember my belly popping almost overnight during my first pregnancy. I can sympathize with you that completing the usual chores became almost impossible. Then around twenty seven weeks I experienced the nerve tingling for the first time. At the start, I was scared I thought that there was something trapped or blocked but after moving around it seemed to stop. I soon came to notice that this was the first of many experiences where my feet would not feel like they belonged to me. I mean I couldn’t see them so why should I feel them right?

Needless to say, I soon learned that it was my body’s way of telling me to move or change position and it just became as annoying as my morning sickness.

Conditions

There are many nerve tingling conditions associated with pregnancy. Two which are common are Sciatica and Meralgia Paresthetica.

Sciatica

This is an extremely common cause of why you may be experiencing numbness and tingling in your lower back, legs, and feet.

The sciatic nerve runs from your spine down through your buttocks and to your thighs. Compression of this nerve in any form can prove to be extremely painful for some.

Episodes, where the sciatic nerve is compressed, can also include:

Burning
Aching
Numbness on one or both sides
Muscle weakness

Meralgia Paresthetica

Despite Sciatica being the most common, Meralgia Paresthetica can also have similar symptoms. Rather than your sciatic nerve, the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is compressed meaning that the same symptoms can occur. Other symptoms may include:

Stabbing pains in the legs
Aching in thighs which can spread to knees
Numbness
Pins and needles

(Reference- mayoclinic.org)

Treatments

Feeling pins and needles in your feet often during pregnancy isn’t always as bad as it may seem. Usually gentle stretches and changing position can help alleviate symptoms. Look at the list below for other ways to help with treatments.

Soaking in the bathtub
Massage
Vary positions, especially when sleeping
Heat therapy
Physical therapy

Treatment for a specific diagnosis of Sciatica and Meralgia Paresthetica is generally the same.

Is It Dangerous?

Having a lack of feeling in your feet isn’t classed as dangerous for you or baby as such.

Once you have had your baby fluid levels will return to normal and it will be the quickest twenty plus pounds of weight you will ever lose meaning you will soon get the feeling back in your feet.

The only time to worry is if you’re off balance. Thanks to Relaxin, your center of gravity has already shifted meaning you are more likely to stumble or fall, add in numb feet into the equation and it could be a recipe for disaster.

When To Seek Doctor’s Advice

Asking a doctor’s advice may feel as if you are overreacting especially when it’s as typical as pins and needles, however if you find your feet falling asleep during pregnancy no matter how often you should highlight it to your doctor.

Preeclampsia is known to have tingling limbs in its list of symptoms alongside dizziness, high blood pressure, blurred vision, extreme nausea and severe headaches so it is always best to check out any new niggle or pain.

Wrapping Up

Having tingling feet during pregnancy is a very typical symptom. For most women nerves can become compressed and pinched by the volume of water being retained in the body, the added weight bearing on muscles and of course your hormones.

Pregnancy safe medication can help you cope with any pain but it won’t have an impact on lessening the numbness or pins and needles.

The good news is that after you deliver your baby you can expect to regain the full working use of your feet once more proving that it was your little bundle of joy causing all the havoc on your nerves.

Tingly Feet During Pregnancy – Is It Dangerous? Reasons & Cures