Pregnancy is one adventurous journey with many ups and downs, and I can say this as I have recently completed my adventurous pregnancy journey. On one hand, you get all the attention and pampering from everyone and on the other hand, you have to deal with all the changes in your body. Facial swelling during pregnancy is one of the things which I dealt with during my pregnancy.
Everyone says that swelling during pregnancy is very common, and indeed it is. But when you see the big nose, big lip and even a big cheek, you start to think what did I eat to get all this puffiness on the face? Well, the swelling has nothing to do with your eating.
During pregnancy, everything in our body gets doubled, like more water, more blood etc. and all these extra things lead to facial swelling. You get chubbier until you had to click pics and they are not good enough.
So, let’s enjoy the pregnancy swelling in a controlled way. Check out the tips for reducing facial swelling during pregnancy-
What causes swelling during Pregnancy?
Well, swelling during pregnancy is very common, but have you ever thought what is the reason of the swelling? During pregnancy, our whole body changes, obviously the baby has to accommodate a baby. Everything in our body is at an increased level, be it the blood, hormones, or water level.
During pregnancy, our body water volume increases up to 8 liters, our plasma volume also leaps 30 to 50%. Now, what does our body do with all this increased liquid? Some of them stay in the cell for its better functioning, and some accumulate outside the cell to enhance oxygen delivery.
As we reach the third trimester, our baby has taken up most of the space in our tummy. During this time our body has more than ample amount of blood, which leads to swelling in the face and feet.
Also, the excess fluid in the body gets coupled with increased sodium levels, which contributes to facial swelling.
How to Reduce Face Swelling during Pregnancy?
1. Apply a cold face mask
Cold therapy for the face helps to reduce the swelling of the face. Applying cold pressure on your face reduces the inflammation and hence decreases the face swelling.
Now, for the cold mask, do not apply ice to your face. You can apply a gel-based face mask. Keep the gel pack in the freezer overnight and then apply it to your face. Apply the gel pack for 15 minutes in the morning.
2. Always remove makeup
If you apply makeup on daily basis, always make sure to remove the makeup at night before you hit the bed. Leaving makeup overnight can cause your skin to be inflamed, which results in facial swelling.
3. Avoid hot showers and bath
Well, bathing with warm or lukewarm water helps to compress and promotes fluid circulation, which reduces facial swelling. Anything other than warm can make the facial swelling worse. Heat promotes water retention and can cause excess fluid, which gives you unwanted swelling.
4. Keep your head elevated when you sleep
The typical task during pregnancy is to sleep properly. As you proceed in your pregnancy, there gets a shift in gravity, which can cause imbalance. Gravity plays a great role in facial swelling.
So, whenever you sleep, try to keep your head in an elevated position. For this, you may need some extra pillows or bigger pillows.
5. Sleep on your left side
Sleeping on your left side during pregnancy helps in the proper blood circulation in the body. Even if you are less than 20 weeks pregnant, do not sleep on your belly it contributes to fluid accumulation in the face.
Sleeping on your back or sleeping on your left side is important to reduce edema.
When I was pregnant, during the 8th and 9th months it got difficult for me to sleep properly. I used to get up a lot at night and then use to sleep in a slant position with lots and lots of pillows. Then, I used Pregnancy Pillow, which came as a savior for me.
A pregnancy pillow made sleeping very comfortable and also it removed the pressure from the pelvis.
6. Use Cotton Bedding
Cotton bedding helps us to breathe properly. It prevents overheating throughout the night and makes you sleep properly.
7. Use Cucumber slices or Tea Bags
Well, using cucumber on the face has always been the best way to relax and calm our facial muscles. If you find swelling around your eyes, then keep some cucumber slices or tea bags, they both work really well.
Cucumber and tea bags both have astringent properties, which help to calm the blood vessels and also tighten the skin cells.
Just make sure the cucumber slices are cold before you keep them. One more effective way to reduce facial swelling.
8. Massage your face
There are two benefits to massaging your face. First, you drain your lymph nodes and second you calm and relax your face muscles. Swelling and Puffiness around your face and eyes are related to the functioning and health of your lymphatic system.
Our lymphatic system circulates the infection-fighting fluid. So, when you massage your face it relaxes the lymph nodes and also reduces the swelling in the facial muscles.
So, above are some ways to reduce facial swelling during pregnancy. Swelling during pregnancy is very normal, but if you feel that swelling is much then it is better to consult the doctor. Try the above methods, it will help in relieving you of the swelling and also will make you feel good. When I was pregnant, I daily use to give my face a little massage and used to clean my face to maintain good face skin.
Which method would you prefer?
FAQ
Does only face swell during pregnancy?
No, other than your face, you can find swelling in your feet, arms and nose area too.
When to contact the doctor for pregnancy swelling?
If you face any of the following situations, it is better to call the doctor-
- Severe headaches
- Sudden shortness of breath
- Vision problem
- Severe pain in the right around the rib area
- Vomiting
