Varicose Veins During Pregnancy: Why They Happen and What Helps

If ropey, bluish veins have started bulging on your legs — or showing up in places you'd really rather they didn't — pregnancy is a very common reason. Varicose veins in pregnancy are usually a cosmetic and comfort issue rather than a danger, and many improve on their own after birth. Here's why they happen, what eases the achy heaviness, and the less-common signs worth a check.

#Why pregnancy brings them on

Varicose veins are veins (usually in the legs) that have become swollen, twisted, and more visible. Pregnancy stacks up several reasons for them:

• More blood. Your blood volume rises substantially in pregnancy, giving your veins more to handle.
• Relaxed vein walls. Pregnancy hormones soften the vein walls, so they stretch and the little valves inside that keep blood moving upward work less efficiently — blood pools and the vein bulges.
• Pressure from your uterus. Your growing uterus presses on the large veins in your pelvis, slowing the return of blood from your legs.
• Family history and standing. A genetic tendency and lots of time on your feet add to it.

The same forces explain why some moms get varicose veins in less expected spots, including the vulva, and why hemorrhoids — which are essentially varicose veins around the rectum — often come along for the ride.

#What eases the discomfort

You can't always prevent varicose veins, but you can take the edge off the aching, heavy, tired-leg feeling:

• Move and elevate. Put your feet up when you can, and avoid long stretches of sitting or standing still. When seated, avoid crossing your legs for long.
• Walk regularly. Gentle activity pumps blood back up your legs through the calf muscles.
• Try compression stockings. Graduated compression socks or maternity support hose are one of the most effective comfort measures — they gently squeeze your legs to help blood move upward. Put them on before you get out of bed.
• Sleep on your side, which takes pressure off the big pelvic vein and improves circulation from your legs.
• Don't sit or stand frozen; shift your weight, flex your ankles, and take breaks to move.
• Stay comfortable around the swelling. These often travel with general leg swelling, and the same elevate-and-move habits help both.

#Will they go away?

For many moms, the encouraging answer is largely yes: varicose veins commonly improve in the months after birth, as your blood volume normalizes, your hormones shift, and the pressure of pregnancy lifts. They may not vanish entirely — some moms have residual veins — but the bulging and aching often settle a good deal. If bothersome veins persist well after birth, there are treatments to discuss down the line, outside of pregnancy.

#When to check with your provider

Varicose veins are usually harmless, but a few situations warrant a call:

• A vein that becomes hard, very tender, red, or warm, or skin around it that's inflamed — this could mean a clot in a surface vein and should be checked.
• Swelling, pain, or tenderness in one leg (especially the calf) that's notably worse than the other, sometimes with warmth or redness — leg clots are uncommon but important to rule out in pregnancy, so don't wait on this one.
• Skin changes, sores, or bleeding from a varicose vein.
• Anything that worries you, including leg cramps you're unsure about.

For most moms, though, varicose veins are an achy, unglamorous side effect of growing a baby — helped a lot by compression, movement, and putting your feet up, and likely to ease once your body recovers after birth.