Pregnant Moms! Go Shoe Shopping!
The moment I hear that an existing patient in my Portland office is pregnant, or that a new patient is pregnant, we have the “shopping talk”. There are few times in one’s life when weight gain and structural change occur as rapidly as when one is pregnant.
Tell your partner or spouse that pregnant moms need to shop for shoes. It’s my first recommendation after learning of their pregnancy. They need supportive shoes that provide the three primary arches of the foot with enough support that the structural and weigh changes don’t cause those arches to fall. If shoes are not an option then a rigid shoe insert like those made by “Superfeet” or Birkenstock are ideal. Superfeet are available at our Portland office but along with Birkenstock inserts are also available at Lamey Wellehan in Falmouth or Scarborough. Arch support needs to be acquired early in the pregnancy and professional advice is recommended with regard to the extent of the support needed.
When foot arches fall, feet spread, ankles, knees and hips hurt and the pelvis of a pregnant mom may be subject to misalignment.
Rapid weight gain of any kind leads to unfamiliar strain on the feet. Arches will tend to fall. Arches falling and feet spreading during pregnancy is part of the “growing feet” equation that so many women deal with as their pregnancy progresses.
When arches fall, your ankles roll inward.
Fallen arches during pregnancy often lead to foot, ankle, knee, hip and pelvic pain.
When your ankles roll inward your knees rotate inward, your hip drops and rotates forward, your pelvis drops, spine curves, shoulder drops and head tips in the opposite direction to compensate. whew.
All pregnant women should go shoe shopping
Add all of the hormonal changes, weight changes and other stressors to the mix and it’s no wonder so many pregnant moms have aches and pains.
The good news is that supportive shoes or inserts may prevent a lot of these issues. I recommend Birkenstock shoes over all others. In Portland, Maine, Birkenstocks are available at Lamey Wellehan (Dr. Lou’s Review video) and at J.L. Coombs. A small investment will go a long way to improving comfort and maybe even easing delivery.