Postpartum Swelling: Causes, Relief & What to Expect

During pregnancy, your body was in the business of storing fluids. But post-birth, some of those fluids remain, causing edema -- or swelling. Though postpartum edema generally doesn't last very long, there are some things you can do to make yourself more comfortable.

Things You'll Need

• Ice packs

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Instructions

• 1

  Continue to drink the amount of water you've been drinking -- or even a little bit more if you're breastfeeding. Edema indicates that you're retaining water, so you might think that you need to stop drinking so much -- but that's actually going to work against you, according to the BabyCenter website.

• 2

  Elevate your feet above your heart, to help reduce some the pressure you may be feeling in your ankles and legs.

• 3

  Place ice packs on swelling surrounding any stitches you may have gotten, suggests Laura E. Stachel, M.D, on the Fisher Price website.

• 4

  Wait it out. The swelling you're experiencing may be at its worst a few days after giving birth, when you start to move around again. After a few more days though, the swelling should start to subside.