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Wearing high heels during pregnancy is considered a dangerous trigger for the unborn child. It will hamper the health and physique of the mother and will make her feel tired and fatigued. Although women love to own high heels as it will beautify their personality and make them look more charming and determined than usual. But doctors would strictly prohibit them to wear heels as it can cause excessive pain in the feet and make her look clumsy.
So, in this article, we will have a detailed understanding of the harmful effects of heels on the body and what are the risks associated with them. Also, we will have a brief overview of the safety measures for wearing heels during pregnancy.
Can you wear heels during pregnancy?
If you are in a dilemma about whether to wear or not your heels while pregnant, the right answer is, to give your heels some rest now that you are pregnant. You can wear your heels on some special occasions but with safety. If you wear your heels regularly you will find it tough to adjust to footwear that is flat. Also, your favorite pair of heels can cause some serious damage during pregnancy. Wearing high heels is actually not a good idea. Your weight increases and your body shape and center of gravity also change which makes you walk differently. It is only OK to wear heels in your first trimester but after that wearing heel is not at all advisable as it can cause serious harm to both you and your developing baby. In case you want to wear heels, avoid excessive weight gain. There are some women who find it difficult to keep their favorite pair sitting in the corner throughout their pregnancy. So if you want to wear them, you can do exercise and do your best to stay within the recommended weight gain range for your body type and also avoid unnecessary pressure on your feet. But be careful and don’t make a mommy trip. You may fall and it can hurt your unborn baby. However the only real risk of wearing heels while pregnant is of sustaining injuries in a fall. As long as pregnant women are exercising caution, wearing heels is not likely to be dangerous.
Risk of wearing heels during pregnancy
Now, let’s have a look at some of the harmful risk factors of wearing heels during pregnancy and how will it affect our bodies:
1. Lower back pain
Wearing high heels in pregnancy is not good. It can put increased strain on your lower back which is already under pressure during pregnancy. Extra pressure on your joints leads to lower back pain. When you put on your high heels, your posture changes slightly and puts more pressure on your back and also on your knee and ankle joints. You may feel more clumsy and dizzy sometimes and you are more likely to have a fall during pregnancy. So being in high heels may not be the safest way to get around.
2. Swollen feet
Swollen feet are the most common risk during pregnancy. This is mainly due to fluid retention in the legs and feet which can lead to excessive pain. Wearing high heels during pregnancy can lead to an increased risk of suffering a miscarriage as a result of a fall. You should try to take a short break if you have to wear heels for the entire day. Take them off and relax your feet. You may consider wearing lower ones and remember to put safety first over fashion.
3. Cramps in your calf
Women who choose to wear high heels during their pregnancy can give rise to cramps in their calves which may get even worse. Wearing heels will contract the muscles on your calf and put a strain on these muscles.
4. Less balance
Pregnancy weight and hormonal changes can weaken your ankles and it will lower your ability to balance your body. This can cause unnecessary injuries to you and even to your unborn baby.
5. Stretched muscles
The ligaments in the calf also loosen due to pregnancy-induced hormones. The heels that you could comfortably wear before your pregnancy will now become tight and painful as the muscles of your feet get stretched.
Safety tips
Given below are some of the helpful tips that can help pregnant ladies to wear comfortable heels without affecting their bodies:
- You can wear low heels in your first trimester after which the hormonal flow increases and your muscles start to stretch. Replace your heels with flats for everyday purposes.
- You should not wear the heels for too long as it can cause you discomfort. You can consider carrying a pair of comfortable flats to change into if you feel any pain. Also at parties, if you wear heels, you should avoid walking or standing for long
- You should also avoid platform heels and stilettos as they have thinner heels that make it more difficult for you to maintain your balance.
- When you feel any discomfort while wearing heels you may do some stretching exercises for your calf muscles. You can also massage your feet to relieve pain.
- You may try to wear lower heels or buy shoes that are completely comfortable and which don’t create a tight grip on your feet. Also if you had made your mind buy a good pair of durable heels if you want to wear heels during pregnancy.
- Always apply some coconut oil or a daily moisturizer at night after removing the heels so that your feet do not get swollen or torn up by the heels.
Final Words
Thus, it is advisable for the medical experts to avoid wearing heels during pregnancy and instead try to bring a change for a while and wear flats during your mother-to-be days. A healthy body is everything that you wish for during pregnancy so why damage it just by wearing heels for your own pleasure.
