In pregnancy your body makes up to about 50% more blood and fluid to support your growing baby... but you still have the same heart and circulation pumping it around. As your uterus grows it presses on the large veins that return blood from your legs, slowing the flow, while hormones relax your vein walls and prompt your body to hold on to more water and salt. Gravity does the rest, so fluid pools in your feet and ankles, especially late in the day and in the third trimester.

Elevate your legs above heart level when you can, rest on your left side to take pressure off the main vein and keep moving — walking and ankle circles use your calf muscles to pump blood back up. Stay well hydrated, ease off very salty foods, avoid standing or sitting still for long stretches, keep cool, and wear graduated compression through the day.

The swelling (oedema) happens because fluid leaks out of your circulation and pools in the tissues of your lower legs. The things that help most are the ones that move that fluid back into circulation, rather than just masking it.

Elevate your feet above your heart, lie on your left side, and stay gently active so your calf muscles keep pumping. Drink plenty of water (it actually helps your body hold less), cut back on very salty foods, and avoid long periods on your feet or crossing your legs. Cool water (a swim or even a foot soak) and graduated compression worn during the day both make a real difference.

Mild, gradual swelling in both feet and ankles that settles with rest and elevation is a normal part of pregnancy. It becomes a warning sign when it is sudden or severe — especially in your hands and face — and comes with a bad headache, vision changes, upper-tummy pain or breathlessness, which can signal pre-eclampsia (dangerously high blood pressure). Swelling in just one leg that is painful, warm, red or tender is different again and can indicate a blood clot (DVT).

For everyday swelling, the comfort measures above are enough. But contact your doctor or midwife promptly if swelling comes on suddenly or with any of the symptoms above and treat one painful, hot, swollen leg as a medical emergency. When in doubt, get checked; these are quick to assess and important not to miss.

During pregnancy the hormones relaxin and progesterone soften the ligaments that hold your pelvic joints together, the pubic symphysis at the front and the sacroiliac joints at the back. That extra looseness, combined with your baby’s growing weight and shifts in your posture, can let the pelvic joints move unevenly, creating pain and a heavy, pressured feeling in the pubic area, groin, hips or lower back. This is called pelvic girdle pain (PGP) or SPD, and it is common and generally harmless to your baby.

A pelvic-health physiotherapist is the first port of call — tailored exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor, core and hip muscles genuinely help. Day to day: keep your knees together getting in and out of bed or the car, avoid standing on one leg, wide movements and heavy lifting, use a pelvic support brief and/or belly band and a pillow between your knees at night, and pace your activity. Most cases settle after birth.

Pelvic girdle pain is almost always managed conservatively, there’s a lot you can do, and early physiotherapy makes the biggest difference. The goal is to stabilise the loosened joints and avoid the movements that aggravate them.

See a pelvic-health physio for exercises that strengthen the muscles supporting your pelvis. Keep your knees together when turning or getting up, avoid single-leg loading and heavy lifting, sleep with a pillow between your knees, try a warm compress and a pelvic support garment, and break big tasks into smaller ones. Simple pain relief can be used where your provider advises.

“Lightning crotch” is the nickname for sudden, sharp, shooting pain felt in the vagina, pelvis or bottom, most often in the third trimester. It’s thought to happen as your baby grows and drops lower, pressing on nerves, the cervix and your pelvic floor, and it can come alongside Braxton Hicks tightenings. It’s usually a normal — if startling — part of later pregnancy.

Changing position, resting, a warm bath and gentle pelvic-floor relaxation can all ease it. It’s generally nothing to worry about, but do check in with your provider if the pain is persistent or worsening, or comes with bleeding, fluid leakage or fever.

As your bump grows, your centre of gravity shifts forward and the curve of your lower spine deepens, straining the muscles and joints that support it. Pregnancy hormones like relaxin loosen the ligaments and joints of your pelvis to prepare for birth, which reduces stability. Add the extra weight and stretched abdominal muscles, and your lower back ends up doing more work — so it aches.

Keep gently active — walking, prenatal stretching and light core- and back-strengthening all help support your spine. Mind your posture, bend from the knees, sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees, wear low supportive shoes, and use heat or cold for relief. A physiotherapist can tailor safe exercises if the pain is stubborn.

Most pregnancy back pain comes from the shift in your posture and the extra load on your spine, so relief comes from supporting your back, strengthening gently, and easing the strain on your muscles.

Stay active with walking and prenatal stretches, add gentle core and back strengthening, and practise good posture and lifting. Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees, wear low-heeled supportive shoes, and use a warm compress. If pain is severe or persistent, a physiotherapist or your provider can recommend pregnancy-safe treatment.

Lots of women feel a shooting or burning pain running from the lower back or buttock down the leg. Interestingly, true sciatica (from a compressed spinal nerve) is actually less common in pregnancy than pelvic girdle pain, which causes very similar symptoms. Either way it’s usually driven by your growing uterus, postural changes and loosened pelvic joints putting pressure on the area.

It can usually be eased with gentle stretching, warm compresses, staying active within comfort, and good posture, with guidance from a physiotherapist. Contact your provider if the pain is severe, or if you notice weakness or numbness in the leg.

As your bump grows, your centre of gravity moves forward, deepening the curve of your lower back and loading the discs and pelvic (sacroiliac) joints — and relaxin loosens the ligaments that would normally hold everything steady. Supporting the bump, through good posture, gentle core and pelvic-floor engagement and a supportive garment that lifts the abdomen, reduces that forward pull and can ease lower-back and pelvic discomfort.

Combine support with movement and rest: hold good posture, engage your core and pelvic floor gently, pace your day, and use an over-bump support garment to take some of the weight. Support works best alongside staying active and safe strengthening — not instead of them.

Compression leggings, belly bands and support briefs work by gently lifting the weight of your abdomen and lightly compressing the pelvis, which reduces the load on your lower back and helps stabilise the joints that pregnancy hormones have loosened. Reviews suggest they can modestly reduce pregnancy-related low-back and pelvic pain in the short term.

Use a support garment alongside exercise, posture work and physiotherapy rather than as a standalone fix. Choose something comfortable enough to wear for the stretches of the day when you’re most on your feet.

Over-the-bump support leggings and bands with a supportive elastic panel cradle and gently lift your abdomen, helping spread its weight and ease the forward pull on your spine and pelvis. Research on wearable support garments shows modest benefits for pain and daily function, and they’re generally safe for short-term wear in pregnancy. A practical, everyday layer of support.

Reach for supportive over-bump TGA listed compression leggings for daily wear, rotate them with rest and movement, and pair with supportive footwear. The best garment is the one comfortable enough that you’ll actually wear it through the day.

It’s normal — and it can even get worse for a few days before it gets better. During pregnancy your body held onto a lot of extra fluid and blood, and after birth it takes days to a couple of weeks to release it all (some of it through sweating and weeing more). IV fluids during labour and the big hormonal shift after delivery add to the puffiness, which gravity settles into your legs, ankles and feet.

Keep moving gently, put your feet up when you can, stay hydrated, and wear graduated compression through the day — it usually eases within one to two weeks. Contact your provider promptly if swelling comes on suddenly or with a bad headache, vision changes or upper-tummy pain (which can signal postpartum pre-eclampsia), or if one leg is painful, warm and red (a possible clot).

A caesarean is major abdominal surgery, so in the early weeks your tummy and incision need gentle, non-irritating support and room to heal. Soft, high-waisted clothing that sits above the scar (not pressing on it) is most comfortable, and gentle graduated compression can help your circulation and ease the heavy, swollen-leg feeling — but always follow your care team’s advice on what to wear over the wound and when.

Prioritise rest, pain relief, good wound care and gentle movement when comfortable. Avoid heavy lifting and follow the guidance of your healthcare provider. Move gently and often, support your tummy with a pillow when you cough or feed, and build back up slowly.

Graduated compression gently squeezes tightest at the ankle and eases up the leg, supporting the calf-muscle pump that moves blood and the extra postpartum fluid back toward your heart. That can help reduce swelling and the heavy, tired feeling in your legs that’s so common in the early weeks — and it’s comfortable to wear while you’re on your feet with a newborn. It supports recovery; it doesn’t replace medical care.

Wear graduated compression through the day, keep gently active, elevate your legs when you rest, and stay hydrated. See your provider about any sudden or one-sided swelling.

When you sit still for hours, your calf muscles stop doing their usual job of pumping blood back up your legs, so blood and fluid pool in your feet and ankles — the lower cabin pressure and dry air add to it. It’s usually harmless puffiness, but long periods of sitting still also slightly raise the risk of a blood clot (DVT), which is why moving and compression matter.

Get up and walk when you can, do ankle circles and calf raises in your seat, stay well hydrated, go easy on alcohol and salty snacks, and wear graduated compression. If you’re pregnant, recently postpartum or otherwise higher-risk, check with your doctor before flying — these situations raise clot risk.

Graduated compression is widely recommended for long flights. By supporting the veins and calf-muscle pump, it helps reduce leg swelling and has good evidence for lowering the risk of travel-related clots on long-haul journeys. It works best alongside moving regularly and staying hydrated. If you’re at higher risk of clots, your doctor may advise a specific compression level.

Wear graduated compression from before you board until you land, move and stretch every hour or so, and drink plenty of water. Higher-risk travellers (including in pregnancy or soon after birth) should get personalised advice from their doctor.

Compression is measured in mmHg (millimetres of mercury). For everyday wear, travel and long days on your feet, 15–20 mmHg graduated compression is the sweet spot — enough to meaningfully support circulation and reduce swelling, while still comfortable to wear all day. Higher medical-grade levels (20–30 mmHg and above) are used for specific conditions and should be guided by a healthcare professional.

For flights, standing jobs and busy days, 15–20 mmHg graduated compression worn through the day is ideal. If you have a diagnosed vein or clotting condition, ask your doctor whether you need a higher, medical-grade level.