Question:
My wife is 10w pregnant. She developed Varicose Veins during 9w. First we did not realize that it is varicose vein. We thought it was a normal leg cramp. But now the pain is not bearable by her, especially in the evening. She can't even walk and climb steps. We had our first OBGYN appointment and the OBGYN prescribed the compression socks. It is helping a bit while walking but not with the pain. We are planning to talk with the doctor again and see what they are going to say. Do anyone of you know anything which can make her feel better like walking (how long), excersise (what type), hot pack/hot bath etc. As per online information, varicose veins develop only during the 2nd/3rd trimester. Is it possible at during 9-10w? It is really painful for me to see her go through this in this situation. We are not able to enjoy these moments in our life due to this. Any information/help is appreciated.

Answer: -I do have varicose veins, and I have found that walking as much as I can bear to does indeed help, as does keeping my legs elevated. With the type of pain I have (the vein feels kind of like a bruise or a scrape -- not sure if that's the same type of pain your wife has), I've also found ice packs help to ease the pain and minimize the swelling, if only for a while. Unfortunately, I think there's sometimes not a lot one can do for varicose veins. On the bright side, they should go away after she delivers, but on the negative side, since she's pregnant, most of the more effective/permanent treatments (injection, laser treatment, etc) probably aren't available. She has my sympathies. They are -not- fun. -Those are cramps. I don't think that they are related to varicose. She needs to stretch her calf muscle. One way is to take her toes in her hand and pull them in the direction of her face. The other way is to stand 2 or 3 feet from a wall, to put her hands on the wall and to lean forward with her heels on the floor. She can do it as a preventive measure or when she's hurt.