Barefoot and pregnant

(Victoria Savostianova)

UK's Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists (SCP), a professional organization of registered podiatrists, made a number of announcements on June 15 concerning the dos and don'ts for healthy feet while pregnant for June's "Feet for Life" month.

The recommendations of the SCP are based on data from an online survey of one thousand pregnant or previously (within two years) pregnant women conducted by One Poll in addition to "fieldwork" during May 23-30.

In the survey, women reported feeling pressure to be stylish and opt for fashion over wellbeing and ladies while pregnant favored high heels (32 percent), ballet flats (53 percent), flip flops (66 percent) and Ugg boots (30 percent).

Unsurprisingly 70 percent suffered "from foot problems like swollen ankles (37 percent), swollen feet (45 percent) and arch and heel pain (16 percent).

Lorraine Jones, podiatrist and member of the SCP, said "Weight gain and hormonal changes in pregnancy have a huge impact on the body. Muscles and ligaments soften and stretch because of an increase in the ovarian hormone relaxin which makes your feet more prone to ankle and ligament strains on a daily basis. High heels alter your posture, shorten your calf muscles and place increased pressure on your back and knees."

"Shoes like ballet pumps, flip flops and Ugg boots are also unsuitable for daily wear in pregnancy because they don't provide your feet with the necessary support."

SCP urges moms-to-be to "wear comfortable, supportive footwear - ideally with a strap, laces, or Velcro. Choose a heel height of 3cm as this shifts your weight a little further forward on your feet which can help alleviate discomfort."

Select "supportive footwear with extra shock absorption, a supportive arch and firm heel," and "don't cross your legs or ankles when sitting."

Another useful tip is to "buy shoes later in the afternoon when your feet are at their largest" and "make sure there is 1cm between the longest toe and the end of the shoe."