Home > Why Do You Get Varicose Veins During Pregnancy?
Updated on May 23, 2023 by Dr. Jonathan Arad (Vein Doctor) of Vein Care Center
Pregnancy involves drastic bodily changes, including the sudden development of varicose veins. These are the large, bulging veins located usually at the legs. Varicose veins are pretty common in pregnant women and luckily, it doesn’t affect the entire pregnancy. But many patients are still bothered by its unsightly appearance, making them wonder why they got these large leg veins.
So why do you get varicose veins during pregnancy? Varicose veins during pregnancy are usually caused by the increased pressure applied by the uterus to the pelvic veins, blocking the blood flow. Other reasons also include having high levels of progesterone and blood volume. These factors contribute to your blood pooling in the veins and being unable to flow back to the heart, resulting in getting them stretched and enlarged.
A varicose vein is a twisted, bulging vein, usually appearing at the legs. It might not always be life-threatening but can cause pain and discomfort. If left untreated, it may also result in serious reactions, like ulceration, bleeding, and blood clot. Most patients dread the development of varicose veins because of their unsightly appearance.
Generally, varicose veins develop due to blood collecting at the veins from weak or damaged valves that affect blood circulation. As the arteries carry blood to deliver oxygen and other nutrients to the rest of the body, while the veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart to repeat another cycle.
These veins have valves to prevent blood from flowing back, but if these valves become faulty, blood flows back and pools in the veins. This causes the veins to become stretched and enlarged.
Pregnant patients experience bodily changes that affect blood circulation, resulting in varicose veins, like:
These factors contribute to the blood having a hard time flowing against gravity from the legs to the heart, resulting in varicose veins. You may talk to your gynecologist to learn more about varicose veins during pregnancy or see a vein specialist.
A varicose vein during pregnancy looks just the same as those non-pregnant patients have. It has a similar twisted and bulging vein which may come in red, blue, or purple. It may also present with spider veins.
Varicose veins in pregnant women are usually located in the:
You can expect varicose veins to start developing once your pregnancy starts hitting the second trimester. They become more enlarged and might even multiply as you near delivery due to bodily changes to support the growing infant in your belly. If you already have varicose veins before pregnancy, you can expect them to worsen.
Varicose veins during pregnancy can hurt. This is because the vein wall lining stretches as more blood collects in your veins. Pain is only one of the symptoms of varicose veins.
Other symptoms include:
Checking your legs and belly for varicose veins may be difficult, especially if you’re already nearing delivery. You may consult your gynecologist for the best ways to manage these visible veins during pregnancy, or you may also see a vein specialist.
Varicose veins are mostly harmless to your pregnancy and mostly resolve on their own after childbirth. This happens as the baby is already delivered from your uterus, reducing the extra pressure on your pelvic veins. Your progesterone levels also start getting normal. But it’s also important to note that varicose veins don’t go away after childbirth for some women.
The appearance of varicose veins gets worse with multiple pregnancies. This gives pregnant patients a high risk of developing blood clots, even deep vein thrombosis or DVT. Because of this, pregnant women might want to be extra conscious about their varicose veins and consider seeking long-term treatment.
While varicose veins aren’t usually life-threatening, they may cause discomfort, which affects the pregnant patient’s quality of life. But if left untreated, these bulging veins may also result in dangerous reactions.
You may want to see a doctor if you’ve noticed these symptoms:
When treating varicose veins among pregnant patients, most healthcare providers recommend managing it first with lifestyle intervention and at-home procedures.
These steps include:
Varicose veins usually go away after delivering the baby, so your vein specialist might recommend waiting until childbirth. More than this, undergoing varicose vein treatments, even minimally invasive options, can be too risky for the mother and the baby.
Vein Care Center is one of the most reputable vascular centers for providing varicose vein treatments, even for patients postpartum. We’re equipped with advanced technology that ensures providing the safest and most effective procedures possible.
| Varicose Vein Treatment | How It Works |
| Sclerotherapy | The affected vein will receive sclerosant injections to cause scarring, eventually closing the treated area. This vein will be reabsorbed by local tissues, and the blood will flow to a different vein. |
| Micro-Phlebectomy | The treatment area will receive small incisions to reach the affected vein under the skin. Vascular surgeons will remove the vein piece by piece and allow the blood to flow back to the heart via a healthy vein. |
| Endoluminal Laser Ablation of the Greater Saphenous Vein | The damaged vein will receive heat from laser energy via an inserted fiber. The heat causes a reaction and closes up the vein, allowing blood to flow to a healthier vein. |
These are the solutions for removing varicose veins available at Vein Care Center. You’ll be under the care of our board-certified specialists, so you can expect world-class services prioritizing your overall health.
Varicose veins during pregnancy are pretty common. This happens because your uterus exerts extra pressure on your pelvic veins, and you have high progesterone and blood volume levels. And while these visible veins usually go away after childbirth, some persist even after delivery. These are usually harmless, but you might still want to consider receiving interventional treatments due to their risks, like blood clots, bleeding, and leg ulcers.
Vein Care Center is one of the best clinics in providing solutions for varicose veins. With a variety of procedures and highly-advanced equipment, we ensure long-lasting and hassle-free vein treatments by our highly-trained vein specialists. Book an appointment to learn more about our treatments. You may also visit our clinic or give us a call.
Dr. Jonathan Arad has either authored or reviewed and approved this content.