What should you know about right leg swelling in pregnancy?

Pregnancy can make the body hold more fluid, while the growing uterus can slow blood return from the legs. This often causes gradual swelling in the feet and ankles, especially later in the day, and it may affect both sides. Swelling limited to the right leg is different because a clot in a deep vein can also cause one-sided swelling. A clot may cause aching or tenderness, warmth, or a change in colour, although symptoms can vary.

Swelling can also appear alongside high blood pressure or other warning signs of pre-eclampsia. Sudden swelling of the face or hands, a severe headache, vision changes, pain below the ribs, or feeling very unwell should not be dismissed as ordinary pregnancy swelling.

If the swelling is mild, gradual and not painful, rest with your legs raised, avoid standing still for long periods, and move your ankles regularly. Comfortable shoes and loose clothing may reduce pressure. Keep normal fluid intake unless your maternity team has given different advice, and do not start compression garments or medicines without checking which option is suitable for you.

Measure whether the swelling is increasing and note when it began, whether the skin feels warm, and whether walking is painful. Contact your maternity team or clinician promptly for new swelling confined to one leg, even if you are unsure whether other symptoms are present.

Seek urgent medical help if the right leg becomes painful, tender, hot, red or suddenly more swollen, or if swelling is accompanied by chest pain, sudden breathlessness, coughing blood, faintness or a racing heartbeat. These symptoms can signal a clot that requires immediate assessment.

Contact your maternity service urgently for sudden swelling of the face or hands, severe or persistent headache, flashing lights or blurred vision, severe pain under the ribs, vomiting, or a marked feeling of illness. Do not drive yourself if you have significant breathing symptoms or feel faint.

Ask: Could this pattern of swelling need an examination or scan? Which symptoms should send me to emergency care? Is a compression garment appropriate for me? How should I monitor my blood pressure and other pre-eclampsia warning signs? Tell them when the swelling started, whether it is changing, and any medicines or health conditions you have.