Why do we need compression stockings for labor and how to choose them?

During pregnancy, the woman gains weight, the uterus grows and presses on the lower veins. Because of this, many pregnant women know firsthand what hemorrhoids, varicose veins are. Therefore, women during childbirth are recommended special stockings, which are called compression. They rationally and evenly distribute the load.

But even if the expectant mother for nine months of carrying a baby did not resort to wearing such therapeutic underwear, she would be advised to buy it before birth, both before physiological and before a planned caesarean section. In this material, we will describe for what purposes medical stockings are used in labor, how to choose such products, and how to use them.

Compression is compression. Compression underwear is called clothing that fits tightly, compresses and supports certain parts of the body. First of all, it is necessary for those who have problems with blood circulation. Such underwear is used by people who, due to their professional duties, have to be upright for a long time, as well as professional athletes who are experiencing serious physical exertion.

A pregnant and giving birth woman can be compared with an Olympic athlete, because the loads that her body undergoes sometimes exceed the sports ones. Special therapeutic underwear for legs (stockings) has a compressive effect, the diameter of the veins decreases, the blood begins to circulate faster through the veins of the lower extremities. Compression is unevenly distributed - at the ankles it is always higher than in the hip area. Since the veins that are closest to the surface are compressed, the blood flow is rationally distributed into smaller blood channels, and they are involved.

As a result, more blood rushes to the heart, the pressure rises somewhat, blood stasis in the lower limbs, which cause so much trouble for pregnant women and mothers, is eliminated. The venous mesh returns to normal, the feeling of heaviness in the legs decreases.

Such stockings have another name - anti-embolic or hospital. They are of different types, sizes, different degrees of compression. In each specific situation stockings of a certain category may be required.

The general purpose of medical compression stockings can be very diverse. But a woman may have questions about the use of such clothes in childbirth. This underwear is not considered mandatory, but is strongly recommended in the following cases:

• if during pregnancy often swollen legs;
• if there is a clear vascular reticulum, asterisks or varicose veins developed;
• weight gain during the gestation period exceeded the permissible norms;
• if the patient has cramps in the calf (legs);
• if there is a tendency to thrombosis.

In the course of physiological natural childbirth, all the vessels of the female body experience literally cosmic stresses. Medical therapeutic underwear will help to equalize the blood flow, stabilize blood pressure, preserve the integrity of blood vessels. Under the influence of intra-abdominal pressure, the development of varicose veins of the lower extremities is not excluded, and this disease quite often develops after childbirth.

If during physiological labor, stockings are recommended according to indications, then before the cesarean section, the Ministry of Health strongly recommends to purchase such a product to all pregnant women. During the operation and after it, the woman is in a horizontal position for a long time, and the abdominal pressure is equally high. Therefore, there is a fairly real and tangible risk of postoperative thromboembolism - a dangerous complication, in which the thrombus comes off and blocks the lumen of the vessel.

An alternative in this case is an elastic bandage, which the woman's extremities drag over before the operation, and which remains on his feet for several days after surgery. But with a bandage is quite difficult to manually control the degree of compression of blood vessels. They try to bandage in such a way that the greatest pressure is in the area of ​​the ankles, and gradually decreases from shin to knee and from knee to hip. Another disadvantage is the possibility that the bandage will unfold. Stockings are made with regard to the correct distribution of pressure, and can not fly off or loose. Therefore, they have several significant advantages over bandaging.

Medical underwear for legs comes in three varieties: socks, pantyhose and stockings. Wearing relatively short socks is allowed during pregnancy, and only when the future mom does not have any particular problems with the condition of the veins. They are good for eliminating the feeling of tired legs, because wearing a big tummy in the later stages of gestation is very difficult.

Pantyhose for women in the position are not suitable, as they demonstrate a squeezing compression effect on the stomach. Neither in childbirth nor during surgical delivery, compression tights are also not used. The only convenient and optimal way to protect the legs and blood vessels - stockings. They evenly distribute the load on the vessels throughout the length of the legs - from the ankles to the inguinal region.

Lingerie is different and the degree of compression. This is a very important indicator that must be taken into account when choosing medical devices. There are four degrees of compression.

• Class 1 products - the level of compression is at a level not higher than 23 millimeters of mercury. Such elastic products are great for use when carrying a baby, if there are no vascular problems or they are minor and are limited to vascular asterisks and a feeling of heaviness in the limbs. Suitable for childbirth, but only on condition that a woman has no problems with blood vessels, and she takes the product to the maternity hospital only for prevention.
• Class 2 products - Compression level is estimated at between 23-33 millimeters of mercury. Such stockings are commonly used by women who have varicose veins at the very initial stage of development. It is these products that are best chosen for elective cesarean section, as they are a great way to avoid deep vein thrombosis.
• 3 class products - The level of compression reaches 45 millimeters of mercury. They find their application in varicose expansion of moderate and severe degrees, with deep thrombosis, with changes in trophic properties.
• 4 class products - level of compression above 50 millimeters of mercury. Stockings are used for severe thrombosis, gross congenital anomalies of the vessels of the extremities, with serious pathologies of the process of lymph outflow. As well as stockings of the third class, in the generic process are used only if the woman in labor has the listed problems. For prophylactic purposes in the absence of problems with the veins and vessels usually do not apply.

There is another type of stockings - generic, created directly for women in labor, in which the pressure is distributed evenly over the entire area of ​​the product. In addition, they do not have a sock, and an obstetrician in childbirth can, by the color of their toes, determine whether everything is in order with the blood supply to the lower limbs.

If the compression is chosen correctly, and the woman miscalculated with the size, then it will be difficult to achieve the desired effect from wearing medical medical underwear: large stockings will not create the desired compression effect, and small stockings will excessively tighten the legs and disrupt blood circulation.

Therefore, before buying you need to take measurements from the feet. To do this, take a soft measuring tape and fix the following dimensions:

• minimum girth of ankle;
• maximum girth of a shin in its widest place;
• back off from a knee up on 25-27 centimeters, and measure thigh grasp;
• measure leg length from heels to groin.

At what time it is possible to remove anti-embolic stockings after the birth is over, - the question is ambiguous. Much depends on how healthy the blood vessels and veins of the parturient woman were before the birth, as well as on how and how the birth took place.

If a caesarean section was performed and the woman is healthy, then it should be borne in mind that Some drugs used by anesthetists for pain relief have the ability to dilate blood vessels. Therefore, in the first days of medical jersey wear constantly, sleep in it, walk. A week later, a woman can begin to take off her stockings, but only for the night. The total time in which it is recommended to wear compression underwear is about two weeks.

After physiological childbirth, in the absence of problems with blood vessels, in particular, and the blood circulation in general, stockings are allowed to be removed after 4-6 days.

But these terms apply only to healthy women who wore medical underwear exclusively for the prevention of unwanted complications.

Today, numerous manufacturers offer women a variety of models of medical underwear. It should be noted that not everything that is called compression is actually such. In this segment of the goods a lot of fakes. Therefore, when choosing, it is better to give preference to proven firms producing anti-varicose stockings. Here are just some of the names that, according to doctors and patients, can be trusted.

A company from Italy, producing its products by the method of mesh interlacing with double braided. In the line there are three classes of compression. This brand of products is well known to Russian women, the manufacturer has long been represented on the medical knitwear market. Prices are very reasonable and attractive - you can buy stockings for childbirth in just 1400-1600 rubles. But, according to reviews, stockings do not differ in wear resistance and durability, they have not been worn for more than two months.

Such products are made in the USA. The uniqueness lies in the fact that it is perhaps one of the few manufacturers that takes into account the particular physique of women with wide hips. There are stockings in the model line especially for ladies with a wide hip.The materials are used only natural and hypoallergenic, there are quite a lot of models. Prices start from 1,700 to 4,500 rubles per pair. According to reviews, stockings are pretty well worn for a long time, do not stretch, silicone gum does not weaken.

The line of these products is made in Germany. These are very durable and reliable stockings with anti-varicose action. They have practically no drawbacks, except that the price is rather big. These products are in the range of 3000-6500 rubles. But they can be worn not only during pregnancy and childbirth, but also later, as needed, because there may be a lot of situations in which the vessels of the legs suffer. After prolonged use, stockings do not lose their shape or appearance.

Swiss quality and Swiss accuracy - these two concepts can quite concisely characterize such medical devices. Different colors, different fabric basis for silicone rubber: satin, cotton. There are also models of rubber, which are needed for women with serious vascular problems. The cost is high, the initial price for stockings with low compression is from 2500 rubles, the most expensive high compression stockings cost about 10 thousand rubles.

This Italian manufacturer has a long history and world name, the company has been operating in the market of anti-varicose linen since 1936. These stockings are very popular among women, since their cost starts from only 850 rubles. Particular durability, however, stockings are no different. But they can be taken to the hospital.

Whatever brand of products you choose, remember about compression and size range. Some items have their own dimension table. Therefore, be sure to read it on the manufacturer's website.

For information on how to wear compression stockings, see the following video.