Varicose veins and pregnancy
Pregnancy is the most common reason women develop varicose veins. Blood volume rises, hormones soften the vein walls, and the growing uterus presses on the veins returning blood from the legs. Some veins settle in the months after delivery, so treatment is usually discussed from around three to six months postpartum, once it is clear which ones are staying.
Why it happens
Three things happen at once. The volume of blood in the body rises substantially. Hormones soften the walls and valves of the veins, so vessels that were coping stop coping. And in the later months the uterus presses on the veins carrying blood back from the legs, raising the pressure below.
None of that means anything is wrong with you. It is the single most common reason women present with varicose veins, and it says nothing about how you looked after yourself.
Will they go away on their own?
Some will. In the weeks after delivery the blood volume falls and hormone levels change, and a proportion of the veins that appeared will shrink or disappear. Which is exactly why the leg should not be judged too early.
What is still visible at around three to six months is likely to be permanent. That is the point at which a scan is worth doing, because by then you are looking at the real picture rather than a temporary one.
What helps while you are still pregnant
Compression stockings, walking, and elevating the legs when resting. None of these cure anything, but they reduce the aching and the evening swelling, and they are safe. Treatment itself is generally deferred until after delivery.
Treatment afterwards, and breastfeeding
The techniques are the same as for anyone else: a duplex scan first, then injection, foam or endovenous laser depending on what the scan shows. Whether to treat while breastfeeding, and which agent is appropriate, is a conversation to have at the consultation rather than something to decide from a webpage — it depends on the technique and on your circumstances.
If you are planning another pregnancy
This one is worth raising rather than assuming. New varicose veins can appear in a later pregnancy, which is the most common reason veins reappear in women who were treated earlier. That does not automatically mean waiting until you have finished having children — symptomatic veins causing pain now are a different question from cosmetic ones — but the timing is worth deciding deliberately, with the scan in front of you.
One patient's account, from the practice's Google reviews: I had a map of veins on my legs after 2 pregnancies. I saw multiple doctors but I had no result.
Every procedure carries risk, discussed in person before anything is decided. This page is general information and does not replace a consultation.
What usually happens, and when.
| Stage | What tends to happen | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| During pregnancy | Veins appear or worsen, ankles swell by evening | Compression, walking, elevate when resting. Treatment is generally deferred |
| First weeks after delivery | Blood volume falls, some veins shrink | Wait. Do not judge the leg yet |
| 3 to 6 months postpartum | What remains is likely to stay | Scan, and decide with the full picture |
| Planning another pregnancy | New veins may appear again | Worth discussing timing rather than assuming you must wait |
Times are what actually happens in this clinic, not industry averages. Which technique a leg needs is decided by the duplex scan, never by how the leg looks.
Common questions.
Do varicose veins from pregnancy go away?
Some do. After delivery the blood volume falls and hormone levels change, and a proportion of the veins that appeared will shrink or go.
What is still there at around three to six months is likely to stay. That is the point to have it scanned, because by then you are looking at the real leg rather than a temporary one.
How long after giving birth can I be treated?
Usually from around three to six months, once it is clear which veins are staying.
Whether to treat while breastfeeding depends on the technique and on your circumstances, and is decided at the consultation rather than in advance.
Should I wait until I have finished having children?
Not necessarily, and it is worth raising rather than assuming.
New veins can appear in a later pregnancy — that is the most common reason veins reappear in women treated earlier. But a vein causing pain now is a different question from a cosmetic one. Decide the timing deliberately, with the scan in front of you.
Keep reading.
Bring the leg in.
The consultation includes the ultrasound scan, the diagnosis and an exact quote. You decide after that, not before.
+961 81 663 350- Clinic
- Beirut Symposium, Sin El Fil, Beirut
- Hospital
- Clemenceau Medical Center, Beirut
- Hours
- Monday to Thursday, 10:00 – 18:00
- Phone
- +961 81 663 350
- wa.me/96181663350
- @dralainshab