Varicose Veins

I’m in my third trimester, and I’m starting to get varicose veins. Did you get them and how did you cope?

Our Mommy MD Guide’s reply: I had mild spider veins before I got pregnant, but by my fourth pregnancy, they were very uncomfortable. They were mainly pelvic and vulvar varicose veins. They were especially painful after a day of standing. It felt like I had a bowling ball hanging between my legs. I remember thinking: It’ll be so nice to get this pregnancy over with.

As soon as I finished working, I’d sit on the couch and put an ice pack on my bottom. Thank goodness, they went away after my baby was born.

—Melanie Bone, MD, a mom of four “tweens” ages 12 to 15, a gynecologist, the founder of the Cancer Sensibility Foundation, and the author of the syndicated column Surviving Life and the book Cancer, What’s Next?, in West Palm Beach, FL