Many women first experience vein problems during pregnancy. Use of compression stockings during pregnancy is usually advised-ask your obstetrician. Pregnancy not only causes increases in hormone levels and blood volume, the enlarging fetus also puts pressure on the largest vein of the body, the vena cava. Pressure on the vena cava can also in turn cause increased pressure on the veins of the legs. Normally, within 3 months of delivery, improvement in varicose veins can be seen. However, once venous valves are damaged, they do not repair themselves, and varicosities can worsen with subsequent pregnancies, or even just with the passage of time. The foregoing is especially true if damage has occurred at the sapheno/femoral junction or in perforating veins.

If you have varicose veins and plan to have more children, there's no need to wait for treatment. While we certainly do not advise treatment during pregnancy, treatment between pregnancies is desirable, and makes subsequent pregnancies much more comfortable for those who suffer from varicose veins and other kinds of venous disease.