RELAXED ON THE WAY DURING PREGNANCY

How myVALE take care
that also your feet come through
these exeptional 9 month

Especially during pregnancy women should be careful to wear well-fitting shoes which support the feet. Here, a focus should be on ease and comfort but also on orthopaedic aspects.

In the following, Prof. Dr. Manuel Sabeti-Aschraf from the Medical University of Vienna explains why this is so important:

Pregnancy can be divided into three trimesters merging seamlessly. In each of these trimesters, the maternal body undergoes physiological processes which prepare it for giving birth and make birth easier.
Typically, the mother clearly gains weight especially towards the end of her pregnancy. In addition, the muscle mass decreases and the connective tissue becomes softer. Also biomechanics change in the whole body.

What do these changes mean exactly for a mother’s feet?

Hormones:

As has been established, oestrogen has an effect on the water content of the maternal body. This results in a functional loosening particularly of the connective tissue, but also of the muscles. Relaxin, another hormone, has an enzymatic effect on collagen fibres and can reduce them significantly in their strength and number. The values of both these hormones are especially high during the last trimester.

Body weight:

The mother’s average weight gain is at ca. 15-25%. The mass increase occurs in the lower abdomen and the breasts. Naturally, this results in a massive shift of the body’s centre of gravity.

Biomechanics:

The pelvis is distinctly tipped forward and the lumbar spine gets into a hollow back position. Recent studies have shown that the physiological pendulum motion of the pelvis and the lumbar spine is significantly reduced for highly pregnant women in comparison with pregnant women in the second trimester.

In addition it was shown that the hips are abducted and externally rotated more strongly. As a result, the time of contact of the foot with the ground during walking is significantly reduced. What is more, when walking the mechanical axis does no longer run through the foot physiologically. Because of the wide external rotation of the foot, this axis does no longer run through the area of the big toe/forefoot but through the midfoot area of the big toe.

This means that during pregnancy the feet are severely challenged through the factors of hormones, weight gain, and unfavourable biomechanics.
If, in particular, the longitudinal arch of the foot is already flattened through pregnancy, it is important to observe a progression so that the development of a pregnancy-related flatfoot (incorrectable) will not be overlooked.
Prof. Dr. Manuel Sabeti-Aschraf, Med. Uni., Vienna

With its made-to-measure thongs, X-sandals, wooden clogs and indoor slippers, which are orthopaedically adapted to the individual footprint, myVALE offers a comfortable and healthy solution to the physical changes during pregnancy.

Especially in summer when high temperatures make you feel the need of light and airy, but also comfortable and supportive shoes, myVALEs will be the perfect companion.