Eight months after delivering baby #2 I decided to lace up my Saucony Omni’s and attempted to go for a short run. Three minutes later my feet were screaming in agony.
If you are a new mom interested in starting a running program, or you just want to be comfortable while you do the umpteenth lap around the mall because that’s the only way your baby will sleep, please get fitted for proper shoes. Why do I make it sound so dramatic? Well, I am going to share something that most people probably forgot to mention to you while you were in your blissful, pregnant state: your feet will never be the same.
A study done in 2013 found that most women will undergo a permanent change with their feet, most noticeably after their first child. Although the University of Iowa study looked at a small number of women, it showed 60-70% of women will experience an increase in the length of their feet. This change can be anywhere from 0.1 to 0.4 inches.
Remember all those hormones that were supposed to loosen your muscles and ligaments so you can push that baby out? Well those same hormones acted on the arches of your feet. With the extra weight from pregnancy, the arches of pregnant women show a decrease in height translating to, you guess it, longer feet!
While it might be tempting to head out to one of those big chain sports stores, I would suggest seeking the advice of someone from a reputable store who specializes in running. I have oversimplified the changes that may occur with your feet, but one should take into account the added strain that your new feet may have on your other joints.
After much deliberation, I headed over to the Ajax Running Free and decided to see what was going on with my feet. I walked in with my size 7 Omnis and walked out with size 8 Saucony Hurricanes. Oh, to add another log to the fire, not only did my feet grow a full size, but I was the proud of owner of wider shoes!
Thank you children for giving mommy the excuse to revamp her shoe collection!
