A lot of women are literally walking around in fashion mogul Jessica Simpson’s shoes, but there was no way she was going to be getting her feet into any of the footwear with her name on while she was pregnant. A few months ago, back when she was still super pregnant with her third child , Simpson posted a photo of her left foot on Instagram and honestly, just looking at it was painful. “Any remedies?! Help!!!!” she captioned the pic of her incredibly swollen ankle and foot. Thankfully, now that she’s in her fourth trimester and no longer pregnant, Simpson’s feet have chilled out. She posted a new pic with the caption: “I spy….my ankles!!!!

Before + after

jessica simpsons asked the internet for help with her swollen feet 0 Motherly The commenters on Instagram are now as happy for Jessica as they were were as shocked back when she posted the first foot photo. “Omg Jessica call your Dr. Keep feet up lower salt intake and no heels,” one wrote (although the last bit seems like it probably wouldn’t be an option even if she wanted to wear them). Calling the doctor is not a bad idea if your foot look’s like Simpson’s before photo, because swelling during pregnancy can be a sign of preeclampsia, according to the Preeclampsia Foundation, which notes that “a certain amount of swelling is normal during pregnancy,” but suggests that moms-to-be watch out for “pitting edema” (which means that when you press on the skin an indentation stays for a bit) and leg discoloration. “If you suspect this kind of edema, notify your healthcare provider. You should also put your feet up every day, but avoid sitting for extended periods of time,” the foundation states on its website.

What mamas need to know about swollen feet

Simpson took her swelling with a sense of humor, posting a before and after pic of some super high wedges and her swollen pregnancy foot with the caption #tenyearchallenge, but swelling can be serious in pregnancy. It can be related peripartum cardiomyopathy a rare kind of heart failure that can develop in the last month of pregnancy or in the first five months postpartum, but, according to the the American Heart Association , isn’t easy to diagnose as the symptoms (like swollen ankles) are also symptoms of third trimester pregnancy. So swelling is something to watch and definitely talk to a health care provider about—but it also happens in many uncomplicated pregnancies, as a lot of Jessica’s IG followers pointed out. “That happened to me with my 1st pregnancy. Lots of elevation for my feet and fluids. Watch the sodium intake. Hang in there,” one mama wrote, throwing in a ? emoji.

Jessica Simpson just launched a collection of flats

Another commenter offered a funny story to put Jessica at ease: “My feet looked like this the last month of my pregnancy (if not worse) and I had normal BP and didn’t have preeclampsia. I’m 5’0” and retained so much water. My OB-GYN at the time (a 65 year old man) told me that I had what he called “Fiona feet”….yep, the ogre from Shrek. Yep. ??♀️ Needless to say, I switched doctors after my daughter was born.” Jessica Simpson’s shoe collection currently includes a wedges, booties and a gorgeous stacked stiletto , and she recently launched a collection of flats, which should be helpful to all the mamas-to-be who have swollen feet (although not as swollen as hers were, she should design an extra-wide slipper for that season of life).
[A version of this post was originally published January 11, 2019. It has been updated.]

You might also like: