We have all seen the glamorous mommies-to-be in magazines, TV and on the net – the likes of Jessica Alba, Victoria Beckham (aka Posh spice, famous mother of four now), Rachel Zoe and any number of others, appearing in public, visibly pregnant; and in high heels; many of them some real sky scrapers as well!

So should all pregnant women take a leaf out of this particular book (and women do feel pressured to keep up with celebrity trends) and continue to wear high heels in pregnancy as well? Well the answer to that would have to be a reluctant Probably Not!

Many doctors advise against pregnant women wearing high heels, which are generally defined as any footwear that is anything higher than two inches. This is true in particular during the latter half of the pregnancy. However until such time as the belly is not of very large size, and the feet don’t really feel uncomfortable in those gorgeous shoes, it is safe to assume that high heels are not going to cause any harm!

The main reason for not wearing high heels in pregnancy is the obvious one – a woman puts on a significant amount of weight and this weight is concentrated on the abdomen, altering a woman’s center of gravity. This change in the center of gravity can take a lot of getting used to and may make a woman’s gait different, disturb her balance, making her unsteady and the high heels an unsuitable choice of footwear. So during the last trimester it may be a better idea to eschew glamour in favor of comfort.

During the last trimester, when the belly is big enough that most women cannot see their toes, high heels are less of a great idea because they increase a woman’s chances of falling and injuring herself as well as her unborn baby. Not to put too fine a point to it, many women find that they are way clumsier well into their pregnancy and so more prone to minor accidents.

If a woman is suffering back pain (a common complaint during pregnancy) she may find that the high heels tend to exacerbate this problem. An estimated 7 out of 10 pregnant women experience some type of foot problem including swelling of the feet or ankles, foot pain and so on. This can be further aggravated by improper footwear.

So are high heels a complete No-No in pregnancy? Well they aren’t forbidden, but they will probably be uncomfortable enough to want to give up on them voluntarily.

However if they have to be worn experts advice that they be worn only occasionally and then at times when there is no requirement to be on one’s feet for extended periods of time. An additional tip would be to carry along sneakers to change into as soon as possible!

And they said that you should be walking around in high heels – there is nothing to say that you cannot pose before the mirror in those gorgeous red stilettos in the comfort of your own home to admire yourself! Or that you cannot put on your favorite sky-high shoes and admire your feet as you put them up for a little rest! So be creative and indulge that shoe fetish – so what if you’re 7, 8 or even 9 months along? Line them up on a table and just admire them, stay connected to yours shoes at all times!

Exclusively written by Denise Waller for Shoeholics Magazine Jan-Mar 2012 issue

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