Why Your Shoe Size Changes After Having A Baby

If you’ve given birth, science is now confirming what you’ve probably suspected: Your feet grew.

Pregnancy may permanently change the size and shape of a woman’s feet, suggests a recent study published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Following 49 women from the start of their pregnancy to five months after delivery, researchers discovered that 60 to 70 percent of the women had longer and wider feet afterward than when their pregnancies began. First pregnancies may account for most of these alterations, the study suggests.

Women gain weight and experience increased looseness of the joints while pregnant, which often causes the arch of the foot to flatten out. So the next time someone says baby needs a new pair of shoes, remind them that Mom may need some new footwear too.