The Science Behind Post-Pregnancy Feet

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 percent to 70 percent of the women had longer and wider feet afterward than when their pregnancies began.

Women gain weight and experience increased looseness of the joints while pregnant, which often causes the arch of the foot to flatten out.