Swelling in the ankles and legs is an unpleasant side effect of pregnancy. It can be related to the condition pre-eclampsia, which involves raised blood pressure. However, the vast majority of women who suffer from swollen ankles don’t have pre-eclampsia. When you see your midwife, she will measure your blood pressure and check for protein in your urine (another common feature of pre-eclampsia) to rule this out for you. If it is just swollen ankles, then putting your feet up will help ease the discomfort. Putting your feet up helps the extra fluid to move back up your legs and reduces that heavy, tight feeling. If you are still working, see if you can arrange to work with your feet up, or take regular breaks when you can elevate your feet. You might like to try putting a cushion under the foot end of your mattress, just to raise your feet a little more when you are sleeping. Some women also say they get relief using cool cream on their legs (any body lotion/cream which has been in the fridge will do!).