Am I more likely to get varicose veins when pregnant?

Yes. A lot of women find that the varicose veins appear for the first time during their pregnancy. Pregnancy doesn’t cause varicose veins; it just brings forward their development.

The people who develop varicose veins during their pregnancy have an underlying genetic problem with their valves. The pressure of the growing baby on the valves in the pelvis puts pressure on the veins in the legs, which, combined with the valve failure, brings out the varicose veins.