Ever since I had my son 9 months ago, my feet and ankles become so stiff if I sit for a period of time, or at night when I sleep. I am not sure if this is just part of getting older, wearing flip flops for most of the summer, weight gain, etc. If my son wakes in the middle of the night, I limp over to this room until I get the aches out of my feet, which can take about a minute. They get stiff very easily and it causes discomfort.

Anyone else have problems with this - and what causes this? I think I need to get more exercise and wear my sneakers more, but I go barefoot in the house.

Hi, it coudl be due to many things, some maybe minor (maybe just too much on your feet, or maybe from weight gain or edema) but if it's been going on for that long, you should probably consult a doctor. Maybe they can check for some form of arthritis. I get alot of stiffness and many times swelling, but I know that it's from arthritis.

You probably shouldn't walk barefoot on hardwood floors if you have them, and you should probably wear some sandals with support. It may be that the added weight of carrying your 9 month old son around and walking barefoot with no support is making your ankles and feet go out of their proper alignment and causing you discomfort. If the sandals don't work (Tevas, Keens or Crocs), you may want to see a podiatrist.

Thank you for your help. We do have some hardwood floors and since I have a baby crawling around, I normally don't wear shoes in the house. My hubby will massage my feet when I ask him, and sometimes it hurts so much! It seems more like a stiff pain then anything.