Pregnant women may need to invest in larger shoes while they await their new arrival.

During pregnancy a combination of factors can result in the feet getting bigger and could even mean that new shoes are needed, according to the Stir blog.

Mum of two Christie Haskell wrote that needing bigger footwear is a symptom of pregnancy that takes many women by surprise.

She explained that it is due to swelling, the natural release of the chemical relaxin in the body, weight gain and shift in posture that all result in a change in the size of feet.

This change can often be permanent, Ms Haskell added, noting that she herself went up more than one shoe size during each pregnancy, going up from an American size 4.5 to an average size 7 after having her children.

Invest in some new comfortable shoes to suit your changing footwear size by trying a pair of the designs from Fly Flot.