Leg cramps in Pregnancy
Getting leg cramps during pregnancy is one of the symptoms not widely discussed, and can take you by surprise.
Does this sound familiar?
You’re well into your pregnancy and starting to find it challenging to get comfortable in bed.
Every night, you adjust your growing pile of pillows until you resemble a gorilla in a nest, and you finally fall asleep - only to wake up suddenly with LEG CRAMP!
AGH!
Over half of pregnant women experience leg cramps or restless leg in pregnancy, particularly at night.It tends to become worse in the third trimester as the uterus gets heavier and the pelvis gets more and more congested.
It’s one of those pregnancy symptoms that you don’t hear much about before becoming pregnant, and you wonder – why didn’t anyone warn me?
What can you do to prevent it?
There are a number of things you can try.
Stay hydrated
Your body needs more fluid than usual when pregnant, and dehydration is well known to cause leg cramp.
Pregnant women should be drinking 8-12 glasses of water/juice/herbal tea a day.
If you think you’re dehydrated, it is safe to add some good quality, low sugar electrolyte powders to water – this can help replace some minerals that your body is using more quickly.
Which brings us to our next tip:
Use magnesium
Low magnesium can cause muscle cramps, and there are different ways you can try to increase your magnesium intake.
Magnesium butter – rub into your feet and calves before bed
Magnesium spray – you might prefer a spray to apply on calves and feet before bed
Magnesium supplements – again, go for good quality. Taken as directed, magnesium supplements are safe in pregnancy, but if you have any medical conditions or take medication regularly, check with your GP or midwife if it’s safe for you.
You can also add foods and herbs rich in magnesium into your diet.
Raspberry leaf tea has lots of magnesium.
So do nuts, seeds, avocados and dark chocolate.
Exercise
Staying active improves your circulation and can help prevent leg cramps.
Most women seem report that cramp and restless leg get worse if they are sitting all day.
Before bed, stretch your calf muscles, pointing and flexing your toes.
You can also lean forward against a wall, stepping one leg back until you feel a stretch in your calves.
Wear comfortable footwear
This is so important in pregnancy.
Not only is your body becoming heavier, but your joints are less stable too!
Good support for your feet and ankles is always important, but especially during pregnancy.
It’s worth it.
Massage
Find someone to give your feet and calves a good massage before bed.
Even better – add lavender, bergamot and chamomile essential oils for relaxation.
and finally
Remember if you get a cramp to stretch out your calf immediately with your toes FLEXED, not pointed.
This should help ease the cramp pretty quickly.
