You’re most likely to get leg cramps during pregnancy when you’re resting– but these painful spasms can stand between you and a great night’s sleep.
Why Am I Having Leg Cramps During Pregnancy?
Nobody truly understands why pregnant women get more leg cramps. It’s possible that your leg muscles are tired from bring around all of your additional weight. Or they might be intensified by the pressure your broadening uterus puts on the capillary that return blood from your legs to your heart and the nerves that lead from your trunk to your legs.
Leg cramps might start to pester you during your 2nd trimester and may get worse as your pregnancy advances and your belly gets bigger. While these cramps can take place throughout the day, you’ll most likely see them most during the night, when they can interfere with your ability to obtain an excellent night’s sleep.
Really bad cramps (like a charley horse) can cause pain for a few days, which’s nothing to worry about. But if the pain is severe and relentless (and if you discover swelling or redness in the area), speak with your specialist– in some uncommon cases you could have a blood clot that requires medical treatment.
How Can I Prevent Leg Cramps?
Attempt these pointers for keeping leg cramps at bay:
- Prevent standing or sitting with your legs crossed for extended periods of time.
- Stretch your calf muscles frequently during the day and several times prior to you go to bed.
- Turn your ankles and wiggle your toes when you sit, eat supper, or enjoy book
- Take a walk every day, unless your midwife or doctor has actually recommended you not to exercise.
- Avoid getting too exhausted. Rest on your left side to enhance circulation to and from your legs.
- Stay hydrated throughout the day by drinking water routinely.
- Try a warm bath prior to bed to relax your muscles.
Some research suggests that taking a magnesium supplement in addition to a prenatal vitamin may help some women avoid leg cramps. Nevertheless, other research showed that magnesium supplements had no significant result on the frequency or intensity of leg cramps during pregnancy. Talk to your supplier prior to taking any sort of supplement during pregnancy.
You might have heard that having leg cramps is a sign that you require more calcium, and that calcium supplements will relieve the issue. Though it’s certainly essential to obtain enough calcium, there’s no great evidence that taking additional calcium will assist avoid leg cramps during pregnancy. In truth, in one well-designed research study, pregnant women taking calcium got no more remedy for leg cramps than those taking a placebo.
What’s the Best Method to Eliminate a Cramp When I Get One?
If you do get a cramp, immediately stretch your calf muscles: Straighten your leg, heel first, and gently bend your toes back towards your shins. It might harm at first, but it will relieve the spasm and the pain will slowly disappear.
You can attempt to relax the cramp by rubbing the muscle or warming it with a hot water bottle. Walking around for a few minutes may assist too.
What if the Pain Continues?
Call your professional if your muscle pain is continuous and not just an occasional cramp or if you notice swelling, soreness, or tenderness in your leg, or the area feels warm to your touch. These might be signs of an embolism, which requires immediate medical attention. Embolism are reasonably rare, but they’re more common during pregnancy.
