Pregnant & leg / calve cramp

[TraciG]

Here we go again, I had this while pregnant the first time, it started last night, I'm 4 month's pregnant. I must have flew out of my bed , it hurt so much. My calf get's hard as a rock, what can I do to prevent this & why does it happen ?? OOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

[LBW]

I get this too, and it's terrible. I'm at the stage where flying out of bed isn't an option either!

Adding potassium to your diet will help - I do this by eating bananas. I'm also very careful when moving my legs around in bed. I don't stretch them because the cramps usually happen when I stretch out my calf muscles.

[SnuggleBuggles]

-Stretch every night before bed
-eat a banana for the potassium
-take your prenatal vitamins

All of those things help me. When I forget to do them I usually wind up with calf cramps.

These are some additional suggestions from the Dr. Sears' site:

"LEG CRAMPS

Toward the end of the middle trimester and throughout the last one many women are awakened by knot-like cramps in their calf muscles or feet. These cramps are sometimes blamed on an electrolyte imbalance of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. An additional explanation is the decreased circulation to the most active muscles in your legs. Pressure of the uterus on major blood vessels, as well as standing, sitting, or lying for a long time, can slow blood supply to these muscles, causing them to cramp up.
Back to top

5 TIPS TO RELIEVE LEG AND FOOT CRAMPS

1. Massage the muscle. These cramps can be extremely uncomfortable and often awaken you with a painful startle. When the cramp occurs, you can massage the cramped muscle or have your mate rub it to promote circulation.

2. Walk it off. Walk if you can. Getting up and moving around works the best.

3. Stretch it out. If the cramp is severe, lie in bed, grab the toes of your hurting leg, and pull them back toward your head while keeping your knee straight and as close to the mattress as you can. Remember to stretch gradually, avoiding lunging or bouncing movements, which only aggravate the cramp and may even injure the muscles. If your tummy bulge prevents you from bending forward enough to grab your toes, simply straighten your leg out, pressing the back of your knee into the mattress, flexing your toes toward your head.

4. Try supplements. While a calcium-phosphorus imbalance is unlikely to be the cause of your leg cramps, if exercises don't work to relieve leg cramps, you might want to give your calcium supplements a try. Consult with your healthcare provider about taking extra calcium tablets (calcium carbonate) that do not contain phosphorus. In a recent study, women who took magnesium tablets daily experienced less leg cramps. Unless your practitioner advises, it is not safe to eat a low-phosphorus diet while pregnant.

5. Exercise the muscles. The following exercises will help to relieve cramps when they happen, and if you do them faithfully, may prevent them.

* Standing calf stretch. Place the leg with the cramped muscles a foot or so behind your other leg. While keeping your back straight, gently bend the knee on the non-cramped leg so you lean forward, while keeping the cramped leg straight and its heel to the floor. (The forward leg also keeps its heel to the floor.) Don't bounce; just stretch gently. You may find it easier to balance if you press your hands or forearms against the wall while doing this stretching exercise.
* Wall push-ups. Place your hands flat against the wall and step back until your arms are fully extended. Keeping your feet flat on the floor and your back straight, lean in toward the wall while bending your elbows. You should feel your calf muscles stretch comfortably. If it's too much of a stretch, stand closer to the wall.
* Sitting leg stretches. Sitting on the floor, stretch one leg out to the side, foot flexed. Fold your other leg in, foot toward your crotch. While keeping your outstretched leg straight, bend forward and reach toward your toe. Hold this stretched position for a few seconds. Switch sides and repeat. Don't point your toes straight out and pull your heel toward you since that contracts the muscles that are already cramped. "
http://askdrsears.com/html/1/T010600.asp#T010613


Btw, did you ever have an amnio? How did it go?

Beth

[JoyNChrist]

I second (or third) the bananas. Also make sure you're drinking enough water - leg cramps can be a sign of dehydration (although they're common in pregnancy even if you aren't dehydrated).

[scoop22]

ah man.. you just reminded me of something i tried to forget about. i got a few leg cramps with ds but they were bad enough i never want them again. now that i forgot about them i need to make sure i am doing what is recommended. thanks for the post.. i hope they don't get worse for you!

http://b3.lilypie.com/Sd3bm4.png

http://bd.lilypie.com/WtLfm4.png

[Rachels]

I had good luck with a cal/mag supplement and lots of potassium.

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbo...ethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...smilies/bf.jpg

"When you know better, you do better." - Maya

[TraciG]

WOW thanks so much everyone ! Funny I've been afraid to eat banana's because I have been constipated !

I did have the Amnio, I'm waiting, IMPATIENTLY for the results, I should know this week !

[nupe]

1) Hydration.
2) Stretching w/toes toward your head, not away from your head.

[cvanbrunt]

I have to emphasize PP point about stretching. My instinct when those buggers wake me up is to point my toes down. Don't! It hurts more. Pull your toes up. That buys me enough time to wake up hubby and make him rub my calves.

[littlecindy]

eh, everyone told me to drink more water, eat more calcium. nothing worked for me. stretching helped a bit. i've heard now that maybe magnesium helps?