Among other discomforts during pregnancy, a woman may experience leg cramps. Leg cramps can occur at any point in the pregnancy but most women start experiencing them in the second and third trimesters.
Half of all pregnant women experience leg cramps during the duration of their pregnancies especially at night and while sleeping. Most women will experience the cramping in the calf since that is the muscle used most often in the leg.
Causes of Leg Cramps While Pregnant
Leg cramps can occur in anybody due to a lack of fluids, injury, muscle strain, poor blood circulation, pressure on the spinal nerves or staying in the same position for too long.
It isn't exactly known why pregnant women get leg cramps more often than the general population.
Some possible causes for the increase may be:
- blood circulation changes
- pressure of the growing baby on the nerves and blood vessels that connect to the legs
- stress on leg muscles due to the extra weight of the pregnancy
It was once thought a lack of calcium intake during pregnancy was to blame for leg cramps. This theory has been proven false.
Relieving and Preventing Leg Cramps During Pregnancy
Leg cramps start suddenly and can be very painful. Women will definitely want immediate relief.
Women should first be eating a well-balanced diet. Along with eating healthy, she should also be drinking plenty of fluids, especially water.
To relieve a leg cramp a woman can relax the muscle through massage or heating the muscle with a warm towel or heating pad. A woman can also straighten her leg out and wiggle her toes or take a walk. All of these techniques should help alleviate the pain.
To try to avoid a leg cramp there are many methods. Taking a warm bath before bed will relax the leg muscles and hopefully ward off a leg cramp while sleeping. Another method is exercise. Regular exercise, even just a walk around the block, can help prevent leg cramps. Avoid sitting or standing in the same position for a long period of time since this will restrict blood flow and can cause a leg cramp.
Along with taking a bath before bedtime, take time to stretch the legs but do not point the toes.
Leg cramps are common during pregnancy and don't pose any harm. A woman should talk to her doctor if swelling, redness, warmth and/or tenderness accompanies her leg cramps.
Sources
- March of Dimes, “Leg Cramps” (accessed March 21, 2011)
- American Pregnancy Association, “Pregnancy and Leg Cramps” (accessed March 21, 2011)
Tamara Frank - My name is Tamara Frank and have been writing for Suite101 for two years. I have self-published a book titled "Lessons I Learned From ...
