Leg cramp….ouch!!!

[Siobhán @ Mams]

Those awful cramps…I remember well. Regular stretching of your calves won’t prevent the cramps, but it will help with the soreness that you get the next day, just like a nice massage will. Drink plenty of fluids and take your tissue salts as recommended by your midwife to help keep your salts balanced.

A simple calf stretch that also tones your arms and your core is to stand about a metre away from a wall, hands on the wall at shoulder height. Gently draw your pelvic floor and your bump as if you are hugging your baby. This sets your core muscles.
Then lean towards the wall bending your elbows and keeping your heals down. Keep looking towards the floor, and your shoulders and breathing realaxed.
Try and hold the stretch for 15 seconds x 3. You can also do 3 second holds x10, if you want to add more toning to the arms.

Best of luck

[Siobhán @ Mams]

Every pregnancy this happens to me; its usually in the middle of the night when I am asleep and I wake up with a spasm type cramp in the back of my leg. Its so painful, I was hopping around our bedroom at 5am this morning with my husband trying to massage the cramp out.

Still sore this morning, so going for a walk now to hopefully clear it up.

Just wondering, why this happens in pregnancy, its the only time it happens to me and is horrible. I did ask a doctor about it and he could not give me a clear answer.

anyone else have this happen? is there a way to prevent it?

[lyn11]

If I spend a lot of time on my feet I get this too and it happens me any time. I have learned to stretch very slowly at night and if I feel a twinge I dont straighten my leg out. Never heard of a way to prevent it, and my sis is an orthopedic surgeon and has no tips 🙁

[suzieQ]

I got these with both my pregnancies too.. they are so sore! It always happened in the middle of the night too.. I started putting a hot water bottle at the backs of my legs at night time and they stopped, not sure if that will help but it worked for me.
I think the reason they happen is something got to do with potassium.. thats what i was told not sure how true that is though!

SuzieQ 😀

[suzieQ]

I got these with both my pregnancies too.. they are so sore! It always happened in the middle of the night too.. I started putting a hot water bottle at the backs of my legs at night time and they stopped, not sure if that will help but it worked for me.
I think the reason they happen is something got to do with potassium.. thats what i was told not sure how true that is though!

SuzieQ 😀

[nickysinglemum]

i still get them and am not even pregnant havent got them in months now. my brother used to get them and gave me great advice move your legs as much as you can before you get in to bed lay on your side cushion between your legs but keep your legs and feet in a straight angle and toes straight it works straight away. its to do with the circulation of the blood flow going up and down your legs thats why the muscle cramps up.

[soccermum]

I was once told it was a small deficiency in zinc. But I was also craving fresh oranges at the time and my doctor told me your body will only crave what it needs and during pregnancy it absoration of zinc is lessen due to your increae in other vitamins especially folic acid.

[rossylisa]

I got this two, its so sore,
eating bananas is meant to work

[chewieodie]

I used to be crippled with them…. so, I hear you loud and clear…. my friend (a dancer) used to massage them out for me…. and used to tell me to try and do gentle stretches…. (the telephone book….. stand with your balls of your feet on the phonebook…. and the heels suspended in the air…. slowly rising up on to your tip toes and then back again….
she was also on about it being due to potassium….

[libby1]

I get these too
Tonic Water is good to drink before bed its normally caused by a deficency.

I massage between my ankle.. it works for me.

[CaliGal]

Take a cambined calcium/magnesium supplement as cramps can be indicative of low calcium levels. The magnesium is important as it helps your body absorb the calcium 😉

[trixiebell]

i always got them too , very painful indeed!

[Siobhán @ Mams]

Thanks for all the tips girls. It has been sore all day today 🙁

My midwife has suggested I take tissue salts so these might help a bit but will start some stretching & massaging the muscles tonight before bed – seem to remember that helped before.

[happymumblemum]

ow ow ow I suffer quite a lot with foot cramps…reading your description was like watching a yawn..my leg started cramping!!!

You are lucky you have such a nice hubby, if i asked for a leg rub in the middle of the night I would get two words ..the first being feck 😆

I think I need a new husband

[Siobhán @ Mams]

Thanks for the tip bodyright, will give that a go (still keeping hubby on standby for lengthly rubbing each night though!!)

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