Legs Cramps, Aches and Pain during Pregnancy

Aches during pregnancy, pain in leg, leg cramps at night, are common pregnancy signs. No one has been able to know the reason why women have more leg cramps during pregnancy. The possibility that legs might tire due to the extra weight you put on during pregnancy. Leg pain can also be aggravated by the pressure that is exerted by the expanding uterus on the blood vessels that carry blood from your legs to the heart and the nerves that connect from your trunk to your legs.

You might feel pain in leg or leg cramps at night and this plagues you during the second trimester. As the pregnancy progresses it might worsen as your belly bulges even more.

During the second trimester the aches and pains will be fewer and will be milder than the aches in the first trimester. The pains and aches during the second trimester are a lot due to the growth of the baby. At the 12th week or the start of the second trimester the baby is small and your uterus can expand further. But, at the start of the third trimester you baby will grow four times more in size. Uterus grows to the point that it does not fit in your pelvis anymore. This causes rearranging inside your body and a change in the center of gravity. Thus, it is common to experience pain in the back. You need to exercise and maintain a good posture to relieve yourself from this pain.

Other common ache during pregnancy is heartburn or indigestion. Your uterus is expanding and putting pressure on your stomach, and thus you are bound to experience an acid flux. You need to avoid this by not consuming fried foods and not becoming too full.

Preventing leg cramps during pregnancy: • Avoid standing or sitting cross legged for longer period of time • Stretch the calf muscles on a regular basis in the day time and several times before you sleep. • Wiggle your toes and rotate your ankles when you sit, watch TV or even eat dinner. • Walk every day unless your doctor has advised otherwise. • Avoid getting tired and lie down on the left side to improve the circulation to and from your legs. • Drink water frequently and stay hydrated. • Take a warm water bath before you go to bed; this will relax your muscles.

Research shows that magnesium supplements with prenatal vitamins help some women. But, take the advice of your doctor before you take any kind of supplements.

It is a general view that calcium deficiency is the cause of leg cramps and calcium supplements might relieve you from them. Calcium is vital for your body but there is no substantial evidence that calcium in extra amount will prevent leg cramps during pregnancy.

When you get a cramp you need to stretch your calf muscles immediately. Straighten your legs, and heels first and flex your toes, backwards towards the shin. This will ease the spasm and the pain will go gradually.

If the pain continues, and it is not occasional or if you notice swelling or tenderness on the leg visit a doctor. There might be a blood clot which requires immediate medical advice. This is rare but you cannot take the risk during pregnancy.