Boston Babies

leg cramps

I am 32 weeks along and for the past week or so I have been waking up in the middle of the night with horrible charlie horse knots in my legs. Last night I woke up four times its awful and extremely painful. I have been taking all my vitamins and been drinking plenty of water...any ideas??

Re: leg cramps

  • I read that you may need some more calcium and otassium too.  Good luck!
  • I found out recently that this is a normal pregnancy symptom. It sucks - happens to me every morning when I start to wake up. It's quite the rude awakening, that's for sure!
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • Loading the player...
  • I've been dealing with foot & leg cramps for weeks!  They sometimes hit in the evening but are usually the worst overnight. I've found that drinking a lot of water helps but doesn't always help to stop it.  I saw that stretching can help so in the past week I've been trying to stretch my legs & feet a few times every day and definitely right before bed.  I have had a LOT less cramping.  It may just be coincidence but I'll keep doing it just in case. 

    Stretch Routine = Rotate foot in circles to the right at least 10 times, switch direction and rotate foot in circles to the left at least 10 times, and point/ flex toes at least 10 times.  Switch to other foot.  Repeat whole routine at least 3 times a day. 

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker image
  • hate to say it, but it's definitely just another "symptom" that comes with pregnancy, and there isn't much you can do about it. Sometimes elevating your feet/legs helps. Hope it goes away soon for you!
    Lilypie Fourth Birthday tickers Lilypie Third Birthday tickers Lilypie First Birthday tickers
  • Taking extra calcium ABSOLUTELY helps!  I had the same problem with both of my pregnancies.  My cramps went away after taking calcium.  I took 2 calcium pills a day.  It was miraculous.
  • Okay, this is going to sound really weird (really weird!)  but someone told me that if you put a wrapped bar of soap (a bar of soap that you just bought at the store w/the wrapper still on type thing) at the foot of your bed underneath the sheets, then that will stop the leg cramps. 

     I tried this when I was about 37 weeks pg w/my second.  I suffered from horrendous leg cramps - upper/inner thigh leg cramps that couldn't be walked or massaged out.  So for the last 2 weeks that I was pg, I tried this and no cramps.  I can't swear by it, but it can't hurt, right?

     I gues it's an old wive's tale.  Not one that I've ever heard of before.  Don't ask me what magic powers a wrapped bar of soap has on leg cramps.  Nothing I can think of makes any sense what-so-ever.  Again, can't hurt and it's cheap!

     Good luck!

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • Someone just told me about the " soap" trick last night and she swears by it. I have been waking up at least once a  night with a charlie horse so I am going to try the soap trick tonight and see what happens
  •  Just htought I woudl share that the last two mights I slept and put the sopa at the foot of the bed wrapped up and it worked.
  • Elevation and flexing the foot so your toes are pointing up toward your face help me most in the moment.  I try to stretch the leg with the foot pointed up several times a day (when I am waiting in line,  when I'm cooking dinner, etc).  Also I found that exercise like walking or bike riding helps to prevent them or at least makes the cramps less intense.

     

    Good luck 

  • Bananas Bananas Bananas !!!

    Their high levels of potassium will prevent the leg cramps. My first one was so bad I woke up screaming, I ate a banana every day thereafter and didn't get them anymore. I thought I was safe but after not having a banana in a couple of weeks it happened again ! Now I eat bananas at least twice a week but if your getting them often I would eat them once a day! 

This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"