Leg and foot cramps in pregnancy: causes and remedies

Leg and foot cramps in pregnancy: causes and remedies
Fonte: shutterstock

Cramps in the legs and feet in pregnancy

Many of us sometimes suffer from painful ones cramps in the calf muscle or toes, especially in summer, but this disorder is certainly more frequent during pregnancy. In fact, it is estimated that about half of expectant mothers suffer from cramps especially in the second and third trimester of gestation. Let's see what are the causes, the symptoms and how we can prevent them cramps in pregnancy.





In this article

Causes

Le causes of cramps in pregnancy are not very clear, it is possible that pregnancy affects the metabolism, but other causes are:



  • poor or excessive exercise,
  • electrolyte imbalances,
  • vitamin deficiencies.

Also, the causes of cramps include:

  • Changes in blood circulation caused by pregnancy: circulation slows down and this can favor the appearance of cramps. This is why it is always important to maintain an active lifestyle, to stretch and exercise regularly, and to walk often throughout the day.
  • Keep your legs raised as much as possible when sitting or lying can promote circulation and also reduce swelling in the lower limbs, another very common ailment in expectant mothers.
  • Pregnancy-related weight gain can also affect your risk of having cramps: the pressure of weight, combined with the additional pressure caused by the growing baby, can impact muscles, blood vessels and nerves.
  • Dehydration: can potentially cause leg cramps. Increasing your water intake is one of the easiest ways to deal with leg cramps.

Symptoms

Leg cramps occur suddenly with sharp and sudden pain, usually in the calf muscles or feet, and are caused by a shortening and spasm of the muscle.



They may last a few seconds, but the muscle then remains sore and contracted even for a few hours. It can make walking and moving difficult. Like many pregnancy symptoms, leg cramps tend to appear in the third trimester.

Read also: Swollen legs and feet in pregnancy

Remedies

Regular and gentle exercises they could help reduce the number and severity of episodes, but are also very useful during cramps. How to do them?

  • Vigorously bend and stretch your foot up and down
    Rotate the foot a little clockwise and a little counterclockwise
  • Pull the toes towards the ankle or vigorously massage the muscle.

When a cramp occurs, stretch and massage the muscle immediately.

Grandma's remedies

Although it is commonly believed that potassium or magnesium are effective in reducing and preventing muscle cramps, there is no consensus evidence. However, you can ask your gynecologist if it would be useful to take a supplement of magnesium, potassium, calcium, vitamin B or vitamin C.

Some tips and grandmother's remedies for prevent cramps in pregnancy:

  • Avoid standing for too long or sitting cross-legged
  • Stretch your calf muscles all day and right before bed
  • Stay hydrated
  • Stay active, with pregnancy gymnastics that includes swimming, walking and prenatal yoga
  • Raise your legs as high as possible
  • Drink adequately to prevent dehydration.

What to do for cramps at night?

In many cases, cramps come on suddenly while sleeping and can hinder the quality and duration of nighttime sleep, which is so important during pregnancy. What to do then?

  • getting out of bed and walking on your heels for a while before going back to sleep
  • remove the covers to leave the feet and legs free
  • raise your feet by placing them on a pillow and trying not to have your toes pointing downwards.

When to worry

Rarely, leg cramps can be a sign of something more serious like a clot, which can affect 1-2 in a thousand pregnancies. If cramps are extremely common it is important to contact your doctor.

References

  • NHS

TAG:
  • pregnancy cramps
  • sleep in pregnancy
add a comment of Leg and foot cramps in pregnancy: causes and remedies
Comment sent successfully! We will review it in the next few hours.