Do you have bad experience about leg cramps?
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
Philippines
October 22, 2009 2:09pm CST
Have you ever wonder why pregnant women suffer much from leg cramps? Leg cramps is common for pregnant women specially those who are in their second trimester, the bigger the belly becomes the greater chance of getting leg cramps. It is because our leg muscles get tired of carrying around extra weight. It is also caused by long standing, sitting with leg crossed, too much walking and exercise.
I remember back when I was pregnant, my leg cramps usually strike at night. Sometimes the pain was waking me up. I need to ask my husband to calm those cramps. He strenghtens my legs, heel first and gently flex my back toward my shins.
What about you? Do you have bad leg cramps experience? How do you calm the pain?
3 people like this
18 responses
@OpinionatedLady (5966)
• United States
20 Apr 10
No leg cramps but I keep getting the feeling that I have water running down my legs and I never do. My Dr. said it is a nerve thing and that it will go away but it is so weird!
@OpinionatedLady (5966)
• United States
24 Apr 10
I have no clue what the actual name is but I am sure there us one. I have had it with each pregnancy and I had two different Dr.s tell me it was from nerves being bumped or having pressure on them.
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
24 Apr 10
Oh I hope I wont experience that OpinionatedLady... Is it painful as leg cramps or more painful? Nerves are pressured because we are carrying additional weight, just the same cause of leg cramps? Maybe it is another kind of leg cramps - a relative of that...
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
22 Apr 10
Never had an experience like that, and it is actually the first I heard about that too... That is something new to me. Does this happened when you were pregnant, OpinionatedLady?
I agree with, it is a bit weird... So what was it exactlty according to the doctor? How do they called that?? I mean, what is the name??? 
@sylviamak (60)
• Singapore
28 Oct 09
I had similar experience before. I asked my doctor for advice. She gave me multivitamin and calcium for supplement. Whenever I feel leg cramps, I tell myself to relax. When I relax, I can do a bit of massage to my leg and slowly get up from my bed. It helped.
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
29 Oct 09
Hi sylviamak! Mind controls our emotions... that sure works. We really have our own different ways of dealing with leg cramps. Thanks you for sharing! And welcome to mylot! 
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
31 Oct 09
I believe in that too, sylviamak. Baby can hear us, they know and feel if we are happy and sad. I also believe that talking to them while they are inside your womb helps alot in developing and making them more intelectual.
@sylviamak (60)
• Singapore
30 Oct 09
I hope this will be helpful for you. In fact, you can start to use your mind and heart to communicate with your unborn baby. You can ask the baby to help and co-operate with you so that it will give a smooth and wonderful pregnancy.
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
12 Apr 10
I've only experienced it once. It was when I was pregnant with my youngest. Though it happened in my 3rd trimester, not my second. I had been on my legs too long one day while I was 8 months pregnant. Like you, I woke up to terrible leg cramps in the middle of the night. Oh the pain was awful! I didn't want to wake my husband though so I just suffered through the pain until it subsided enough for me to fall back to sleep. Needless to say, I never want to go through that again! It was worse than labor itself! Okay, so that's probably an exaggeration, but it was pretty bad just the same! LOL
Happy mylotting!
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
12 Apr 10
I agree you have exagerated it a bit sacmom... leg cramps is not worst than labor pain but yeah it is really painful! I never want to experience it again..
But on the second thought... It actually depends, for some doesn't experience very painful labor... Yeah, may be you are right, leg cramps is more painful than labor itself FOR OTHERS. 
@shell2784 (752)
• United States
22 Oct 09
When I was pregnant I think it wasn't until my 3rd trimester that I started getting leg cramps and it was only first thing in the morning and it was only once or twice a week or so. I know it was a pain in the butt... and after like the third or fourth day of trying to rub the cramps out and everything with no success... the one morning I got them (always in both legs) and I said "eff it. I'm not dealing with this today" so I planted my feet flat on the ground as to get out of bed and they instantly disapeared! And that worked everytime there after! When I have my next child it better work the same!
So... not to sound rude... but does that mean extremely heavy people get charlie horses like... constantly?
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
22 Oct 09
I am not so sure about that but I think the reason why pregnant women have this leg cramps is because we are not use to that weight. It is a stress and pressure to carry additional weight. But for them... since that is their normal weight and they are use to that..hahaha I don't know. It might be true or false
@shell2784 (752)
• United States
22 Oct 09
well... maybe that will be the next discussion... but like, when I was pregnant I was up to 245lbs... and I was 245lbs for 2 months or so... you'd think my body would be used to that. lol... I might hae to ask my doctor about that some time. lol
@shadow41 (2351)
• Philippines
23 Oct 09
I usually have leg cramps before. Like you, it happens usually when I'm sleeping. It's really painful. Super painful. What I do is bend my knees and push my foot to the wall. It really helps.
shadow41
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
23 Oct 09
That cramps is like nightmare!!! I really hate leg cramps, I wish I won't suffer again to that. Before I sleep I do some toes wiggle and put up my legs for about 5 to 10 minutes. Those also help as preventive measure.
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
24 Oct 09
No problem I am sure it will work on you too... Just don't strain your muscles that much.
Just don't strain your muscles that much. @aguas_aj (498)
• Philippines
8 Dec 09
well, luckily for me, i did not have much of leg cramps when I was still pregnant but whenever I sore my feet, I just raise my feet on a pillow while I'm laying or slouching. I also try to soak it to warm water and have a massage from my loving husband.And it works, it relaxes my muscles fast.
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
8 Dec 09
A massage from your love one is really relaxing!!! And very sweet! Elevating our legs after a long walk or standing or sitting is always a good way to make the blood on our legs circulates...
Thanks for responding aguas_aj! Have a nice day!
PS
Yes you are lucky because you did not experience that!!!
Elevating our legs after a long walk or standing or sitting is always a good way to make the blood on our legs circulates...
Thanks for responding aguas_aj! Have a nice day!
PS
Yes you are lucky because you did not experience that!!! 
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
23 Oct 09
Right kunizzul, it is like frozen and really painful at the same time. It is good to have somebody do the pushing on our feet.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
23 Oct 09
When I was pregnant the second time I suffered with cramps in my legs all the time. I believe that part of the reason that I had them so much was because I have damage in my lower back so it took less weight to cause the pressure to shift around and it was so very painful. The way that I would ease the cramps was to stand up and do a few leg lifts and also roll around on my feet. Standing first on my heels, and then on my tiptoes and then normal until the pain would go away. It always worked for me.
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
23 Oct 09
Wow that is hard to do... especially if your legs are cramping... I cannot do that... it is good that my husband was always beside me when I am suffering from that. I don't think I can ease the pain alone. 
@amyson (3498)
• Philippines
23 Oct 09
yes several times when i sit down for long hours example when i am traveling for long hours it gives me leg cramps so i just massage it from time to time.it is painful because i cannot move my legs.sometimes when i woke up at night i have leg cramps too maybe because of my blood circulation didnt pass good and it build up that is why it cause pain and lack of oxygen also trigger factors.
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
23 Oct 09
Poor blood circulations on our legs really trigger leg cramps. That is why we need to wiggle our toes and rotate our ankles to prevent that from happening. That cramps is really horrible.
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
23 Oct 09
The only times that i have ever had bad leg cramps was when i was pregnant. i would wake my husband up in the middle of the night with my tossing and turning. he would think the baby was coming after all of my commotion. I just hated the feeling of those leg cramps. Nothing i did seemed to help, I tried rubbing my legs, but that didn't seem to do anything to really ease the pain. It may have helped me feel better, but it did nothing for the cramps. I couldn't wait for the cramp to pass.
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
23 Oct 09
I am also waking up my husband when I am having leg cramps. But he never thinks that I am about to give birth when I am doing that... That is a bit funny...
Next time you encounter that ask your husband to gently flex your toes back toward your shins. That is painful but it will gradually ease the pain.
@alwayzzcitra (1861)
• Indonesia
23 Oct 09
I am 30 weeks pregnant with my first and I have started to get leg cramps already. It usually strikes me at midnight and it wakes me up. It's kinda annoying, because sleeping is not easy for me and being interrupted by that pain really gets on my nerves. Are there any simple remedies for this?
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
23 Oct 09
Hi alwayzzcitra! That is really annoying to hear... You can try these tips (these helped me too):
1. Stretch your calf muscle regularly during the day and before going to sleep
2. Exercise your ankles by rotating and wiggling your toes --regularly, as often as possible especially if you are sitting down for a long time.
3. Avoid getting too tired
4. Walk
5. Lie down on your side to improve blood circulation.
6. Slightly put up your legs for about 5 to 10 minutes.
And lastly
7. Drink lots of water.
You can also ask your OB for magnesium supplement. Calcium does help also. Good luck you and your baby!
@hexeduser22 (7253)
• Philippines
23 Oct 09
I've had a bad experience on leg cramps. Leg cramps usually wakes me up in the morning specially when it is really cold. It really hurts and I'm really panicking whenever it strikes. I apply pressure on my legs and try to relax and never move, not even an inch, until the pain subsides.
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
23 Oct 09
Cold weather usually triggers leg cramps... The pain will really wakes you up, you can hardly move your leg because it feels like a stiff. The pain is really terrible! 
@jndlponti (2402)
• Philippines
10 Nov 09
I always do suffer of leg cramps when I was pregnant. I am a mother of one child since it is very dangerous for me to carry another child. I was bed rest the whole duration of my pregnancy. But still suffers leg cramps for I have a habit of streaching my legs and my arms.
My leg cramps always strike at night. The pain would wake me up. I could not even touch my leg anymore for I have a big belly already. My husband is the one who calms the pain. He would raise my leg a bit, straighten the muscles gently from heel first gently flex.
That leg crams really is painful. But when my doctor ordered me to drink VitaminB regularly. My leg would not cramp anymore.
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
10 Nov 09
leg cramps are usually trigerred by poor circulations of blood. It is really painful to have that, my husband was the one who calms my leg cramps too, back when I was pregnant...
@Catwife (54)
• China
23 Oct 09
I have very little leg cramps,not very frequent!Cramp up,but is difficult to be,in particular,hurt!My friend almost every morning before getting up would be leg cramps,it should be cold!Look to see if he is a very painful!Roll straighe in bed,but still under the doctor's good to ask!
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
24 Oct 09
Oh that is bad and terrible. Imagine she needs to face mornings with pain of cramps. She better see the doctor and ask what causing that... I just can't imagine how she gets scared of waking up because of that...
@liquorice (3887)
•
22 Oct 09
I had leg cramps a few times when I was pregnant. It was when I was in bed at night. It was a horrible feeling, but luckily I didn't get it much. A friend of mine had it really badly though and she had it a lot. The doctor prescribed her some magnesium tablets which helped her. I've also read that cramps can be a result of a potassium or calcium deficiency, so taking these supplements would perhaps also help. (But obviously always consult a doctor or pharmacist beforehand).
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
22 Oct 09
Taking calcium and potassium was said to help lessen leg cramps but there is no specific study to back up that theory, though calcium is really good for pregnant women; it is a good idea still... your baby needs calcium for his bones.
Yes magnesium tablets supplements has real benefits. It was prescribed to me as well. Thanks liquorice for sharing!
@diamania (7011)
• Netherlands
22 Oct 09
I am not pregnant, would be pretty weird if I was, but I do have leg cramps at night once in a while. Taking a walk is necessary then otherwise I won't be able to walk at all when waking up.
The pain is really horrible but the only fix for me is to take a walk, how difficult and or painful it might be.
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
23 Oct 09
You really cannot be pregnant . It's going to be weird and you will be in the genius book record if that happens . It is nice to know that you can still manage to walk while you are having cramps. That is really hard and painful.
. It's going to be weird and you will be in the genius book record if that happens . It is nice to know that you can still manage to walk while you are having cramps. That is really hard and painful.
@jeanmtdb (30)
• United States
23 Oct 09
When I was pregnant I have leg cramps during the nights. It was really painful and would wake me up. I would get up and walk around and they would go away, but then they would come back. My doctor told me to drink more water and gave me calcium and magnesium. I still had the cramps but not as bad. My mother said to put on a very high heel and wear it to bed. That worked. It was probably a combination of everything but just one thing didnt work by itself.
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
23 Oct 09
Heloo there juanmtdb! Welcome to mylot! It is good to hear that your leg cramps is lessened. Those that you cited really prevent cramps. I also did those when I was pregnant. 
@stephanie3162003 (19)
• United States
22 Oct 09
When I was pregnant with both of my children I had bad leg cramps. I got them every night and I still get them sometimes of course not as bad as it was when I was pregnant. I always just walk around a little bit and eat something and then go back to bed and if I still have them I lay on my stomch and move my legs a little bit of course I didn't lay my stomch when I was pregnant. lol!
@lovelyn_medrano (3070)
• Philippines
22 Oct 09
Yes stephanie3162003, it usually strikes at night. When your muscles are relaxed and your lie down position hinders good circulation that usually happens. It will help if we will winggle our toes too.
