Why Do Pregnant Women Experience Leg Cramps? Tips for Relief

Pain and cramps in the legs and legs usually start in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. If there are a lot of cramps, there may be continuous pain for a few days, but there is no need to worry about it.

Leg cramps are especially common in the second half of pregnancy, when pregnancy weight gain, pregnancy swelling, and pregnancy fatigue start to occur and can cause trouble sleeping. Unfortunately, most women experience leg cramps by the third trimester. However, drinking plenty of water and eating a well-balanced diet can reduce leg cramps.

(Read more - Every Mother Should Know : Pregnancy Problems)

Cramps or pain in the legs and feet are very common during pregnancy. It is usually felt in the second trimester and gets worse as your pregnancy progresses. Although there is no sure or specific answer to this problem during pregnancy, the following are some possible causes that can cause leg pain during pregnancy.

(Read more - Leg Pain in Women: Causes and Remedies)

• Excess weight during pregnancy or fatigue due to weight gain is a common cause of leg cramps in obese people. Weight issues become more important when the mother-to-be does not follow a proper vegetarian diet. It is said that consuming only 300 calories a day is enough to meet the nutritional needs of the growing baby in the mother's womb. But eating too much fat is not good as it can lead to excessive weight gain.
• The growth of your uterus puts pressure on the veins that transfer blood from the legs to the heart, which can obstruct blood circulation and hence cramps. Women who are not pregnant also experience it. It is also said that when people sit cross-legged for a long time or put pressure on one body part for a long time, they do not feel anything for some time until the blood circulation starts again. The same applies to pregnant women as well.
• If your diet is high in phosphorus but low in calcium or magnesium, it reduces the amount of nutrients and salts circulating in your blood. Apart from this, this deficiency also occurs because the baby in the womb also uses them.
• The progesterone hormone affects the muscles of your legs. This hormone is believed to be responsible for leg cramps during pregnancy. These cramps occur more at night due to fatigue and water retention.
• Sometimes pain can also occur due to thinning of arteries. Severe condition of arteriosclerosis (deposition of fat in arteries) can also cause leg cramps. Sometimes this severe pain is also caused by exercise. It usually stops when you stop working for a while.
• Taking diuretics and medicines for blood pressure can cause mineral deficiency. Very low levels of calcium, potassium and magnesium can cause leg cramps.

(Read more - Muscle Spasms)

About half of all pregnant women are affected by leg cramps, and it usually occurs during the second and third trimesters. Weight gain, hormonal changes, dehydration, pressure exerted by the fetus on nerves and blood vessels lead to decreased blood circulation, which leads to leg cramps. Follow these simple strategies to prevent pain:

• First, focus on stretching your calves and feet. Stretch a little before going to bed and do the same before and after exercising.
• You can try stretching your calves while sitting. For this, you will need two chairs and a scarf. Now sit on one chair and place your feet on the other chair. Place the scarf on the protruding part of your toes and pull the scarf towards you. You should feel a stretch in the muscles of your toes and calves. Stay in this position for 30 seconds and repeat the same exercise on the other leg.
• You can also try standing calf stretches to relieve leg cramps during pregnancy. For this exercise, you need to wear well-fitting shoes and stand on a flat surface. Maintain a distance of 2-3 feet from the wall. Place your hands on the wall. Slowly bend forward and feel the stretch in your calf muscles. To complete the stretch, move your hands up the wall until you are standing straight. 

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• Keep drinking some water in between exercises to avoid exhaustion in summer.
• You can take rest in between prenatal yoga and exercises. Light exercises like walking and aqua aerobics improve blood circulation and can help reduce the chances of leg cramps.
• Keep changing your position i.e. do not stand or sit for a long time. If you have a job, keep taking breaks to stretch the body and legs.
• Take a prenatal massage as it improves blood circulation and also reduces swelling.
• Medical support or compression stockings help reduce swelling, increase blood circulation in the legs and ankles.
• Use a stocking or cloth filled with rice or a hot water bottle to compress the affected area to reduce pain and swelling.

(Read more - Calf pain)

Sometimes muscles get contracted by external force, which causes muscle cramps. It takes some time for the muscles to relax but the pain is really sharp and unbearable. Muscle cramps can occur due to electrolyte imbalance and lack of nutrition in the body. There can be other reasons for muscle cramps that can affect any part of the body. To reduce this pain and get relief, follow these easy steps:

• Drink plenty of water. Drink water before sleeping at night as well because fluids are released from the body when you sleep.
• It is important to warm up before exercise, even if it is for a short duration. It is important to prepare the body before stretching the muscles. Always do some stretching exercises before going to bed at night.
• You can avoid muscle cramps by maintaining regularity in exercise. You can also hire a personal trainer, who can decide when, how much and which exercises you need to do with what intensity. However, sudden changes in exercises can also cause muscle cramps. Regularity in exercise helps the body to generate resistance against cramps.
• Night time is especially not good for pregnant women as they feel pain and cramps more intense at this time. If you are pregnant and are having muscle cramps with a lot of pain, then take calcium and magnesium supplements after asking your doctor.
• Do not do things that make you tired. Take adequate rest to avoid cramps.
• Take bananas, raw avocados, baked potatoes, cooked spinach and skimmed milk to get more potassium.
• Drink coconut water to correct the disturbed electrolyte balance and thus prevent muscle cramps to a great extent.

If the pain is persistent and severe enough, that is, if there is swelling or redness in the painful area, then talk to the doctor. In very rare cases, it happens that blood clots start forming in the veins, which requires treatment.

(Read more - How To Take Care During Pregnancy)

Leg pain and cramps are a common problem during pregnancy, which can be reduced with some simple measures. First of all, doing light stretching and leg exercises daily relaxes the muscles and improves blood circulation. Consuming magnesium-rich foods, such as bananas and green leafy vegetables, can be helpful in reducing muscle cramps. Apart from this, drinking enough water and keeping the body hydrated also relieves cramps. Keeping the legs elevated with pillows while sleeping and applying hot water also provides relief. If the pain is severe, then a doctor should be consulted.