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Leg Cramps During Pregnancy
Dear Anai,
I am currently 24 weeks. I am having persistant leg
cramps. They would come on during the night, but lately the cramps do not seem
to go away. I have one in my left calf and inner thigh around the knee that
bothers me when I walk, sit, and even stand during the day. The pain is not
"severe", I have not noticed any signs of swelling, or temperature changes, so
should I be concerned of having DVT?
My water intake is close to 2.5 gallons a day and I
consume 2-3 glasses of milk as well in one day.
Thank you,
Dear Andi,
Unfortunately,
leg cramps are normal during pregnancy. They tend to creep in during the night
(nocturnal leg cramps), which leaves us with less sleep.
There are
things you can do to lessen the cramping:
Eat foods rich in potassium
(2-3 bananas a week seem to help. Never eat bananas daily - you may experience
restricted breathing).
Stretch before getting into bed. Place one foot
forward, sole flat on the floor. Your other foot behind you slightly, again foot
flat. Lean forward - you should feel the stretch in the leg that is positioned
behind you. Do this a few times for each leg before bed.
Dairy,
unfortunately, can make your cramps worse. Protein and phosphorus in the milk
may decrease absorption and retention of
calcium and magnesium. Milk is touted as the perfect food, but it leads to many complications.
Our bodies need
calcium and magnesium, not milk sugars from bovines. Try a supplement that has
at least 500 mg of calcium and 300 mg of magnesium. Avoid the brands that have
calcium phosphate.
Avoid sugar and caffeine during pregnancy if you are
prone to leg cramps. Both have the ability to block the absorption of calcium
and magnesium.
A good web page to review is:
Restless Leg Syndrome
Thank you for writing,
Anai Rhoads
© Copyright 2004 Anai Rhoads.
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