Howl - leg cramps at night

[Olivetti]

Anyone else woken up with calf cramps? The agony!!!

[PrivetDancer]

eat more bananas / take a good pregnancy vitamin. It's potassium deficiency I think

[nymphadora]

I have been getting them for weeks. Tried bananas but they gave me indigestion

Think I've pulled a muscle in one after a bad cramp the other night. Now hurts to walk

[cardamomginger]

Yup - horrid!! Make sure you are getting enough salts - potassium, magnesium (according to neurologist mate - should be enough in a good pregnancy multi-vit), and usual salt. Make sure you stay well hydrated as well. Even if that means having to get up more in the night to go to the loo...

[Violet5]

You have my sympathy.

During my last pregnancy i would wake during the night 3 or 4 times a week with the most agonizing cramp in my calf.
Infact weirdly with me and i'm sure its no indicator of gender but i always suffered with them when carrying my girls (have 3 girls) and not once with my boys (have 2 boys).

I was relieved i wasn't suffering in this pregnancy and have just coincidentally found out 2 weeks ago that this baby is a boy. That said i'm getting round ligament pain this time which feels just like cramp in my calves but in my stomach instead

I never found a prevention unfortunately though i'd googled it and tried some suggestions like eating bananas etc (which i don't really love).

Once i'd had my baby they always went away never to return, hope yours die down a bit and you don't get to many more. Sorry can't be more help.

[FunnyLittleFrog]

I had this.

Eat bananas, drink water and stretch your legs before bed. Midwife told me to stand a metre away from the wall and lean towards wall with arms out. Rest there for a moment then flex muscles each leg several times. It did work. On nights I didn't do this I got the cramps badly.

[Cluds]

Me too! I had it with both my previous pregnancies (2 boys, sorry violet5!) but only when I stretched, and pointed my toes, at night. However had a shocker the other night and like you nymphadora the next day thought i had pulled a muscle. It was so painful, my left calf and foot were literally stuck in a claw like position. Manage to control them now by only stretching with my feet flexed, rather than pointed - seems to work for me. Banana's made no difference and i drink between 2 and 3 lts of water a day anyway so don't think it's lack of fluids. Stretching before bed sounds like a good idea as i tend to try and stretch my calf muscles when going up the stairs (put one foot half on the top step and push the back heel part down to strengthen the calf muscle). I do sympathise tho, and hope it gets better!

[Olivetti]

Thanks everyone! Violet - I am having a little girl, so maybe that's it!

[vix206]

Just to chirp in, I'm having a boy and have had leg cramps every single night since I was 20 weeks (now 39+5). I'm afraid to say I have tried everything, bananas, stretching, lots of fluids and nothing has helped. The cramps have just got worse the more pregnant I become! You have my sympathy :)

[fridayschild]

Mine stopped when I wore nothing but flat shoes during the day.

[Violet5]

Seems to have been a girl thing in my case.

Congrats on having a little girl (though she's obv not here yet) hope all goes well and hope some of the stretching other people suggested might help, good luck x

[franke]

When you get a cramp, don't stretch your leg with your toe pointed. Rather keep your foot and leg at right angles and then press downwards with your heel. I found this really helped - hope I've explained it clearly

[suiledonne]

franke I agree. I got terrible leg cramps in pregnancy and DH told me to stretch the leg by pushing into the heel and it really does help.