Restless Legs during pregnancy

[Loubyloulou88]

I'm in my second trimester of pregnancy and for the last 4/5 weeks i've been experiencing restless legs at around bedtime. I find I get in bed and just as I get comfy my legs start tingling and I need to move them to ease the feeling (not brilliant when you're trying to get to sleep!). This can last for around 15 minutes . I've Googled Restless Leg Syndrome and can't seem to find any helpful tips.

Has/does anyone else experience this and if so have anything I can try to ease it? Is this a common symptom during pregnancy?

[LaBelleDamesansTurkey]

Eating a banana every day can help with this.

[Bumpincharge]

I've heard that coconut water is good for this as well.

[Loubyloulou88]

Thanks, they're both worth a try certainly. Where would I get coconut water from?

[WinkyWinkola]

I try to 'exhaust' my legs by stretching them out in the stairs. You know, drop your heel so the calf gets stretched.

Also, I've found it's a sign of my having done too much and being over tired at 36 weeks.

Could this be the same for you?

[Loubyloulou88]

I'll try stretching before bed and see if that helps. I'm 16 weeks pregnant and don't generaly feel tired however I maybe do more than I should (or so i'm told!)

It's such an irritating feeling so i'm willing to try all of these!

[Loubyloulou88]

I have also read that RLS can be connected to iron defficiency. Am I right in thinking that iron defficiency is common in pregnancy? Don't know if this is right though :-/

[2boysandaprincess]

hi i also suffer from rls and im 36 weeks pregnant. its awful i havent found a solution to stopping myself getting it but when i do get it i put my feet in freezing water and the shock sometimes will relieve it or a deep massage and lifting legs high on pillows could help. i have been told eating bananas helps with leg cramps but not this.

[missjackson]

Awful, isn't it? Hot bath just before bed, and LOTS of stretching helps me a bit.

[potatolady]

I have suffered from this in two previous pregnancies and am getting hints of it again with current pregnancy (17 weeks - much earlier than before).

In my case it's always linked to my level of tiredness so I recommend trying not to become too tired - easier said than done I know!

The worst attack I've had was on an overnight longhaul flight at 30wks pregnant. It was horrendous, I was in tears and the cabin crew took pity eventually (tho they'd clearly never heard of rls) and let me lie down in a business class seat. It felt how I imagine some sort of sleep deprivation torture might feel. You have my sympathy.

[RnB]

I've suffered with this too and it's awful. A warm foot bath and foot massage really helps stop the pains at night. Definitely try a pg multivitamin too if you're not already

[Bumpincharge]

I found coconut water with the fresh juice in Tesco. I tend to get this and would love to know what works!

[Loubyloulou88]

Thanks for the comments, I did try some leg stretches before bed and seemed to get off to sleep without any irritation. Will see if this continues to work......

[Loubyloulou88]

Just to update, I tried putting my feet in cold water and really cooling them off for a few minutes. Seems to work long enough to let me get to sleep

Thanks for all you advise

[Brices]

Drives you insane doesn't it

I had this, I had a hand held vibrating massager thing got off eBay cheap and this really helped. It was like I had a different sensation to think about

[ZuleikaD]

Earlier poster is correct - it's connected to iron deficiency.

[WeeLors]

Horrible isn't it, I've had bouts of it since I was a little girl but it gets a lot worse when I'm pregnant. At the moment the thing that really helps me is a hottish bath before bed and walking up and down the stairs during a bout (I'm quite often treading the stairs a couple of times during the night).

Btw, it associated with low iron levels but as I say, I've had it all my life and my iron levels have always been fine during periods when I'm suffering from it so think the reason for it may be more complex than that

[IWantToGoToThere]

When I had it in my first pregnancy, I'd go and stand on the cold bathroom floor for a while which helped. I also used Rescue Remedy (there's a special night time one) which seemed to relax me as well, though not sure if this was the placebo effect or not. It's awful, you have my sympathies. Am hoping not to get it this time round

[Ihateusernames]

I'm 23 weeks and have had really restless legs in the evening too. I've started calling them electric legs because I feel like I'm plugged into the mains! I also saw that it could be linked to iron deficiency. The last time I had a blood test my iron levels were a little low, so I've been trying to top up my pregnancy vitamins every day by having something iron-rich like spinach with dinner or fortified cereal with a glass of orange juice. My doctor said the vitamin C in the orange juice helps you absorb the iron better. It does seem to help a little with my legs.

[Loubyloulou88]

It seems different things seem to work for different people. I'm still finding myself getting out of bed and doing a some simple stretches, don't know if it actually calms it or just takes my mind off it! Plus mentioned it to the midwife but she didn't really seem to make much of it or have any helpful tips, so you guys have definitely been the most help

Thanks again x

[MelBanks]

Bumpincharge You need to be careful with which coconut water you buy... A lot of them say they are organic but are not. I recommend Tiana Organic Coconut Water. I love it and it tastes great.. I can drink it knowing that I am drinking something pure. Try it. Its a brand to trust