On the hell that is leg cramps...

[littlemslazybones]

How did I get this far in life thinking a leg cramp was just a bit of a muscle twinge? I woke up howling last night while my calf shrivelled to the size of an orange and turned to rock, I'm still hobbling around a bit today.

This is my 3rd pregnancy and I'm 30 weeks in. Now that it's happened once does it carry on for the duration? Is there much I can do to prevent it again?

Are you taking a multivitamin with minerals as low magnesium can cause cramps. The other option is to get some Epsom salts (ebay or amazon) and dissolve a cup in your bath before bed as the magnesium will absorb through your skin. No guarantee it will work but worth a try.

At the physio session I went to they recommended circling your foot before bed - like the exercises you get on planes to prevent DVT.

Be lucky that you got to 30 weeks without one!! Mine started at 22 weeks and I've been having them roughly once or twice a week since - leaving me with the feeling I've pulled a calf muscle for days after. :(
A friend of mine drinks salty water to prevent leg cramps (but his are from sports activity..). I've started using them as a way to prepare for the pain that will be in labour - trying to just accept the pain rather than push against it.

Leg cramps are often associated with mineral deficiency - Potassium or magnesium are generally blamed. So ... take your vitamins sensibly, eat foods high in both (bananas for example), plus another "cure" is said to be quinine (tonic water or bitter lemon).
I got a couple of nasty cramps when preg with DD, and learnt that if I stretched the right way I could avoid them. So far this has also been successful with DC2 (36weeks): When you stretch your legs, don't point your feet, but flex them up towards your knees.

My midwife (22) yrs ago advised I drink orange juice with tonic water... Oj to replace salts and tw for quinine. Worked on my nxt 2 pregnancies.

A banana every day did the trick for me. Hope it gets better soon

Thanks for your suggestions. I do take pregnacare but it looks like is only supplies 40% RDA for magnesium, so I might be short.

I really enjoy orange juice, tonic and bananas so I can definitely get more into my diet and Epsom salts in the bath sounds easily do-able. It's not often when the things that help are so easy/ pleasant.

I scared the life out of my dh when I sat bolt upright and started yelling. It'll help to know what it is now & what to do if it happens again.

Thanks for your help.