Night time leg cramps. Owwwww!

[SicknSpan]

My calves are so sore every day because of the awful cramp I get 2 or 3 times a night which seems me bolting out of bed and trying to ease my legs back into non-cramp positions! Am 21+6. Remember it with my two other babies too. Ouch.

Anyone else suffering?

Drink some tonic water. It helped when I was pregnant and suffering from cramps in my legs.

or it didn't but I could imagine there was a large gin in the glass too and that made me happy

Im not there yet with the cramps but can feel itit's not far off. Best advice I was ever given was some stretching exercises to do when I went to bed. Lie on your back and rotate your foot 10 times one way then 10 times other way. When you've done that pull your toes upto your knees 10 times so you can feel the calf stretching. Then do the other leg. If your really good (took me ages to master) do both legs at same time. Stopped my cramps completely.

Others have been advised that bananas are supposed to help.

Thanks ferret I will try that- funny enough I went through a phase craving it and the leg cramps weren't happening then- will give it a go!

A banana and tonic water before bed. ...worked for me!

Slightly- am munching a banana as I type so that's good news. Altbough I find that extending my toes either pointy or flexed up leads to cramp- just in different places. Calf or- bizarrely- the top of my foot/ shin. Glad something worked for you though.

It's the rotating first that should stop any other cramps. I'm going to bed with a hot water bottle at mo, I rest my calfs on it for a bit before I go to sleep.

You can add magnesium to the routine, it is a natural muscle relaxant and perfectly safe in pregnancy. It is not uncommon to have magnesium deficiency in pregnancy because you need a lot to build the baby's skeleton. Natural sources are nuts, baked beans, wholemeal and kale.

hi there

iv been drinking coconut water (loaded with potassium and good for keeping hydrated) and also taking magnesium supplements and doing stretches.

mine kicked in around 18 weeks this time and improvedquite quickly with the above.

now 38 weeks and still doing same things as terrified ofrecurrence. ouch, i feel for you.

Me! Had one in my foot and ankle the other day and it was awful! Horrid, isn't it? Thanks for the coconut water tip kittyelise, I've been drinking it lately, so will be a bit more consistent!

dats 27+2

Another vote for magnesium. My midwife told me to start taking it (outside of the pre natal supplement, which has a small amount) so i'm taking 150mg extra a day. Think it's helping!