twitchy legs - cures?

[mummytobejuly2014]

31wks preg & i sit at a desk for 8hrs a day. get up & walk abt every so often. come home, make dinner then twitchy legs start. any cures?

For restless legs in pregnancy the midwife recommend tonic water. I used drink a big glass every evening. Seemed to help a bit.

magnesium supplements can also help. take one just before you go to bed.

I had really bad restless legs - then I started taking magnesium supplements and drinking tonic water. - has been miles better ever since

have to take iron tablets. got a level of 10 when it should be over 105. could that be a related factor?

I had this badly with both pregnancies and one really odd old wives tale that totally worked for me whilst in bed was to put a bar of soap under the bottom sherry, near your calves! No idea why it worked but it meant I didn't spend all night with twitchy legs!

I have this so badly sometimes it makes me wake up screaming (assuming I've got to sleep in the first place...). What I find helps:

Tonic water - at least a glass a day

Exercise - but don't over-exercise as that makes it worse too. Difficult getting the balance right sometimes!

Two paracetamol before bed

Drinking plenty through the evening - Consultant said it can be linked to or exacerbated by dehydration

Getting DP to stretch my calf muscles for me (ie lying on my back with my leg in the air and having him push them straight and then flex my toes back)

Calf massage

Hot water bottle underneath my calves when I'm lying down

Codeine (prescribed this anyway, but not sure if they'd give you it just for restless legs, though you could ask)

Good luck!