Any cures for leg cramps?!

[blankfornames]

Hi, I'm 30 weeks and have suffered with leg cramps from early on, but they are getting worse every night. I woke up with 3 in the night last night and i flung myself out of the bed so forcefully to stand at wall at one stage, that i think I pulled a stomach muscle!
Any tips are most welcome!!

Vinegar....depends how desperate, if they are bad you will use a teaspoon of vinegar to stop them

Bananas.....

Ivykaty, do you mean a teaspoon on it's own before bed? I'm willing to give anything a go at this stage!

Are you drinking enough water? Every time I get them if I think back to the day before I've been really busy at work and not had enough.

Bananas are good because of their potassium content, but any other fruit that is high in potassium should do the trick before bed - I found pure fruit juice, dried fruit, kiwis and tinned peaches all worked, though I don't have any acid reflux and know some of those are quite acidic.

Magnesium tablets

Tonic water, and calf stretches before bed.

Magnesium. I prefer the spray oil, a few sprays in my armpits daily. Last pregnancy I had massive leg cramp, woke screaming from the pain, this pregnancy none. You can also spray the oil on lower back if it sore and it helps.

I've been finding coconut water helpful. However could be coincidental!

What pickled said, I got them when dehydrated. I only got the hang of it towards the end of pregnancy though - drinking so much water!

I found it was linked to iron deficiency- in my second pregnancy I took ferrous sulphate supplements (prescribed for low iron levels) and had no restless legs- first pregnancy was horrendous and I tried pillows to stop the amount of blood going to my legs- that's what worked best first time round

Increase your milk intake

Thanks for advice ladies. Prob not drinking enough water. Will try eating banana before bed also. Here's hoping!!

Just take the vinegar on a teaspoon as you get the cramp and it will stop....just keep by your bed

I went to GP after cramp at 17 weeks hoping to get prescription for magnesium. Instead he sent me to A&E to check for DVT. It was Friday evening so scan could be done only on Monday. So after 4 hours in A&E and nearly shouting at the doctor there, who wasn't listening to me and staring at my tits all this time I got a pack of prefilled Dalteparin syringes and had to administer them myself in the tummy until Monday. Scan didn't reveal any clots, so shots were pointless.
After that I haven't had even one cramp, but even if I did, I wouldn't go to GP with it. The worst experience ever.

Stand about 50cm from a wall. Place your hands on the wall and lean in with your legs straight so can you feel your calf muscles stretching. Do this a lot before bedtime. Five minutes a night. I've not had cramps at all since I started doing this.

Drink plenty of water through the day, and have someone massage your calves before bed, every night. Just make sure they follow the advice on massaging towards the heart etc. I had horrendous leg cramps until about a month ago (38 weeks now) and now they've been replaced by acid reflux when you feel it coming on, try to remember to stretch your heel down and not your toes, as this seems to have a different effect on the calf muscles and sometimes stops the cramp completely for me.

Magnesium, it's quite important to have enough as in some cases magnesium deficiencies are associated with per term labour (according to my gynea).

I suffered terribly with leg cramps with my first pregnancy (less so with this one it seems). My midwife suggested a small bottle of tonic water before bed. It seemed to really help.

Also, when you feel a cramp coming on, flex your foot up (toes towards knee), not down. You may have worked this out already but I find it stops most craps before they get bad.

Stretches and full fat tonic water (sadly no gin)

Thanks so much ladies. Drank loads of water last night, had no cramp last night..so possible connection there! Will try the others also!