you know those cramps preg people get in their legs....

[ja9]

... can you tell me if they are a sign of a lack of something eg calcium, specific vitamin? i'm sure i read somewhere last preg that they were brought on by a lack of something...

i got them last time, but really bad this time round. was crying in night with cramp that i couldn't get rid of .

Cramp is meant to be quite common in pregnancy. I am sure I have read that eating a banana a day is meant to help.

Potassium - its in bananas.

Mine were chronic as well. Sympathy

being well hydrated and do a calf strecthes at night before you go asleep.

darn it! i got a huge shop from tesco the other night and forgot bananas. i'm in pjs already but sure dh will go to shop for me - means he'll get a better night sleep after all! thanks - big help.

Just seconding that thing about bananas, I eat one a day and don't get cramps anymore. Also avoid coke and diet coke because it has phosphoric acid (?) or something in it which can cause cramps.

Are they cramps or do you have restless legs? For the latter I read that quinine helps, so I drink a glass of tonic water in the evening.

And if bananas don't help, try standing on a cold surface. It does mean getting out of bed at night, but one friend of mine kept a tin tray under her bed and just stood on it - does the trick fast.

I've had restless legs this pg, and drink tonic water, plus getting dh to massage them hard before I go to sleep helps - plus cold water on them pre-bed.

are restless legs when they go all tingly? if so then i get that too.

i don't find that a cold surface helps - we have laminate flooring in our bedroom and withthe window open at night the floor gets cold, but it didn't help me at all the other night when i was in agony.

I was told Calcium by one Midwife, so to drink hot milky drinks at bedtime, milky desserts after tea etc.
Another MW told me it was Potassium!

So who knows.

Try showering your legs with cold water before you go to bed, it helped me.

Tonic water (quinine) is the only thing that works for cramps in my legs. If I don't drink at least two big glasses a day I am woken up a few times a night by it.

Tonic water (quinine) is the only thing that works for cramps in my legs. If I don't drink at least two big glasses a day I am woken up a few times a night by it.

Bananas are great but I would also recommend a leg massage from DH before going to bed it helps me. I get terrible cramp in the night and this really has helped.

You poor thing - it is horrible isn't it. I was told by a nurse that tonic water is excellent due to quinine and bananas due to potassium. I used to get them a lot pre pregnancy and during but you have just made me realise that I haven't had them once since I had my dd two years ago - there is hope for you yet! Hope you get better soon.

Calcium with magnesium and Vitamin D. Keep fluid intake high. Massage. More exercise in general. Try not to gain excess weight. Was researching this last week, those are thought to be best tactics.