Calf pain

[che222]

Opinion please! I’m 27 weeks pregnant and for the past two nights I have woken up at around 5am. Both times I have been woken up because I have a sudden pain in my calf, like I have a trapped nerve. Obviously the pain is so bad it wakes me up. Each night it’s been a different leg (I think!) that’s given me this pain. I keep searching it online but don’t get many results.

I find I usually have to sit up, massage my calf and then if I get up to walk to the toilet I’m almost limping. I’ve been walking around shopping today and both of my calves have felt uncomfortable.

Should I be worried, I’ve been googling DVT symptoms? Or is this normal and some of you have experienced this too? If it happens again tonight, I feel like I might ring 111…

Eat more potassium rich food like bananas.
I sometimes get calf cramps if I wear high heels and low ones in the same day.

If it happens at night and only lasts a few seconds/minutes then it’s just a leg cramp! Totally harmless and common in pregnancy. You don’t need to call 111.

If you have calf pain that is constant, hurts when you walk, is red or swollen then that could be a blood clot.

It’s okay, it’s just cramp.
I had it loads in my first pregnancy - and it was always exactly like you - in bed, wake up to agonising lower leg cramps.

I never found anything to improve it, and weirdly I never got it in my second pregnancy - it was just was one of those random pregnancy things.

Link below - doesn’t provide a solution really but at least you know it’s a normal thing:

https://www.nct.org.uk/pregnancy/worries-and-discomforts/common-discomforts/leg-cramps-during-pregnancy-how-avoid-them

It’s important to rule out a DVT. Definitely call 111. It’s impossible to say definitively that it’s just cramp.

I had them through my 2nd trimester so annoying :( sometimes my whole leg would seize up and my foot would get trapped in a position too so I couldn’t wiggle my foot to make the calf feel better 😩 Some were agony couldn’t even walk and would have to massage it out.

Try taking magnesium at night it helps x

It's in both legs so it sounds like it's cramp but all the same you should get it checked out.

In the mean time keep hydrated, drink lots of water and put your feet up whenever possible.

Same, I never normally get cramp but during pregnancy I would wake up with shooting leg pains that kept me awake. Not all the time, but some nights were pretty bad.

This was a KILLER in my pregnancy. If it’s at all reassuring to know I think that pain was probably worse than giving birth 😂 nothing helped get rid of it for me unfortunately but I do think potassium and magnesium (through food not supplements) are supposed to help. Also when it happens getting out of bed and trying to ‘stand’ on the leg (though you’ll prob want to support yourself!)