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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Anyone else with restless legs?

12 replies

KatnKankles · 05/03/2010 00:29

I'm 30 weeks pregnant with my fourth child and I can't keep them still..........

It's the most annoying thing ever and only seems to be bad at night, as if peeing every 3 hours and weird dreams aren't enough!!

Any advice?

OP posts:

cordonbleugh · 05/03/2010 00:36

I had this, sooooooooo annoying! I really sympathise! The only thing that made a slight difference was sleeping with one of those long sausage pillows filled with the stuff thats in beanbags. like this

And then you can use it to prop baby up with after you've given birth. I actually got so used to sleeping with it that I still sleep with one now.......DD will be 4 this year!

Original poster

KatnKankles · 05/03/2010 01:14

Hi Cb, thanks for the reply.

I have one of those but DH keeps whinging that it takes up half the bed . I have found it helps though.

Think I might sleep downstairs tonight as I can't keep bloody still and poor DH has to be up for work (he's very nice and patient really).

Consoling myself that I only have 9 weeks and 5 days until my due date

OP posts:

Granny23 · 05/03/2010 02:14

Oh I do sympathise, I have restless leg permanently now and one of my DDs had it during both pregnancies. The good news is that it WILL stop when your baby arrives. I have only found two things that work (and believe me I have tried everything). One is to turn night into day. I find that I can sleep fine between say 05.00 am and 20.00 pm. Now that I am retired I tend to work/play at night and go to bed at 4/5, sleep till 10/11 do what I have to do in the day time and catch a nap from 16.00 to 18.00 so that I get my eight hours. You could try this when your maternity leave starts.

The only other, quite unexpected thing that worked was when we went across Canada to Vancouver. Legs would jump in the daytime there, but I slept like a log every night! Bit of a drastic solution and my Doctor said it would have adjusted to night time if I had been there longer than 2 weeks.

BellasYummyMummy · 05/03/2010 09:07

i suffered sooo badly with this earlier on in my pregnancy, around the same time as you! i also started using my sausage pillow and found it really helped!! i also stopped going to bed so early which has made a difference too. am 40 weeks now and havent had it for about 3 weeks touch wood
it's awful, i would end up getting out of bed and walking around downstairs at 3 in the morning.

PanicMode · 05/03/2010 17:20

I have had this with every pregnancy and it's got progressively worse with each one - I am also pg with DC4, due end April, and I am counting the days!!

I am afraid that I haven't found anything that works - I have tried all of the suggested remedies - bananas, iron rich foods, warm baths, massage etc, but at the moment I am pacing from about 2pm until I go to bed. If I fall asleep immediately, then I'm ok, but if I wake up or can't get to sleep then I really am suffering - so you have my huge sympathy.

I'm afraid the only thing I have found that works for me is delivering the baby....hence counting the days.....

sarah293 · 05/03/2010 17:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

porcamiseria · 05/03/2010 17:33

me too, mild but annoying and I am only 14 weeks. just try and wiggle them, wearing tights not helping either

velcro · 05/03/2010 20:11

I've had it during the last two pregnancies and have found the only thing that works for me is tonic water. It takes a day of drinking it for it to kick in but once it does the relief of not spending nights with my legs riverdancing around the bed is amazing.

anotherusername · 05/03/2010 20:17

Hahah, I get the peeing every 3 hours, amazing how I seem to have a full bladder several times a night without drinking any more fluids at all

and weird dreams, my god, my children's limbs falling off has been a popular one

I get deadlegs, quite randomly, not restless..

(34-35 weeks pregnant)

hazeyjane · 05/03/2010 20:21

Definitely try tonic water (has to be one with high quinine content, so Schweppes is good). I am pregnant with dc3 (22 weeks) and have just stocked up with some, as this is when restless, achey legs usually kicks in with me - it really helped in previous pregnancies.

Original poster

KatnKankles · 05/03/2010 20:27

Thanks all

Granny23, it's interesting what you say about sleep patterns. I am on a year out from university and my other DCs are at school so I do have all day to myself. I have always had problems sleeping at night but can drop off during the day no problems!

I tend to drop DD2 off at school then go back to bed for a few hours. I don't get to bed/sleep until around 3am, it seems to work for now. Until the Easter holidays

OP posts:

PanicMode · 06/03/2010 21:35

You should not have quinine in pregnancy, so don't drink the tonic water!!

I just discussed this with my brother, who is a doctor and he has advised that (in quantity), it is a teratogenic drug (ie has the potential to harm a foetus) so he told me categorically not to try it (I'd been very excited about the potential of a 'cure')

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