What to do during pregnancy cramps

Pregnant women often experience cramps. Although cramps are not a big problem, they will still have a certain impact on pregnant women. So what should you do if you have cramps during pregnancy? Next, this article will introduce you to what to do if you have cramps during pregnancy. Friends who want to know more about this can continue reading! Please see the detailed introduction below.

Pregnancy cramps are a morbid phenomenon in the syndrome of pregnancy discomfort. They usually occur at night and are usually painful contractions of the gastrocnemius (commonly known as calf) and foot muscles. Or when you get up in the morning, you may stretch and get cramps in the soles of your feet, calves, abdomen, or waist muscles.

What to do if you have cramps during pregnancy? Pregnancy cramps can be relieved by:

1. Lifting your feet and heating the body is effective

Keep your lower limbs warm when sleeping, especially before going to sleep. Do not expose your calves to wind or cold air directly, and lie on your side to relieve symptoms. Do not over-fatigue and avoid walking too much or standing for too long. When resting, you can lie flat and lift your feet slightly, stretch your toes upward, which can relax the muscles in the back of the calf and reduce swelling and discomfort. Massage the cramped foot muscles frequently to increase circulation and facilitate the elimination of metabolites, and you can combine it with hot compresses. When taking a bath at night, soak your legs in hot water for 10 minutes, the effect will be more significant.

2. Eating habits

Eat more calcium-rich foods, such as milk, dairy products (cheese, cottage cheese), ribs, and dried fish, to increase vitamin intake (especially vitamin D); eat less salty and pickled foods such as sausages and canned foods to avoid edema. Drinking several glasses of fresh orange, guava or tomato juice every day to replenish minerals is a way to prevent cramps.

3. When you have a cramp, put your feet on the ground immediately

When cramps occur, you can get out of bed with your heels touching the ground, or lie flat with your heels against a wall; you can also bend your feet upward to stretch your calves; in addition, straighten your knees, lift your feet toward your knees, bend them upward, and carefully move your ankles in circles to relieve symptoms. However, if the cramps are severe, you should consult a doctor.

4. Stretching exercises during pregnancy

Lie flat or on your back, bend your knees at a 45-degree angle and stand up, with your back and soles of your feet pressed against the floor. Maintain this position, then stick your abdomen out as much as possible, making the muscles of your spine, back and buttocks arched, and then return to the original position. Starting from the fourth month of pregnancy, take it twice a day, three times each time. By repeating this movement, you can relax and contract the pelvic and waist muscles, and soften the muscles of the birth canal exit. You can do the same movements while sitting at home or in a car, because the main movement is on the back and waist, and you don't have to lie down to do it.

5. Clothing

You can choose comfortable maternity clothes and match them with knee-length elastic socks. The elastic socks can be made of thicker and more elastic materials, such as cotton, wool and elastic fiber blended materials, which are more comfortable and sweat-absorbent than stockings-type elastic socks. The height difference between the toes and heels of the shoes worn by pregnant women should not be too large. You can choose flat-soled shoes or thick-soled shoes with high front and high back, or air cushion shoes, and the shoes should have a soft body that fits the foot well.

The above is an introduction on what to do if you have cramps during pregnancy. I believe that after reading the above introduction, you already know what to do if you have cramps during pregnancy. In fact, pregnant women can effectively relieve pregnancy cramps by just following the methods described above! I hope that the introduction in this article will be helpful to pregnant friends.