Talk about leg cramps during pregnancy

Author: Zhao Aimei, deputy chief physician of Liaocheng Dongchangfu District Maternal and Child Health Hospital

Reviewer: Cai Rui, Chief Physician, Liaocheng Dongchangfu District Maternal and Child Health Hospital

I believe that pregnant mothers have experienced leg cramps, especially when sleeping at night. Moreover, some pregnant women have cramps for several days in a row, several times a night, and even when turning over. Is this normal or pathological? What causes it? The following are 5 possible reasons for leg cramps during pregnancy. Which one is yours? Let's take a look.

Reason 1: Calcium deficiency

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During pregnancy, pregnant women have an increased need for calcium, because the calcium needed for fetal bone growth is taken from the mother. If pregnant women do not supplement enough calcium, they are prone to calcium deficiency, which increases the excitability of body muscles, causing muscle contraction and cramps. Do pregnant women feel that cramps mostly occur at night? That is because the blood calcium level at night is lower than that during the day, and the body is more likely to be in a state of low calcium.

Reason 2: Improper diet

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In fact, pregnant women need to realize that cramps are not entirely caused by calcium deficiency. It may also be caused by excessive intake of meat at one time. Meat is rich in protein. When the intake is too much, it will affect the metabolism of carbohydrates, leading to the accumulation of acidic metabolites and causing electrolyte disorders. In this way, cramps will come to you!

Reason 3: Overwork

Because the body of a pregnant woman is no longer as light as before, with a big belly, the legs will bear a lot of gravity. If they walk or stand for a long time, the leg muscles will be in a state of fatigue, which will naturally cause muscle cramps.

Reason 4: Cold

Generally at night, especially when sleeping, the surrounding temperature is relatively low. At this time, if the pregnant woman does not keep warm well, covers herself with a thin quilt or exposes her feet, her muscles will get cold and cramps will occur.

Reason 5: Wrong sleeping posture

Pregnant women should avoid lying on their backs for long periods of time when sleeping, because the quilt will press on the soles of their feet, forcing the calf muscles to relax for a long time, causing passive contracture of the calves, and calf cramps will occur.

So how can you relieve cramps? You just need to master the following 5 tips!

1. Adjust your lifestyle

Pregnant women should pay attention to keeping their feet warm when sleeping, especially before falling asleep. They should not let their calves be exposed to cold air. It is also best to sleep in a side-lying position, which is not only good for the breathing of pregnant women and fetuses, but also can relieve the discomfort caused by cramps. When lying flat, you can slightly raise your feet to relax your calf muscles.

2. Pay attention to calcium supplementation in diet

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First of all, pregnant women should eat more calcium-rich foods, such as milk, dairy products, spareribs, dried fish, etc., and also increase their intake of vitamins, especially vitamin D, or pay attention to sunbathing to promote calcium absorption. Secondly, pregnant women can also drink freshly squeezed juices such as orange juice, guava juice or tomato juice to help replenish minerals and prevent cramps.

3. Stretching when you have cramps

When cramps occur, you should immediately put your heels on the ground. If you get cramps while lying flat, you can use your heels to push against the wall and bend your feet upward to help stretch your calf muscles. This small action can help pregnant women relieve cramps.

4. Moderate activity during pregnancy

Pregnant women should exercise moderately. Walking, swimming, yoga or other moderate exercises can help prevent cramps.

5. Hot compress massage

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When a pregnant woman has leg cramps while sleeping at night, she can ask the expectant father to help with hot compresses and massage, which can effectively relieve the pain caused by leg cramps.

Various physical changes will occur during pregnancy. Leg cramps can be easily dealt with with these 5 tips. I wish all pregnant mothers a "good pregnancy" and stay away from pregnancy discomfort.

References

[1] “Dietary Reference Intakes for Chinese Residents (2023 Edition)”.

[2] Guidelines for Pre-pregnancy and Pregnancy Care (2018).

[3] Health Management Branch of Chinese Nutrition Society. Expert consensus on evaluation and improvement of vitamin D nutritional status[J]. Chinese Journal of Health Management, 2023, 04: 245-252.

[4] Liu Xinghui, Su Yixiang, Wang Zhixu, et al. Expert consensus on calcium supplementation for pregnant women in China (2021)[J]. Journal of Practical Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2021, 05: 345-347.