According to the American Pregnancy Association, over 50% of the pregnant women experience muscle cramps, especially during the second and the third trimester. Leg cramps are pain that you experience due to contraction of muscles at the back of the calf. Usually, the cramps are reported to occur at night and are common among pregnant women. Along with cramps some expecting mothers also experience muscle spasms in the back, abdomen, feet or hands.
Though experts have not been able to find out the reason for the sudden experiencing of cramps among pregnant women, some theories do suggest that it may be due to fatigue, uterus’s pressure on certain nerves and also due to reduced blood circulation in the legs due to the pressure of the baby on blood vessels.
Some of the experts are also of the opinion that the occurrence of cramps in the legs might also be due to deficiency of calcium, magnesium or even due to dehydration. As it is a common phenomenon, you need not worry about it as the cramps will disappear after you deliver the child. But it is important that you make some necessary lifestyle changes that can help in alleviating the discomfort. Take a look at the remedies:
- Walking and stretching
Many of the pregnant women involve themselves in one physical exercise or the other to be physically active but do not stretch their muscles before and after the exercise which can increase the chances of cramps. Hence, start stretching your muscles before and after exercise and also before you go to bed. Do remember not to involve yourself in any kind of stretch that requires you to lie on your back.
Walking is another remedy that you can use to reduce the frequency of cramps during pregnancy as talking walk sends a signal to your brain that the muscles need to contract and then relax. Hence it will ease the muscles and provide quick relief from the pain.
- Ice pack
Using an ice pack and placing it on the area from where you are experiencing the pain can help in providing relief from the pain. Grab a handful of ice cubes, wrap it in a thin cloth and place it on the sore muscles for about 15 minutes. You need to repeat this process every 2 hours to get the best results.
- Warm Compress
If you are not comfortable with using the ice cubes, you can apply warm compress on the affected area and get instant relief from pain. As the heat from the warm compress helps in relaxing the muscles, it results in reducing the pain due to cramps. Using warm compress also helps in increasing the blood circulation and the healing process.
- Epsom Salt Soak
As the cramps might also appear due to deficiency of magnesium you can try Epsom salt soak as the magnesium present in the Epsom salt promotes relaxation of muscles and also quick healing, hence reducing the symptoms of cramps to a great extent. If you do not have heart problems or high blood pressure, you can also take an Epsom salt bath.
- Massage
Massage during pregnancy is very important and one of the effective ways to alleviate pain due to cramps. Just apply some warm olive oil or coconut oil on the affected area and massage the area for a while. It is recommended that you ask your partner or friends to massage the area and not do it on your own.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar is found to extremely helpful in soothing away the pain from the leg cramps during pregnancy. As it is rich in potassium, it helps in reducing the frequency and intensity of leg cramps. It also helps in balancing the fluids in the body, which means you will never feel dehydrated.
- Magnesium
Food items like almonds, avocado, pumpkin seeds, cashews, bananas, whole grains are found to be rich in magnesium and can help in getting instant relief from pain. As magnesium deficiency is one of the common causes of leg cramps, doctors and health experts recommend you to intake food rich Kn magnesium to treat muscle cramps during pregnancy. This is because magnesium tends to stimulate re-uptake of calcium in the body and hence helps in maintaining strong muscles and bones.
- Potassium
Low levels of potassium in the body may result in you experiencing leg cramps, vomiting weakness, constipation, fatigue and also an abnormal heart rhythm. Nutrition experts have revealed that potassium is an important factor which can aid proper functioning of the muscles and nerves and hence prevent cramping of the muscles. Potassium also helps in quick absorption of calcium and magnesium. So, do make sure that you include foods that are rich in potassium in your daily diet.
- Water
Proper hydration is an important factor that decides how efficiently your body functions. Drinking adequate water helps in better blood circulation and hence helps in reducing the frequency of cramps and also their intensity.
- Blackstrap Molasses
Blackstrap molasses are found to be full of vital nutrients, hence, gain importance in treating all kinds of muscle cramps. As molasses are rich in calcium and potassium, both of which are important for muscle health, it can help in preventing leg cramps during pregnancy.
If even after using these remedies/home treatments you leg cramps keep frequently then you have to contact your doctor immediately. Also please stay away from painkillers completely as you have to be extra careful about what you consume during your pregnancy.