Middle of the night leg cramps – aaaaggghhhh!

It isn’t one of the common pregnancy ailments you might have heard about before but it is something that comes up in pretty much every antenatal group I teach. Sometimes every week, with women sharing their experiences and tips on how to reduce or stop those painful night cramps.

Leg cramps can happen at any stage of pregnancy and can be really frequent or occasional but lots of women do experience them. It can be horribly painful, waking you up shouting or crying out as you sit up or get out of bed faster than you thought possible at this point in your pregnancy. You might even have your partner reaching for the hospital bag thinking this is it!

The cause of leg cramps in pregnancy isn’t clear. There are many suggestions because there are many changes happening in your body which alter different things and it really could be any or a combination of them, Unfortunately that means there isn’t a quick and easy fix either.

With an increase in your blood volume in pregnancy your circulation changes and you might have some changes in the balance of electrolytes in your body. There might be changes in the pressure on your nerves, or the impact of weight gain on your muscles or differences in the usual amount of vitamins and minerals in your body.

Whatever causes it, it can certainly be unpleasant; disrupting your sleep, painful for the time it lasts and maybe even causing pain into the next day.

What can you do to help reduce cramps?

Do some calf stretches before bed, lean forward hands on a wall with your feet flat to the floor. You might feel it more if you take the weight on one foot at a time.

As soon as you start to feel cramp stretch the muscles, flex your foot and practice your breathing. I got quite good at this! As soon as a cramp woke me up I was quickly stretching out the muscles without even sitting up.

A little massage can help to ease away the tightness. A leg message before bed might help too.

Make sure you drink plenty so you stay hydrated during the day to keep the electrolytes in balance.

If you are able to exercise that might be helpful, even walking to keep yourself active during the day.

A bath or shower before bed is worth a try, some people prefer a localised ice option (on your legs, don’t go jumping in an ice bath).

The most likely supplements/foods likely to make a difference are calcium and magnesium although studies are a bit mixed. If you want to increase your magnesium you could try more green leafy veg, seeds, beans, tofu, nuts, avocados and (happily) dark chocolate. Magnesium also helps absorption of calcium so make sure you also have plenty of calcium rich dairy. Although not topping the magnesium list, bananas are also a source and something that is anecdotally suggested for avoiding leg cramps.

For the majority, leg cramps are annoying, disruptive, short term pain and not of any medical concern. Occasionally they can be a sign of something some significant going on.

If pain persists for more than 10 minutes, if it is accompanied by redness or swelling in your leg or the achy pain lasts into the next day or affects your ability to walk, speak to your  midwife or GP to rule out the possibility of blood clots.  

If you are really struggling with frequent cramps maybe try keeping a diary. Make a note of when they are worse and what you did or ate that day. For example, see if you do lots of walking or more sitting, if that leads to more or less cramps maybe you will have an idea of what you need to consider but also maybe if there are nights you can expect cramp because of the sort of day you had.

If you want some general stretching and gentle movements come and join me for pregnancy yoga in Pinner https://www.bethowen.uk/birthing

Beth x