Many women experience unpleasant and painful leg cramps during pregnancy. They will be awakened in the middle of the night in severe pain as their calf muscles tighten. These are caused by physical and physiological changes that occur during pregnancy and unfortunately there are no guaranteed cure for them. Yet there are steps that can be taken that their number and severity can be reduced.
What brings on the legs cramps during pregnancy?
There are many reasons why you do not start experiencing leg cramps. Although previously thought cramps occurred due to a lack of calcium, studies indicate that this is a long way from the story related to cramp. Instead, it is speculated that your leg muscles do not get enough blood, which can result in cramping of the muscles. During pregnancy your body needs more blood to the fetus support. On average this means your body will create 50 percent more blood than before pregnancy. With all your daily activities can essentially blood pool and ensure that the traffic to slow. When this happens the veins in your legs may swell and that will lead to pain and cramps.
Speaking of blood, the baby in your womb is a part of the cause. If your fetus grows your uterus grows and this may make it difficult for blood to travel through the veins to your heart. Although the journey is not impossible it's certainly a slower journey. Because of this slow perfusion top of your legs may swell and cause more cramping all day and especially at night.
As your pregnant belly grows your mass starts to increase. Simply means that your legs and your muscles need more support during the last days. It is extra work that your muscles tire and can cause cramps.
What can I do to ease pains in the leg Cramping?
If you have a leg cramp or pain can range from a dull pain to range from being kicked by a horse. In fact, these cramps are so severe that they can you wake from a dead sleep. When your muscles begin to cramp your priority will be an immediate solution to relieve spasm in the muscle.
If you suddenly hit by a sharp spasm one of the best things that you can do is to stop and breath. In general, leg cramps worsen due to the feeling of panic that sets in. Instead, try to focus on just relaxing by a few deep breaths. From there, you are going to want to gently stretch your leg. You can do this by trying to slowly flex your foot. If you've reached this determination or someone gently massage the affected muscles. If your muscles are still tense, you might want to use an ice pack to reduce any swelling. If the muscle is still tender you may want to think about taking a hot bath to help your muscles soother. As you are able to carefully get up and walk at the base to ensure that the muscles function properly.
Is there anything I can do to prevent cramps in the legs?
While leg cramps are very common during pregnancy, there are methods you can follow to ease your pain. For example, try to gently stretch your leg muscles at night before going to bed. Do not be aggressive because that can actually cause cramps. Instead you should focus on creating a gentle stretch to relax and soothe your tired muscles.
Additionally you will want to make sure that you participate in a regular exercise routine. In general, walking and swimming are good activities for pregnant women. Make sure you stretch before and after each exercise to ensure that your muscles a chance to warm up and cool well have. Make sure you drink plenty of water daily. If you are not drinking enough water can be that dehydrated muscles are unable to fully relax.
Take a look at your diet to make sure that you have enough vitamins and minerals in your diet. If you wish to examine your diet to ensure you get the right amounts of calcium, magnesium and potassium as there is some evidence that sufficient quantities of these minerals may increase the likelihood of developing cramps increase.
Should I call the doctor?
Where doubt is always best to consult your doctor. Do not forget your doctor is there to help, so you want to ensure that you use them for that. If you have problems severe and frequent cramps you should definitely speak with your doctor. Also, if you become aware of pain or swelling in the legs and / or feet then let your doctor know.
Article Source: Richard Lane
