My wife is 5 months pregnant and her leg is cramping....?

Question

Does anyone know what that means? Is it normal or could there be a problem?

Answer 1

I got them really bad and my yoga teach told me take calcium and they stopped, although I dont know if there is medical proof that it helps, it ceritainly did for me. Also taking magnesum might help. Of course its a good idea to check with the doctor before taking anything, but I took these and my doc said it was fine. more tips below but you should Talk to your health care provider right away if:

The pain is frequent and severe
You notice any redness, warmth, swelling or tenderness in your leg


Try these tips for keeping leg cramps at bay:
• Avoid standing or sitting with your legs crossed for long periods of time.

• Stretch your calf muscles regularly during the day and several times before you go to bed.

• Rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes when you sit, eat dinner, or watch TV.

• Take a walk every day, unless your midwife or doctor has advised you not to exercise.

• Avoid getting too tired. Lie down on your left side to improve circulation to and from your legs.

• Stay hydrated during the day by drinking water regularly.

• Try a warm bath before bed to relax your muscles.

• There's some evidence that taking a magnesium supplement in addition to a prenatal vitamin may help some women. Check with your provider before taking any kind of supplement during pregnancy.

Answer 2

Congrats! First is she taking a pre-natal vitamin? it really makes a difference since the baby will take away alot of the vitamins from her. Next make sure she eats a few banana's a week. Low Potassium can cause cramps. Get some carrots too. Just having a few a week will help. Not sure if she is into veggies but hey theres a baby on the way so start eating them so your baby will be healthy and you will get the the good vitamins you need too. Cover with velvetta cheese if you don't like the taste of them plain. Most people don't like cabbage but have you ever tried it fried. They even have a grape seed oil out now that is really awsom and low in everything as far as bad fats. Cut cabbage thin like for slaw and add some garlic at the end of cooking if you like it. The key ingredient is teriyaki sauce. Some seasonings you like even cumin can give it a little bit more zip. It has vitamin K in it and that's a hard one to get in other things. Mostly food wise cramping they are not sure why but I have read on it and it helps me to eat banana's, carrots, and low amounts of magnesium. Remember to much milk can cancel out some vitamins too. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Answer 3

When I was pregnant I would get leg cramps that were so bad I would wake up crying in the middle of the night. They are common although not all women get them. If you want to know more information about what's normal and what's not I suggest babycenter.com or whattoexpect.com they are very helpful.

Answer 4

I hate when people answer these questions with guesses. I had leg cramps with one pregnancy and the Dr. said it was a Potassium deficiency. Have her eat a banana every day. If her leg is cramping have her lay on her back and elevate her leg (high) while rotating her ankle in circles. This keeps the leg above her heart and helps with blood flow...it really works!

Answer 5

I used to get cramps in my calves in the middle of the night when I was pregnant. I had to wake my husband up to rub them out. I asked my OB-GYN about this and she said it's normal and to take 2 calcium pills before bed every night. I still got the cramps every so often, but not as much as before. Plus, I could feel my leg muscle starting to cramp, unlike before, I would just wake up in screaming pain. Once I felt the cramp starting, I'd point my foot up towards the sky and the cramp would go away without having to massage it out.

Answer 6

I think its common but there are a lot of changes and not to mention extra weight to carry which could put pressure on her legs. Maybe give her a leg massage. Tell her to sit somewhere when she gets a cramp and mover only her foot around until she stops feeling the cramp. I've done this many times and it helps.

Answer 7

i am 35 wks with my second pregnancy and I had alot of charlie horses in my lower legs around 6 months. I went to the doctor and asked him what could cause that and how to prevent them because it got to the point that I would have them 3-4 times a day and could hardly walk because my legs were so sore and he (the doc) told me that i might just need some extra calcium and he prescribed me a second prenatal vitamin that was only calcium. So at her next doctor visit have her ask her doctor for some calcium. Make sure that she asks him because the normal vitamins that they give you already have calcium in them and you don't want her to OD on calcium. (I'm not sure what an OD on calcium will cause but I'm sure you nor her want that at this point) Good Luck and congradulation on the new baby.

Answer 8

Leg cramps are absolutely normal during pregnancy, they are one of the more common symptoms in fact. I had leg cramps from about my 5th month on as well. You should both check out http://www.whattoexpect.com/ and www.babycenter.com so you will know what to expect during her pregnancy and what you can do to help. These websites helped me tremendously during my pregnancy with all kinds of questions. And on babycenter.com they have a chat that your wife can log on to and get advice from other mothers and mothers to be. Congrats and good luck!

Answer 9

Have her eat a banana or two that will help stop her leg from cramping. She may be a little low on potassium or calcium either way a banana or 2 should to the trick.

Answer 10

It usually happens in the 3rd trimester. Worse when reclining.

It is due to compression of nerves supplying lower extremities because of enlarging uterus.

Aggravating factors: fatigue, poor peripheral circulation, pointing toes when stretching legs or when walking, drinking more than 1 qt of milk per day.

Self-care: massage and heat over affected muscle, dorsiflex foot until spasm relaxes, stand on cold surface

I would let the doctor know about her leg cramping issue because she is only in her first trimester. I would also eliminate all of the aggravating factors.