Leg cramps can come as an unwelcome surprise

A woman I know told me this story: in her ninth month of pregnancy, she woke up screaming with pain. Her hus­band sleepily jumped up, grabbed their packed suitcase, and started ushering her off to the hospital.



They were practically out the door before she could make him understand that it wasn't labor, it was a leg cramp!

Indeed, leg cramps can provide some of the most painful episodes of pregnancy. These spasms of the calf muscles, usually lasting a few miserable minutes, can attack anyone at any time, but they are especially common during pregnancy for some unknown reason.

Although calcium, magnesium, potassium and quinine all have been recommended in the past as pre­vention for leg cramps, none has been shown to be effective for pregnancy-related cramping.




Many mums-­to-be find that the cramp begins when they point their toes, so putting a bolster or pillow at the foot of your bed can sometimes be helpful in limiting your leg movements. Some pregnant women find that doing some gentle stretches before going to bed at night helps ward off leg cramps. Once a cramp starts, stretching the calf muscle by flexing the ankle upward and massaging the calf can help diminish the cramp.

As a general rule, leg pain that doesn't go away in a matter of a few hours, or that is accompanied by swelling or difficulty walking, should be evaluated by a doctor.