Oh my! During my twin pregnancy, I had HORRIBLE leg cramps in the middle of the night. So bad I had to get out of bed and would end up flopping around the floor like a fish out of water. They were completely debilitating, and lasted several minutes. Even after the episode, my calf was left hurting.
My doctor said that it's not really known why leg cramps during pregnancy happen, but it's common. He said taking extra calcium seem to help some women. My doula (also an RN and homebirth midwife) also advised calcium. She recommended an extra 1200 MG. Don't take calcium w/ other vitamins, as it can block their absorption. 1200 MG needs to be broken up, since the body can only absorb 600 mg at a time. So, I broke it up into 2 doses, with my last dose right before bed. It didn't stop them, but it GREATLY reduced the number of episodes I had, and they definitely were not as severe. My doula recommended BlueBonnet liquid calcium, because she claimed it absorbed better. It seemed to work, so I didn't dare try anything else.
I also found that if I could catch the cramp before it really took hold, and flex my foot (point toes UP), it could curb the cramp. Your reaction is to point your toes, but do the opposite!
So if you find yourself with awful cramps during pregnancy, ask your doctor about taking calcium!
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