Pregnancy and restless legs

[~SleepyWillow~]

I'm at the 30 week mark of my pregnancy *yay* over the past few weeks I have had a few leg cramps in the middle of the night and had to get up to put my feet on the floor and stretch them out...but...they are no where near as annoying as my restless legs!!!! I find Im getting in to bed at night with my pillows lined up just getting off to sleep and all of a sudden my legs have a life of thier own!! Next thing I know Im WIDE awake and I can't get comfortable enough to get back to sleep. Im sooooooooo tired in the mornings! Have any of you other preggie mommys experienced this? Can you suggest something I can do to get it to stop? I don't have much farther to go and for that I'm thankful but I just would love to get a decent nights sleep..it's bad enough Im up twice to use the bathroom and then the baby kicking and the occasional leg cramps...now this Ugh...

[LadyTrinity]

Oh boy.. one of the worst things I experienced was a 48 hour hip and thy pain.. It felt like someone tied each of my legs to 2 cars and slowly drove away splitting my legs right off! It was excruciating and I was practically bed ridden for those days! I begged my ex to rub my legs because it was so painful I thought I would die!! I dont know if its anything like what you are experiencing but OUCHIES!!! I think it was my body adjusting for labour because the leg pains started the same week I gave birth to my son! :flamer:

[Jenne]

No help here...I had the worse painful calf cramps (they say they are dehydration and potassium problems, but I think it's just your legs reacting to hormones) while pg w/my last boy.

I know that you can relax your body better while laying down if you clench and then relax slowly. So try gently curling your toes tightly and then slowly releasing them. Same with your legs (but heels up so that the calves don't bunch and cramp up)...and see if that helps.

Also, sleeping with a pillow between your knees can help keep you comfortable while sleeping on your side, and a pillow under your hips for sleeping on your back (though sleeping on your side is recommended).

HTH :hugz: And congrats on a healthy pregnancy! :bigblue:

[~SleepyWillow~]

Oh the pillow thing is an absolute must...I have had that pillow between my knees for months hehehe. Maybe stretching them out would be a good idea..I know deep tissue massage is a NO NO when it comes to calf cramps..it actually makes them worse. Somebody told me that restless legs can be due to not having enough Lecithin...any thoughts on that?

Trin this particular problem isnt painful..I have had quite a bit of Pelvic shifting which makes me uncomfortable but it hasn't been too bad for me...sounds like thats what you are talking about..

[HorseCrow]

Elevating the foot-end of your bed, can help out. You can do this by placing a brick under each foot of the bed.
A good exercise, is to stand (flat shoes!) and go onto tip-toes, then onto your heel- rocking back and forth for a few minutes. Can also be done lying down, legs in the air, flexing your foot back and forth.
When you can, lie/sit with your legs elevated.
Get plenty of fluids.
Make sure you are getting enough calcium in your diet.
Get hubby to massage and rub your calf.

The reason for cramps+restlessness is not completely clear, but it has to do with the weight of the uterus is cutting off the flow in/to your legs, the reduced levels of calcium and the changed elasticity of the bloodvessels.

[mothwench]

i get that from time to time (not pregnant, though) and my doc prescribed magnesium in high doses for it. is magnesium a no-no when pregnant? if not, try it.

[VelvetBlade]

I started with restless leg syndrome 20 years ago when I was pregnant with my first child. My ob just looked at me like I was crazy when I explained to him what was going on. I've yet to be free of it. It doesn't happen every night, thankfully, but it's such an annoyance. I feel like someone in those nursery rhymes that has those "magic shoes" on that make you have to dance. You really HAVE to move your legs around!! I've yet to find anything to combat it, other than getting up and walking around, and sometimes that doesn't even work. I've increased my magnesium and calcium, but neither did much of anything. And it happens whether I exercise or don't....wear flat shoes or dont....take vitamins or don't....am pregnant or not.
good luck and if you find anything that helps....let me know!!! Just tell your self that this too shall pass...and soon you'll have that beautful babe to walk around with when it happens... :adidas:

~VB

[Khuinaset]

Hey, my mom just told me something that's supposed to work for "restless leg syndrome" and leg cramps, and she said it sounds silly but worked wonders for her. You get a bar of soap - it can't be Ivory or Dove, she used Irish Spring, and put it at the bottom of the mattress between the sheet and the mattress. Good luck, I hope it works :)

[soilsigh aingeal]

Toward the end of my second pregnancy, I had to sleep on my side, but toward the belly, a little bit, with a pillow between my top leg and the bed. It was the only way I could stay comfortable enough to sleep all night. My legs used to fall asleep though, I didn't get cramps unless I lied on my back.

[~SleepyWillow~]

I started with restless leg syndrome 20 years ago when I was pregnant with my first child. My ob just looked at me like I was crazy when I explained to him what was going on. I've yet to be free of it. It doesn't happen every night, thankfully, but it's such an annoyance. I feel like someone in those nursery rhymes that has those "magic shoes" on that make you have to dance. You really HAVE to move your legs around!! I've yet to find anything to combat it, other than getting up and walking around, and sometimes that doesn't even work. I've increased my magnesium and calcium, but neither did much of anything. And it happens whether I exercise or don't....wear flat shoes or dont....take vitamins or don't....am pregnant or not.
good luck and if you find anything that helps....let me know!!! Just tell your self that this too shall pass...and soon you'll have that beautful babe to walk around with when it happens... :adidas:

~VB

I hope it does pass...sounds like you understand where Im coming from...gawd it can be awfully annoying!! If I find something I will definately let you know..



Khuinaset
Hey, my mom just told me something that's supposed to work for "restless leg syndrome" and leg cramps, and she said it sounds silly but worked wonders for her. You get a bar of soap - it can't be Ivory or Dove, she used Irish Spring, and put it at the bottom of the mattress between the sheet and the mattress. Good luck, I hope it works

that is interesting and I will try anything...of course I only have Dove in the house hahahaha go figure! I'll get that Irish Spring ;)

[~SleepyWillow~]

Elevating the foot-end of your bed, can help out. You can do this by placing a brick under each foot of the bed.
A good exercise, is to stand (flat shoes!) and go onto tip-toes, then onto your heel- rocking back and forth for a few minutes. Can also be done lying down, legs in the air, flexing your foot back and forth.
When you can, lie/sit with your legs elevated.
Get plenty of fluids.
Make sure you are getting enough calcium in your diet.
Get hubby to massage and rub your calf.

The reason for cramps+restlessness is not completely clear, but it has to do with the weight of the uterus is cutting off the flow in/to your legs, the reduced levels of calcium and the changed elasticity of the bloodvessels.

You know I sleep on my left side and try to keep my legs elevated when sitting...Im afraid to go into that stretch where my calves are concerned because they cramp up...*ouch* Im drinking tons...maybe this will be something I just can't avoid :sniffsnif