Charlie Horses during pregnancy- is it common like 'leg cramps'?

I've read leg cramps are common during pregnancy. Does this extend to Charflie Horses?

I was curious if there is a pregnancy/cramp connection to them, and if so, if anyone has had some good experience with prevention and/or relief?

 

Funny you should post this, I had a horrible cramp/Charlie horse in my left calf that woke me up this morning. I couldn't get out of bed fast enough! I average about 3-4 a week, mostly at night. This was a bad one as I am still very sore! I read somewhere it's because the twins are taking so much of my calcium. I always thought it was a lack of potassium that caused cramps?

Normally I just stretch to get rid of the cramp. I will probably be doing calf stretching all day because it's so sore!

I would also love to hear what others are doing to prevent and deal with the cramping!

 

When I was pregnant with my first daughter I used to wake in the middle of the night screaming in pain because my whole calf would be knotted up. My midwife at the time told me to drink a glass of water and eat a banana before bed and it worked like a charm. This pregnancy I have been drinking the protein shakes that are super fortified and following the recommendation in Dr. Luke's book about taking 3 of the calcium/magnesium/zinc capsules 3x a day and I have found that I still get very mild cramping but it is few and far between. I think the connection is that your electrolytes are being used for the babies and if you don't supplement with some extra decreased calcium/potassium/sodium etc. can contribute to muscle aches and charlie horse type of pains. Once you do have one all you can really do is have your hubby massage it out and walk it off. They are the worst!!!

 

I had terrible charlie horses when I was pregnant with all 3 of my boys!! They were awful!! I would stertch and rub my legs.
I am so sorry to all of you that are having this problem!!!

 

My peri had told me to take calcium pills everyday and to NEVER rub the cramp, cause of possible blood clot and that would cause it to dislodge. It worked as well as to stretch while laying down, flexing my feet back and forth.

 

Bananas work! I used to make a point of eating one every day.

Also when you get one bend your knee and flex your foot. It'll go away faster.

 

I got them all the time with my son and occasionally this time around. I found that flexing my foot as soon as I started feeling it would stop them.

 

QUOTE(mstofko21 @ Aug 23 2008, 08:09 AM) [snapback]943885[/snapback]
When I was pregnant with my first daughter I used to wake in the middle of the night screaming in pain because my whole calf would be knotted up. My midwife at the time told me to drink a glass of water and eat a banana before bed and it worked like a charm. This pregnancy I have been drinking the protein shakes that are super fortified and following the recommendation in Dr. Luke's book about taking 3 of the calcium/magnesium/zinc capsules 3x a day and I have found that I still get very mild cramping but it is few and far between. I think the connection is that your electrolytes are being used for the babies and if you don't supplement with some extra decreased calcium/potassium/sodium etc. can contribute to muscle aches and charlie horse type of pains. Once you do have one all you can really do is have your hubby massage it out and walk it off. They are the worst!!!


Same here. I had horrible charlie horses in my calves that woke me up at night during my first pregnancy. I took calcium supplements and drank Slimfast shakes (lots of protein and other vitamins and cheaper than Boost or Ensure) as a morning and afternoon snack. I didn't have a single charlie horse with the twins. I hope you get relief soon. Those are awful.

Christy

 

I had horrible leg cramps/charley horses with both pregnancies. What helped to prevent them was taking a daily calcium supplemnt and trying to eat a banana every day (if I skipped my daily banana, I got a cramp that night!).

When I did get a cramp, I learned that the quickest way to get rid of it was to stand on that leg as soon as possible! Yes, maneuver my giant pregnant body out of bed as quick as I could, and put all my weight on the leg that was cramping! The cramp goes away within seconds!

 

Up until this point in my life, I had not experienced a leg cramp or a charlie horse. Since I've been pregnant, and especially since 28 weeks in, I have had horrible leg cramps or charlie horses. They only happen when I am sleeping and wake me up and make me jump out of bed. Picture that... huge pregnant belly jumping out of bed. It nearly scares my husband more than me with him thinking I'm in labour or something. However, I got relief from drinking milk, something I haven't drank in my life, but since it's working, I'll continue. I have always taken a calcium supplement as well, but adding the milk in seemed to help. Hope you can find something that works for you.

 

Thanks everyone for sharing your feedback and input!

 

I had them frequently during my pregnancy, ugh, they were awful. Bananas are supposed to be helpful but when I was pregnant they made me sick! It's normal though!

 

I always get lots of Charlie's Horses while pregnant. It helps them go away a little faster if you flex your foot. Still, if it's one of those really bad ones ones, you can barely even move that leg and just have to grit it out.