feet and lift your toes towards your knees. And avoid lying on your back, as this may decrease the circulation in your legs.
Drink plenty of water during the day; staying well-hydrated helps muscles contract and relax properly. Resting with your legs elevated (up on a wall or propped on pillows), wearing support stockings, and keeping your legs warm (try a bath right before bedtime) may all help ward off muscle spasms.
Sometimes cramps can occur at night because a heavy comforter or blankets weigh down on a woman’s upturned feet. To prevent this, lighten up on the blankets or lie on your side. It’s something most pregnant women end up doing, anyway.
An adequate supply of calcium is necessary to support your bones and muscles, along with those of your developing baby. It’s smart to take a calcium supplement and include plenty of calcium-rich food in your diet.
You need about 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day. Dairy products are a good source — three to four glasses of nonfat or low-fat milk do the trick. Nondairy sources of calcium include tofu, salmon, dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, or bok choy, and blackstrap molasses. Again, calcium in pregnancy is a good idea to supply calcium for the baby’s growing bones.
There is some evidence that another mineral — magnesium — may help reduce leg muscle spasms. However, check with your doctor before taking any supplement during your pregnancy.
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When should you call the doctor?
If your leg cramps are severe, frequent, or significantly disturb your sleep, talk with your doctor about treatments that may bring some relief. Swelling or tenderness in your leg may be signs of a condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which means you have a blood clot in a vein that’s deep inside your body.
DVT requires immediate medical attention, because the clot can break off and travel to your lungs where it can prove fatal. Staying in one position for a long time — sitting on a plane, for instance — may increase the likelihood of DVT. Be sure to get up and move around when you fly or have been sitting at your desk for a while. If you have any concerns about the seriousness of your leg cramps or pain, call your doctor right away, just to be on the safe side.