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Leg cramps

Pregnancy symptoms

Leg cramps

Leg cramps are those painful sensations in your legs that often occur at night during pregnancy.

What causes it?
The cause of leg cramps isn’t entirely known. Some believe they may be a result of the added weight which your body has to carry since leg cramps are most frequent during the third trimester. Dehydration could also be a cause. Another possible cause is poor blood circulation due to the pressure your expanding uterus exerts on the blood vessels.

How to relieve leg cramps during pregnancy

How to prevent leg cramps during pregnancy
There’s no certain way to prevent leg cramps during pregnancy. But here are some tips that might help:

Do supplements work?
Some studies suggest that taking a magnesium supplement in addition to a prenatal vitamin may help prevent leg cramps. However, other researches show that taking magnesium supplements has no significant effect on the frequency or intensity of leg cramps during pregnancy.

You may have heard the saying that leg cramps are a sign that you need more calcium, and that calcium supplements will relieve the problem. However, while it’s important to get enough calcium, there’s no good evidence that taking extra calcium will help prevent leg cramps during pregnancy.

Be sure to check with your doctor before taking any kind of supplement during pregnancy.

Verified:

Dr. Piyawut Kreetapirom, MD. (4 March 2020)

Sources:

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