Reduces the legs of pregnancy. Why do pregnant women cramp their legs? Breathing exercises and relaxation techniques

03.07.2019

Sometimes in women during the period of bearing a child, painful and uncontrollable contractions of the muscles of the legs may begin. These muscle spasms are called cramps. Convulsions in pregnant women are quite common. They appear suddenly in the second or third trimester, and most often disturb a woman at night while sleeping.

Consider why leg cramps occur during pregnancy and what to do about it.

Causes of cramps during pregnancy

Micronutrient deficiency

The main reason is the lack of trace elements (calcium, potassium, magnesium) in the body. Leg cramps during pregnancy in the 1st trimester occur due to toxicosis, accompanied by vomiting and loss of appetite, and in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, they are most often caused by increased micronutrient needs of the developing fetus.

Decreased blood sugar levels

Often, leg cramps in pregnant women appear due to a decrease in blood glucose (sugar) levels. Glucose is the main energy source that is actively spent on the needs of the body of a woman and a growing fetus. Often, a decrease in blood sugar levels occurs due to improper diet.

Drinking caffeinated drinks, strong tea in large quantities and smoking

All this contributes to the development of seizures in pregnant women. Caffeine causes dehydration in the muscles, which leads to the development of involuntary muscle contractions. And smoking contributes to the development of chronic oxygen deficiency, which adversely affects the condition of the muscles, provoking spasms.

Growing uterus

In the later stages, convulsions in pregnant women may occur due to an enlarged uterus. When a woman is in a prone position, she begins to squeeze the inferior vena cava, which leads to a violation of the outflow of venous blood from the extremities.

Phlebeurysm

The appearance of muscle spasms can be a symptom of varicose veins. At the same time, increased fatigue and a feeling of heaviness in the lower extremities are added to the spasms.

Taking diuretics

Spasms in the lower extremities can also develop due to the intake of diuretic drugs prescribed by a gynecologist for edema. Along with excess fluid, microelements are also excreted from the body.

First aid for seizures

When a spasm occurs, it is recommended to try to relax and gently pull the muscle in which it arose. You should pull your toes towards you, loosen, and then pull again, but with more effort. These movements must be repeated until the muscle relaxes. After that, you need to gently massage the muscle. To activate blood circulation, you can walk around the room. Then it is recommended to lie down for some time with raised legs in order to create conditions for the outflow of blood and thereby eliminate repeated spasms.

If seizures occur, be sure to inform the gynecologist about this. The doctor will prescribe laboratory tests (general blood count, biochemical analysis, glucose test) and, if necessary, refer you for a consultation with a general practitioner, neuropathologist, endocrinologist. The main treatment for seizures during pregnancy is to eliminate the cause that causes them.

A pregnant woman should monitor her diet, which should include all the necessary minerals.

Foods rich in potassium (dried apricots; beans; seaweed; peas; prunes; raisins; walnuts, pine nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews; lentils; potatoes).
Foods rich in calcium (milk; hard cheeses; yogurt; cottage cheese; canned fish; herbs; nuts; eggs; broccoli; asparagus; kale and cauliflower).
Foods rich in magnesium (cocoa; legumes; eggs; dried apricots; oatmeal, buckwheat; dill; prunes; carrots; beets; berries; fruits).

However, with the help of nutrition alone, the problem of micronutrient deficiency cannot be solved, since most of them are destroyed during cooking. Therefore, the doctor will prescribe the intake of vitamin and mineral kits for pregnant women.

To maintain blood sugar levels, a woman is prescribed frequent fractional meals. The basis of the daily diet should be complex carbohydrates - pasta, black bread, cereals, vegetables, fruits. These carbohydrates break down slowly, providing a constant supply of a moderate amount of glucose into the blood. Simple carbohydrates (confectionery, chocolate, jam, jam, honey) should be excluded, since when sugar is taken in large quantities from the outside, the glucose level may drop, which will cause leg cramps during pregnancy.

Prevention of seizures

Seizures in pregnant women can be prevented by following the following:

Eat foods rich in micronutrients. Eat often, but in small quantities. Reduce or completely eliminate the consumption of sweets, cakes, cookies, chocolate, jam, honey.
Do not wear uncomfortable tight shoes. The heel should be no more than 5 cm.
You can not sit or stand in one place for a long time. Move more. If you had to stand for a long time, you should periodically perform exercises: rise on your toes and lower yourself back to the floor, and so on several times. You can alternately roll from toe to heel and vice versa.
Rest with your legs elevated. So the blood will circulate freely from the lower extremities to the upper part of the body.
Do a foot massage more often - stroking from the hip to the feet.
With varicose veins, special compression stockings should be worn.
It is regularly recommended to make foot baths with sea salt - dilute 2-3 tablespoons of salt per 5 liters of water. Baths are best done before bedtime. They help to relieve fatigue and tension in the muscles.

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Pregnancy is a serious test of the mother's body for strength. With the advent of the embryo, all organs and systems of the female body begin to work with a vengeance. Unfortunately, the bearing of a child does not always go smoothly, and many mothers often face the problem of seizures during pregnancy.

When talking about cramps or spasms, they mean involuntary, most often unexpected, sharp and very painful muscle contraction for a short time. This “petrification” is not subject to our will, so we have to wait out a painful attack, biting our lip. Then the pain in the affected muscle reminds of what happened for a few more days. The expectant mother may be disturbed by cramps in different parts of the body, but the calf muscles most often suffer. Attacks happen mostly at night.

Brings legs together during pregnancy. Causes of seizures during pregnancy

There are serious pathologies, the presence of which is indicated by a number of signs, including convulsions. Such diseases develop in pregnant women due to metabolic disorders. In truth, such disorders are diagnosed in pregnant women very rarely. Basically, the causes of seizures are more mundane:

Deficiency of important trace elements.
Deficiency of hemoglobin in the blood.
Change in blood glucose concentration.
Lack of water in the body.
Varicose veins.
Strong pressure on the inferior vena cava.

Let's analyze each reason.

Convulsions during pregnancy due to a deficiency of important trace elements

Pregnancy leads to a sharp reduction in nutrients in the body, to which the body reacts with the appearance of night cramps. Pathology develops when the ionic balance of the cell and the fluid around it is disturbed.

Here is a list of the most necessary trace elements during pregnancy:

Magnesium. When it is not enough, a woman develops muscle pain, irritability, insomnia, numbness of the limbs, and blood pressure “jumps”. On the basis of magnesium deficiency, cases of increased uterine tone may become more frequent.
Potassium. With a lack of a trace element, a woman is more prone to depression, gets tired quickly, suffers from constipation and night cramps.
Calcium. Insufficient amount of calcium in the body causes tooth decay, inflammation of the gums, nervous disorders, brittle nails, and in some cases causes the development of eczema.

The following conditions cause a total lack of trace elements in the body:

pronounced toxicosis - useful substances are lost during vomiting, and poor appetite does not contribute to replenishing their reserves;
uncontrolled intake of drugs with a diuretic effect - trace elements are "washed out" along with the fluid leaving the body;
malnutrition.

During pregnancy, a woman needs useful trace elements more than ever, and their absence provokes the development of leg cramps.

Decreased hemoglobin and blood glucose levels are the cause of leg cramps during pregnancy

The reason for these changes must also be sought in the diet of the expectant mother. So, the amount of sugar depends entirely on the diet. If a woman has only 2 to 3 meals a day, during which she eats a lot, her blood glucose levels will constantly change. This can lead to the development of many diseases, including seizures.

Lack of water in the body - the cause of cramps during pregnancy

Dehydration occurs not only with errors in the drinking regimen. Caffeine and nicotine are related to excessive excretion of fluid from the body - a passion for caffeinated drinks and smoking can cost the expectant mother's health. Hydration is paramount for a mom and her baby. A sufficient amount of liquid ensures the transportation and full absorption of nutrients and trace elements, as well as the removal of decay products from the body. It turns out that water deficiency also affects the occurrence of leg cramps during pregnancy.

Reduces legs during pregnancy due to muscle stress and varicose veins

If it is necessary to stand, walk and sit for a long time, the expectant mother immediately finds herself at risk for the development of seizures at night. Excessive load on the legs, a sedentary lifestyle and varicose veins cause circulatory disorders, and this often leads to the fact that the calves of the legs are cramped during pregnancy.

Leg cramps due to compression of the inferior vena cava

The inferior vena cava is located under the uterus. As soon as a pregnant woman takes a certain position, an enlarged uterus immediately compresses the vena cava, thus disrupting the outflow of blood.

Having studied and analyzed the causes of seizures in the expectant mother, we can conclude that in the early stages of pregnancy, the muscles reduce due to toxicosis and malnutrition, and in the later stages, the frequency of seizures is affected by a large load on the legs, varicose veins and compression of the vena cava.

What to do when cramping legs during pregnancy

The expectant mother should notify her doctor, even if she is worried about rare, episodic seizures at night. This is necessary in order to establish the real cause of this unpleasant phenomenon. The specialist will study the accompanying symptoms that a pregnant woman may find in herself, take a blood test and conduct additional studies, if necessary. As soon as it becomes known why the patient cramps her legs during pregnancy, she will be prescribed appropriate treatment.

But what should a woman do when the attack began at night, when there is no way to consult a doctor? You need to learn how to give yourself first aid - this will help reduce pain and shorten the time of the attack.

Here's what to do as soon as the calf muscle is in spasm:

Without making sudden movements, gently massage the petrified area on the leg with your hands. At the same time, knead the muscle from the bottom up, squeeze and unclench your fingers. Because of the pain of the attack, it is very difficult to perform this manipulation, but the attack will last longer if this is not done.
There is an opinion that convulsions will recede if you prick a muscle with a spasm with a pin. And what to do if at the most crucial moment it is not at hand? It is best to overcome the pain and sit up in bed, then wrap your hand around all your toes and gently pull the foot towards you. The pain will soon subside.
When it reduces legs during pregnancy at night, the following method can be used as a first aid: during a cramp, get out of bed, stand barefoot on the cold floor and try to take a few steps, overcoming the pain. The colder the surface, the sooner the spasmed muscle will relax.
Probably, many have heard that a cramped muscle needs to be strongly pinched, then the pain will immediately subside. But it’s quite difficult to fulfill this recommendation - spasmodic muscles become stone. But experts in the field of acupuncture assure that at the time of the attack, you need to pinch not the leg, but the skin above the upper lip, and then pull it back several times, holding it between the index and thumb. In this place there are special points responsible for muscle relaxation.

Leg cramps during pregnancy. How to relieve muscle pain after an attack

If a woman keeps cramping her legs during pregnancy, she suffers both during a painful attack and after it - the pain in the affected muscle does not let her forget about what happened all day. In order to quickly regain good health, the sore muscle should be massaged with a piece of ice or a cold compress for 1-2 minutes. But there are other ways to get rid of unpleasant sensations.

Treatment of leg cramps during pregnancy with traditional medicine recipes

Traditional medicine offers its own methods of dealing with the effects of seizures:

Mustard powder must be combined with honey in a ratio of 2 to 1 and mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained. The resulting warming ointment is smeared on the legs at night. To enhance the effect, legs can be wrapped with cling film or wrapped in a warm blanket.
Horsetail has a relaxing effect - dried grass is sold in a pharmacy. To help your legs, you need to prepare a decoction: 2 tbsp. l. horsetail pour 0.5 liters of hot water, cover the dishes with a lid and hold in a water bath for half an hour. Soak a thin towel or napkin with the finished product and apply it to the sore spot at night. To enhance the effect, traditional healers recommend making foot baths with the addition of horsetail or drinking its decoction.

Treatment of leg cramps during pregnancy with ointments and gels

If a woman often cramps her legs during pregnancy, you need to go to see a doctor. The specialist will recommend effective and safe medicines for the mother and her baby that will help solve the problem.

Troxevasin (analogous to Troxerutin). Strengthens cell walls, making their structure denser. Thus, the gel eliminates swelling, and also reduces the likelihood of painful spasms at night. The average cost is 200 rubles.
Venitan. It copes well with the consequences of convulsions, qualitatively anesthetizing the affected area on the leg. The average cost is 250 rubles.
Heparin ointment. It can be used for varicose veins only on the recommendation of a doctor. The average cost is 80 rubles.
Fastum gel. Stimulates and enhances blood circulation in the muscles, has a pronounced warming effect. The average cost is 220 rubles.

Massage and exercises for leg cramps during pregnancy

If cramps occur mostly at night, the expectant mother can try to prevent them with massage and simple exercises. These procedures should be done before going to bed. The pursued goal is to warm up the muscles and increase blood circulation in places potentially unprotected from spasms. Massage consists in the most primitive movements - with the fingertips you need to gently rub and knead the muscles. You need to move from the outer edge of the muscle to the middle. If a pleasant warmth spreads over the leg, then everything is done correctly.

Gymnastic exercises will also help to "disperse" the blood and relax the muscles:

in 2 - 3 sets 10 times to rise on toes;
make each leg in turn 3 - 5 shallow lunges forward - this is a stretching exercise;
turn to face the wall, rest your palms against the wall and walk in place for a while, making sure that the body remains motionless.

Proper nutrition for leg cramps during pregnancy

You can make up for the lack of nutrients in the body during pregnancy with the help of proper nutrition:

calcium contains such products: processed cheese, cottage cheese, cheese, garlic, nuts, green salad and onions, a variety of greens, all legumes;
magnesium is found in peas, nuts, beans and various cereals;
The body will receive potassium from peas, lentils, dried fruits, nuts and potatoes.

How to prevent leg cramps during pregnancy

The main causes of leg cramps during pregnancy at night are a deficiency of useful trace elements and circulatory disorders. If these problems are eliminated, the likelihood of excruciating spasms is significantly reduced. To restore the normal balance of nutrients in the pregnant woman's body, the doctor will select a special vitamin complex containing magnesium, potassium and calcium. And to normalize blood circulation, you can follow the following simple rules:

Choose only comfortable shoes with stable and low heels (no higher than 5 cm).
Wear loose clothing made from natural soft fabrics. Make sure that the elastic bands and seams of underwear and underwear, socks do not squeeze the body.
Shelter at night with a spacious blanket.
Relax tired legs with herbal bath and gymnastics.
In the presence of varicose veins, support the legs with compression stockings and tights.
Sleep on your left side so as not to provoke compression of the inferior vena cava. You can put a small pillow under your feet.
Avoid coffee and black tea. Replace these drinks with natural juices, compotes and herbal teas.
Quit smoking forever.
From time to time pamper your feet with a warm bath with the addition of sea salt.
Walk at a leisurely pace every day.
Do exercises for the legs before going to bed: just walk on your heels or toes, roll a small rubber ball with “pimples” with your feet.

Convulsions, no matter how often they occur, in themselves do not pose a threat to the expectant mother and fetus. However, if concomitant symptoms appear - edema, numbness in the limbs - the pregnant woman should immediately inform her doctor. A woman may need an additional examination, which will help the specialist figure out what's wrong and prescribe the appropriate treatment for the patient in position.

How to deal with leg cramps during pregnancy. Video

Bearing a child is accompanied by numerous changes in the female body. And most of them are not very pleasant. Therefore, the expectant mother should be armed with a maximum of useful information about the upcoming changes and be ready for them. One of them is involuntary contractions of the leg muscles, which are accompanied by pain.

Why does it reduce calves during pregnancy at night?

This condition is a tension of the calf muscle, stretching the foot. For a while, the leg is difficult to relax and return to its normal position. These muscle spasms are called spasms by doctors. Pregnant women are afraid of this condition, and they can be understood.

The reason for muscles during pregnancy is that mineral metabolism disorders occur in the body, for example, there is a deficiency of substances such as magnesium, potassium and calcium. Congestive processes in the vessels of the legs can provoke convulsions. Congestion during pregnancy is a common occurrence. During this period, the needs of the female body for minerals also increase, because they are now needed for two.

The parathyroid gland influences the exchange of calcium and the maintenance of its normal level in an ordinary person. During childbearing, its function decreases. Therefore, the level of calcium in the blood decreases. Accordingly, failures occur in the metabolism of magnesium and potassium, because these three substances are closely interconnected.

Recall that every woman has her own taste preferences. If she does not like and does not eat fermented milk products containing a lot of calcium, then the risk of night cramps during pregnancy increases.

Another reason for such an unpleasant phenomenon is the pressure of the uterus on the inferior vena cava, which is located to the right of the spine. This disrupts the outflow of venous blood from the extremities. More often, this phenomenon occurs at night, in a prone position, in the third trimester of bearing a baby, when the uterus has already reached a significant size.

Cramps of the calf muscles during this period are also catalyzed by varicose veins. On the other hand, just muscle spasm may be evidence of the onset of development. In this case, in addition to convulsions, a woman will constantly feel heaviness in her legs, fatigue.

When expectant mothers have swollen legs in late pregnancy, they are often prescribed diuretics. They are also able to aggravate leg muscle spasms, because mineral substances are also excreted with excess fluid.

As you can see, there can be many reasons for convulsions in pregnant women. The negative phenomenon should be reported to the obstetrician-gynecologist. He will find out the cause of the problem and select the optimal treatment.

How can you help yourself with cramps?

You can remove them quite quickly if you try, overcoming pain, pull your toes towards you. You can pinch a muscle; prick it in several places with a pin, hairpin; intensively rub the area under the knee with your hand. Heat also helps to relieve spasms. It can be a compress with warm water and just pouring hot water on your feet in the shower.

Prevention of seizures during pregnancy

Usually, when a sleeping expectant mother has such a condition for the first time at night, she is very frightened. In fact, it is stressful for her and for the baby. And during such an important period, stress is dangerous. Therefore, it is worthwhile to deal with the prevention of the occurrence of such conditions. Try not to be passive, move more, do it systematically, visit the pool, swim. Take a contrast shower on the shins, massage your legs in the evening before going to bed, attracting your husband to this.

An important condition for the prevention of seizures is a daily balanced diet with the inclusion of bananas, dried apricots, potatoes, legumes in the menu. Dairy products are rich sources of calcium. Spinach, carrots, greens contain a lot of magnesium. However, doctors emphasize that a woman's need for minerals in the last trimester increases so much that food does not solve the problem of their deficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to take vitamin and mineral preparations for lactating and pregnant women.

It is also important to sleep on the left side or put a small pillow under the right buttock, redistributing the weight of the uterus on the left side of the body. So in the last stages of bearing the baby, the pressure on the inferior vena cava decreases.

If a pregnant woman has varicose veins, then compression underwear can also become a means of preventing seizures.

Cramps are strong and painful muscle contractions. Especially often during pregnancy, the calves of the legs are reduced at night, when pain is more pronounced. The reasons for this may be different. Below we consider why convulsions appear in expectant mothers.

The reason may be a lack of minerals. After all, a pregnant woman and her baby are two organisms, and the mother divides all the useful substances, vitamins that she consumes into two. Therefore, convulsions often occur due to a lack of minerals, primarily magnesium, calcium, and potassium.

Regular vomiting in a woman who is carrying a child also explains why she cramps her calves at night during pregnancy. With vomit, the expectant mother loses a significant amount of trace elements that are part of the digestive elements.

Also, convulsions disturb the woman due to development. This is due to the fact that when the expectant mother gains weight, the pressure of the uterus on the vessels in the pelvis and legs increases. It is not difficult to understand that varicose veins develop: during the day, especially if a woman stands for a long time, she feels heaviness and pain in her legs. This precedes the visible manifestation of the disease - the appearance of dilated veins.

Regular convulsions in expectant mothers can occur against the background of a pronounced - a decrease in the amount of hemoglobin in the blood.

Sometimes a pregnant woman brings her legs together at night if she has developed flat feet or has thyroid diseases.

Other reasons why cramps in the calves of the legs at night during pregnancy

Often circumstances that are easy to avoid lead to a strong painful muscle contraction. Cramps can appear due to too tight shoes. If a woman wears such uncomfortable shoes for a long time, then the blood circulation in the legs is disturbed, the muscles get tired.

Sometimes an unbalanced diet, the rejection of some important and healthy foods (for example, cottage cheese) also explains why does it reduce the calves of the legs at night in pregnant women. To avoid night cramps, you need to pay attention to whether you are taking diuretics correctly. These medicines help expectant mothers fight edema, but their improper use intensively removes water and minerals dissolved in it from the body.

We examined the most common reasons why pregnant women cramp their legs at night. But it is important to know that cramps can be symptoms of serious pregnancy disorders. Therefore, if a woman suffers from this disease, she should immediately consult a doctor. He will help to correctly determine the cause and prescribe treatment.