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You wake in the middle of the night with incredible cramping pain in your legs. Ugh, leg cramps.
Pregnant women are very susceptible to leg cramps, particularly during their second and third trimesters. Leg cramps are a sudden tighten of the muscles that can cause intense pain. When you are awoken in the middle of the night by this intense pain it can quickly make leg cramps one of the most aggravating complaints during pregnancy. There are several things that cause leg cramps including:
- A lack of fluids
- Staying in the same position for too long
- Blood not circulating properly in the area
- An injury to the muscle, such as a muscle strain
Doctors are unsure what the exact cause of increased leg cramps during pregnancy, however, it is thought to be caused by a combination of the following:
- Changes in blood circulation during pregnancy
- Additional stress on the leg muscles from carrying the extra weight caused by the pregnancy
- The pressure of the growing baby and uterus on the nerves and blood vessels leading to the legs
Whatever the exact cause of leg cramps in pregnancy there are several things you can do in order to help prevent leg cramps and alleviate those that do occur.
To help prevent leg cramps pregnant women are encouraged to:
- Stretch. Including stretching before, during and after exercising, stretching before bed or if you have been sitting in one position for long periods of time. When stretching your legs you should avoid pointing your toes and stretch heal first.
- Exercise. Keeping your muscles moving and in shape helps with the blood circulation. Always be sure to consult your doctor and get the okay before exercising during pregnancy.
- Change position frequently. Don’t sit or stand still for too long. Staying in the same position, be it sitting or standing, increases the likelihood of leg cramps. Every so often get up and move around, stretch, take a little walk.
- Stay hydrated. When your body is lacking fluids your muscles are more likely to cramp. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day.
If leg cramps do occur there are a few things you can do to help alleviate the cramp, including; massaging the affected muscle, stretching the muscle by pushing your heal down (do not point your toes as this causes further cramping), and applying heat to the affected muscle.
Leg cramps are no fun, but when added to all the other common complaints of pregnancy they become that much more annoying. I was lucky enough to avoid leg cramps during my pregnancy (I count my lucky stars). During my pregnancy I tried to exercise everyday and stretched my muscles often and I also drank plenty of fluids. Taking care of yourself during your pregnancy is a great way to avoid many of the common complaints of pregnancy, including leg cramps.
If you suffer from leg cramps and they are being too bothersome or affecting your sleep too much be sure to talk to your doctor to see if there is anything you can do to alleviate your leg cramps.
Did you suffer from leg cramps during your pregnancy? What helped you alleviate your leg cramps?
When we are pregnant we love to dream about what our baby will look like, whether it will be a boy or a girl, what your birth experience will be like and what it will be like to bring that beautiful, perfect little baby home. A majority of pregnancies are normal and end with a healthy baby. However, about 3-5% of pregnancy will result in a child with some sort of birth defect ranging from minor defects like an extra two or finger to major defects like spina bifida. It isn’t part of the fantasy we all have in our mind but it is a reality. During your pregnancy your doctor will discuss your prenatal screening options with you. These screening tests will happen at various stages of your pregnancy and are designed to identify your baby is at an increased risk of certain birth defects.
The conversation with your doctor will likely take place fairly early in your pregnancy. Your doctor will likely just simply provide you with your options and then advising on their recommendations on whether the test would be beneficial to you or not. The actual decision on whether the testing is done is completely up to you. Many things need to go into your decision including what you would do with the information. For example, if you know that under no circumstances would you terminate the pregnancy than you may opt out of the screenings, or if you are one who feels better being prepared for what may be to come you may want to having the screening done so if you happen to get a positive on the screenings you can prepare for a special needs child. Take the information your doctor provides you, ask lots of questions and discuss your choices with your partner. There is no right or wrong decision, you have to do what is right for you.
There are a few different types of screening tests, some during your early pregnancy and some later in pregnancy.
During your first trimester your doctor may recommend an early ultrasound and some blood work. Both these are used to determine if your baby is at and increased risk of having Down Syndrome or Trisomy 18 (another chromosomal defect).
Later in your pregnancy, during your second trimester, your doctor may recommend a triple or quad screening. These are blood tests that look for three or four substances in your blood. The measurements of these substances in your blood are then used to determine your baby’s risk of having Down syndrome, trisomy 18 and neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Second trimester ultrasounds are also used as screening tools to determine the health of the baby and any risk of health issues or birth defects.
The results from the above screenings are not 100% and are often used to determine if further testing, such as an amniocentesis, should be done. Your doctor will discuss the results of your screenings in detail with you and what your options are. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you are unsure about what screenings you should have done or if you are unsure of what the screenings are for.
Being pregnant often comes with a lot of aches and pains, weird cravings and food aversions and exhaustion. When you add in all the stress and chaos of the last several weeks of the holiday season you may be feeling a little overwhelmed, a lot tired and uncomfortable. The holidays can be stressful and exhausting for anyone. The best thing you can do for yourself and your baby is to take care of yourself, relax and focus on you and that baby growing inside of you.
Here are a few things you can do to help relieve some of the aches, pains and exhaustion brought on by the holidays:
- Drink plenty of water to help keep yourself hydrated.
- Rest. Take a nap if you need one, don’t worry about what anyone else thinks or what you “should” be doing, just focus on you and rest when you need it.
- Get some exercise (if ok by your doctor), even if it is just walking around the block. Exercise helps relieve many of the aches and pains of pregnancy and also helps alleviate exhaustion.
- Eat plenty of healthy fruits and veggies and healthy whole grains to keep you body in good health and operating properly.
- Ask your partner for a foot and back massage to help alleviate some of the back pain and leg pain you are no doubt feeling.
- Skip parties and family functions if you aren’t feeling up to it, people will understand.
- Take a warm bath at the end of the day to help you relax and be restful so you can sleep well at night.
- Wear loose-fitting comfortable clothing and shoes to help prevent back and leg pain and unnecessary discomfort.
- Avoid foods that you know bring on uncomfortable symptoms such as nausea, heartburn, indigestion, etc.
- Rest, rest, rest.
The most important thing you can do is pay attention to your body and recognize when you have had enough and need to rest. Be sure to call your doctor if you have any unusual symptoms or feel anything isn’t right.
Enjoy this time with your partner and your family. This time next year there will be a new addition to your holiday celebrations.
For most women it will be perfectly safe to continue working during your pregnancy with no changes. However, there are some jobs out there that are just not safe for pregnant women. The job itself, or other environmental factors surrounding the job could be damaging to the baby growing inside of you. Women in these unsafe jobs will need to request a change in position for the duration of their pregnancy or determine what can be done to make their job safe during their pregnancy. It is important to remember that an employer cannot discriminate against you because of your pregnancy, meaning they cannot fire you or lower your pay simply because you are pregnant and asking for a temporary change in position.
Before you talk to your employer about your need to change jobs be sure to educate yourself on your rights and how you are protected under the law. Do some research of your own and then talk to your human resources department. Your employer may not be happy about your request to change jobs during your pregnancy but you need to do what is right and safe for you and your growing baby.
Jobs that are unsafe for pregnant women include:
- Any job where you are working with hazardous chemicals such as pesticides, toxic cleaning solutions, lead, second hand smoke, etc.
- Any position where you are doing heavy lifting.
- Any position where you are exposed to radiation.
- Any position where you are at risk of falling or being struck by heavy objects.
- Any position that has you climbing a ladder or some other similar device.
- Any position where you are exposed to large amount of germs that could cause serious illnesses.
Here are a few of the specific jobs that are unsafe for pregnant women:
- Farming
- Dry Cleaners
- Factory work where there is chemical exposure, too much heavy lifting, or a risk for falls.
- Print Shops
- Craft shops that expose you to drying chemicals, paints, etc.
- Highway worker
- Toll Booth operators.
- Construction
- Certain Healthcare fields
Your employer is required to disclose all dangerous contaminants in the workplace and to protect pregnant women from being exposed to dangerous contaminants. If you feel your job is putting your pregnancy at risk talk to your employer, your human resources department, your doctor and anyone else you may be able to help you get into a temporary position in your company that is safe for you and your pregnancy.
For more information on workplace safety during pregnancy, what your rights as a pregnant employee are and what you can do to protect yourself during your pregnancy visit the follow government websites.
As you go through pregnancy you’ll have an ever changing array of things to complain about from morning sickness during your first trimester, to constipation during your second, and lots of aches and pains in your third trimester. Luckily, much of pregnancy is enjoyable and while you do have to suffer through a few things you are doing it all because of the little life that is growing inside of you which makes it all worth it.
The first trimester can be difficult for a lot of women. You aren’t showing yet, you may not have told very many people about the pregnancy so you are likely suffering through the rough early months alone and having to answer a lot of questions about why you aren’t feeling well with an answer that doesn’t give away the “real” reason. Don’t worry through, the first trimester will be over before you know it and then you will be on to the much easier second trimester (often referred to as the honeymoon trimester).
There are a few things you can do to help ease some of the common complaints of the first trimester:
Fatigue: feeling fatigued and always tired is common during the first trimester. The best way to deal with this symptom is to get more sleep. Listen to your body and do what you can to get that needed extra sleep. Take naps during the day, go to bed early, sleep-in in the morning if you can. As your body adjusts to the changes taking place and you enter your second trimester many women find they are no longer as tired.
Frequent Urination: Having to go to the bathroom all the time is probably one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy and something that many people (pregnant) or not associate with pregnancy. Frequent urination is often one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. It is important to get plenty of fluids during the day while you are pregnant, however, you can watch that you don’t drink too much before bed so you don’t interrupt your much needed sleep.
Morning Sickness: The most common and probably the most annoying early pregnancy symptom, morning sickness can put a real damper on those first few months. There are varying degrees of morning sickness. Some women may find they are only slightly nauseous, others will have full on vomiting several times a day. Morning sickness can happen any time of the day (not very aptly named) and is due to the hormonal changes taking place in your body. The triggers of morning sickness very for some having an empty stomach will trigger it, for others it will be the smell or taste of certain foods, for others lack of sleep can be a trigger as well. A few things you can do to help curb morning sickness include:
- Eat several small, healthy meals throughout the day.
- If you know a particular food or drink is a trigger avoid it when possible.
- Take your prenatal vitamin before bed instead of in the morning.
- Try to avoid skipping meals if you can.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Eat dry crackers when you first wake up, before you even sit up.
As I mentioned above these symptoms will pass and you’ll be on to something new. With each trimester you’ll find a whole new list of complaints, but remember why you are doing this and what the end result will be, it’ll help make it all seem worth it.
If you have any concerns about anything you are experiencing during you pregnancy be sure to talk to your prenatal caregiver.