Right as Usual

This morning, I’m getting ready for work when I hear a cry of pain coming from our bedroom. I quickly rush over and find Jessie on the bed grabbing her leg. She’s having a leg cramp. These usually start around the second trimester and progressively get worse. 

There’s no real definitive answer as to why pregnant women get leg cramps, but possible reasons include leg muscles being tired from carrying around the extra weight or pressure being applied to blood vessels that bring blood to and from the legs by the expanding uterus.

After I help massage her muscle, I tell her that she needs to stretch more. When I used to actually run for exercise, which was way back in the days, I would get frequent leg cramps because I didn’t stretch enough. I try to show her some simple stretches that she can do, but she doesn’t buy into what I’m saying. The wife says that a higher intake of calcium will help reduce leg cramps. 

I’m pretty skeptical of this and decide to do some more research before delivering my verdict. As usual, I am correct. Stretching is second on the list of things to do to help prevent leg cramps. The first is to avoid standing or sitting with your legs crossed for long stretches of time. Other tips include wearing comfortable shoes, rotating ankles and wiggling toes while sitting, avoid getting overly tired, drinking plenty of water, and taking warm baths.

As far as taking more calcium is concerned, there is no substantial evidence to back this claim. In fact, in one study, pregnant women taking calcium supplements got no more relief than women taking a placebo or receiving no supplement at all.

I hate to gloat, but I told you so!!