Achy legs - ouch!

Hi guys,

Well so far I have had nothing to whinge about, as I am feeling great. But for the last week or so, every morning around 5am I am waking due to pain in my legs - kind of an ache/pain like I have run a marathon the day before, not pins and needles, but it hurts so much I have to get out of bed and stretch my legs out. It eases for a bit, but I wake up again 30 mins or so later with the pain again.
Today, and some other days, the pain has continued into the day, and today my joints are sore, and my legs continue to ache. I am still walking, etc. I understand that in pregnancy ligaments etc move and stretch to allow for baby, but if I am going to get this every day for the next 17 or so weeks, OUCH!

Anyone else experience this or know what I can do or what it could be?

I've had leg cramps in late PG before it feels like a knot in your leg and it aches for ages until it works it way out. If your worried you should speak to your OB/GP at your next appointment.

Oh I had leg cramps too!!! They are a real pain (pardon the pun! LOL)

The only thing that really worked for me was to get up for a couple of minutes and walk around....that seemed to help a bit.

Sorry to hear that you are in so much pain apple...

I would suggest doing some gentle leg stretches before you go to bed, and when you wake up as well...
Can you go and have a chat to a physio at your hospital about it, they may be able to suggest some more things?

I think cramping indicates a lack of calcium or salt (either or both). Check your vitamins to see how much calcium is in them, and drink lots of milk :) My OB told me to use iodised salt on my food (obviously not too much.. don't want high blood pressure) but don't cut out salt from your diet.

I've noticed an occasional cramp in my calf muscle in the evening.. nothing too painful tho. Hope it eases up for you soon.

Maybe along with the other suggestions you might want to try and eat banana's. I wasn't a big banana eater years ago when I was pg with my first 2 daughters but I've been eating banana's regularly and I haven't suffered any bad leg cramps like I did with my first 2 daughters and I had heard that banana's contain postassium which might help in reducing leg cramps although I'm not sure this is the same thing that you have. Anyway it couldn't hurt to try. Plus sometimes it's just a pregnancy thing no matter what you do.

i had the leg cramps too, i think sleeping is when they 'seize up' and it is the worst.

i dont really have any advice foryou, but i hope it improves for you soon

I had the same thing & it is sooo not nice to be woken from a deep sleep with it - OUCHY!

My Dr said that quinine can help so he said to have a glass of tonic water of an evening. The taste was gross, but I found that Bitter Lemon has it as well so I had a 350ml bottle of that each evening. And sure enough no more cramps.

Thanks everyone :) You are all very helpful.

I am not sure if they are cramps, I've had cramps before where your calf or whatever cramps and you need to kindof bend it the other way, but what I am feeling is more like a really deep ache - not a cramp. Maybe it's some form of cramping? And the fact that my legs and joints still hurt now - that hasn't happened with cramps before.

Hmm, maybe it's just a pregnancy side effect :-s

I think someone else suggested Tonic Water, which is truly a god send for aching legs

Also if you can, buy some Epsom salts and have a bath! Its magnesium sulfate (which causes the aches, pains and cramps Im told) and it will really help.

If its any consolation, I rarely feel pains in my legs anymore, only I find that now my ankles seem really sore and I have to roll them all the time and all I hear is clack clack clack from my bones lol!

Its sounds a bit like restless legs. I get this, and calf cramps (mine are due to the tendons in my feet being too short, and can cause cramping up through my calf), and they're quite different.

The leg ache is just that, mine feel sore behind my knees, and kind of like I've done a huge workout the day before.

If you have a bath, I find this is a good option - be careful with empson salts as they can lower your BP, which if your not pg is not so bad, but if you are, soething to be aware of.

Hmm that sounds like it :)
Last night I used a heat pack before goign to bed, then again this morning, and they seem to be much better. So fingers crossed things will ease a little.

Thanks for your help!