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BAD leg cramps at 8 months! Help!

last week I woke up with a sheer cramping pain in my left leg last week. It hurt so bad that I yelled out loud and it scared my husband who was downstairs at the time. This morning (after 6 hours of sleep) it happened to my left leg again. massive pain that causes me to yelp coming right out of a deep sleep. I was exausted but I stretched it a bit. A half hour after I went back to bed it happened to my right leg. After that i stretched both legs and then gave up on the idea that I was going to get any more sleep and went to take a hot bath. My legs now just hurt! they are sore and dont feel sturdy underneath me when I stand. I know your legs can cramp alot during pregnancy but they tell you to sit down or lie down when it happens. So i dont understand because Im waking up in the middle of the night with these cramps. Does any one have any knowledge or expirence with this. Why does it happen and what can I do? Im going to mention it to my doctor and mention it but thats about a week and a half away! help!
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Avatar universal
I had leg cramps/charlie horses from 5 months on with my 1st baby in '04 and Bananas and more water were the solution....  bananas are my least favorite fruit but i choked them down and my leg cramps were reduced to like once a week instead of twice a night...
Helpful - 0
435139 tn?1255460391
I agree with the above posters!  They do hurt SOOOOO bad...I too have been awoken almost to the point of tears or yelping!  For me, I found that actually forcing myself to walk on it helped.  Also, flexing the foot helped me and trying to give a deep tissue massage to that area to loosen it up was good too!

I have heard that a banana a day will help...and the funny thing is, when I did get mine most recently, it was on the day I didn't eat my banana!  
Helpful - 0
342988 tn?1299782356
i agree with mommyofone- it happens in pregnancy and in namy occasions, increasing your potassium helps, so eat a banana each day.  but sometimes it just happens and when it does the onyl thing to do is slowly stretch them.  i got them badly just like you to the point i was crying cause it hurt so bad.
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Avatar universal
sounds like charlie horses to me, i get them too and am currently 32 weeks. its HORRIBLE. i get them in my calf and find pointing my toes torwards my knee helps, you could try that. also take a magnesuim suppliment right before bed, since doing that i havent got any. my obgyn suggested it so i assuming its ok for baby.
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Avatar universal
You are just getting "charlie horse's" in your legs!! I got them all the time when I was pregnant. So normal. The only thing I found that work was NOT to stretched out my legs!! lol I would some times forget and start to stretch but stop right away!! The pain was so bad! And the after pain would stay for days!!! Try eating bananna's. And I have also heared putting a bar of soap at the foot of the bed has stoped them, Dont know if that works?
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