Pregnancy Cramps

With a woman's rapid weight gain and child's development during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, a woman's body can experience a lot of discomfort and soreness. The most common pregnancy cramps occur in a woman's legs. Cramps are caused by involuntary flexing of one's muscles and are most likely a result of a woman's production of lactic and pyruvic acids.

According to Dr. Roger W. Harms, M.D., a Mayo Clinic obstetrician and the editor in chief of the Mayo Clinic website, leg cramps are most common in a woman's calves and feet and is likely caused by a decreased circulation in a pregnant woman's legs. They're most likely to occur while sleeping. Harms suggests stretching before going to bed, staying physically active during the day, taking a magnesium supplement, staying hydrated, wearing supportive and comfortable shoes. He recommends wearing shoes with tall, supportive backs that wrap around the heel.

The above are all preventive measures, but Harms recommends stretching, jiggling and elevating a leg whenever a cramp strikes. Other solutions he suggests are massaging the leg with ice and taking a hot shower or warm bath.

A suggested calf stretch for a pregnant women with leg cramps is to place both palms on a wall, bend one knee forward and push the other leg straight behind her. Harms notes that women should keep their backs straight and toes point forward while doing this stretch.