Are charlie horses common in pregnancy

Muscle Cramps During Pregnancy | American Pregnancy Association

Muscle cramps, sometimes called a charlie horse, during pregnancy are one of the common discomforts experienced by approximately half of all expecting mothers. The majority of muscle cramps during pregnancy occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the calves. A muscle cramp is an involuntary contraction of a muscle or group of muscles that happens abruptly and is most commonly experienced at night.

Symptoms of Muscle Cramps During Pregnancy

Muscle cramps and body aches during pregnancy may occur in any muscle or muscle group but is most commonly experienced in the legs. Muscle spasms that occur in the back or abdomen are also possible.
A muscle cramp or spasm is characterized by the following:

Involuntary contraction or tightening of a muscle
Usually sudden
Accompanied by a sharp pain

You should consult your doctor if your symptoms occur frequently, are associated with swelling or redness, and are not relieved with traditional methods.

What Causes Muscle Cramps During Pregnancy?

Overuse (carrying the extra weight from pregnancy or exercise)
Dehydration
Change in blood flow or circulation
Lack of stretching before exercise or extensive use
Nerve compression
Lack of minerals (potassium, calcium, or magnesium)

If you experience muscle cramps frequently, they are probably related to more than one of the causes noted above.

How to Prevent Muscle Spasms While Pregnant

Below are steps you can take to prevent or reduce the likelihood of experiencing muscle cramps while expecting:

Drink lots of water and fluids to stay hydrated
Stretch your muscles well before exercise or extensive use
Eat well-balanced meals to get the nutrients and minerals you need
Take a prenatal vitamin that contains calcium, potassium, and magnesium. To avoid overdosing, do not take additional supplements without talking to your doctor.

Eating foods that are high in potassium, such as kiwi, bananas, or cantaloupe, is a great way to get some of the nutrients you need to prevent muscle cramps.

How Do You Treat Muscle Cramps During Pregnancy?

If you are experiencing a muscle cramp, here are the steps you can take to alleviate the pain or discomfort:

Massage the muscle and nearby muscle groups to provide relief.
Stretch the muscle.
Apply heat with a heating pad.
Take a warm Epsom salt bath.
Apply cold with an ice pack to reduce the pain.

You may find that massaging the muscle with either heat or ice helps alleviate the pain more effectively.
If your muscle cramps remain frequent and do not respond to the above treatment, contact your healthcare provider. This could be a sign of a different medical condition requiring another type of treatment.
Want to Know More?

Treating Muscle Cramps Naturally During Pregnancy
Pregnancy and Leg Cramps
Role of Vitamin B in Pregnancy

Compiled from the following sources:
Danforth’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Ninth Ed. Scott, James R., et al, Ch. 1.
MedlinePlus, “Muscle Cramps,” National Institutes of Health, https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003193.htm
Mayo Clinic, Muscle Cramps, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/muscle-cramp/basics/causes/con-20014594

How to Ease Leg Cramps During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is filled with all sorts of weird aches, pains and discomforts. Unfortunately, experiencing leg cramps during pregnancy is just par for the course. They can spring out of nowhere and stop you in your tracks, or even wake you up at night (and we all know how precious sleep is when you’re expecting). So what’s the deal with these unpleasant charley horses? Here’s why you might be experiencing leg cramps, what you can do to ease the pain in the moment and how to lower the odds of dealing with them again in the future.

In this article:
Are leg cramps normal during pregnancy?
What causes leg cramps during pregnancy?
Home remedies for leg cramps during pregnancy
How to prevent leg cramps during pregnancy

Are Leg Cramps Normal During Pregnancy?

For the record, yes, you’re not the only one dealing with this. Nearly half of all women experience leg cramps during pregnancy at some point, and they tend to spring up at night, according to the American Pregnancy Association. “It’s common—a lot of my patients report experiencing them,” says Christine Greves, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, Florida.

While plenty of moms-to-be have leg cramps, the level of discomfort can vary, ranging from annoying to outright debilitating. “Cramps can cause women loss of sleep and reduced well-being and work capacity,” says Jessica Shepherd, MD, an ob-gyn at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.

What Causes Leg Cramps During Pregnancy?

While you can technically have leg cramps at any point during your pregnancy, they’re more common in the second and third trimesters. The cause, however, is a little less clear. “We’re not really sure why leg cramps happen in pregnancy,” says Julie Lamppa, APRN, CNM, a certified nurse midwife at the Mayo Clinic. But she says there are some theories.

One is that it may be due to muscle fatigue or a build-up of certain acids (like lactic and pyruvic acid) that cause your muscles to involuntarily contract, leading to those painful cramps, Greves says. Pregnancy weight gain puts more work on your legs than when you’re not pregnant, and that can also increase your risk of cramping, she explains.

You’re also at more risk of becoming dehydrated when you’re expecting, which may be a factor in those leg cramps during pregnancy, Shepherd says. When your body doesn’t have enough water or sodium, she explains, your muscles can contract and prompt that cramping feeling. Compression of certain nerves in your legs, your joints relaxing as your pregnancy progresses, swelling and “natural changes in your posture as baby grows,” also play a part, says Julie Lamppa, APRN, CNM, a certified nurse midwife at Mayo Clinic. Varicose veins, which can increase or show up during pregnancy, “can also cause leg discomfort for some women,” she adds.

A less common but concerning possible cause of leg pain during pregnancy is a blood clot or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). “This occurs most commonly in the back of the calf, and it causes pain and swelling in the affected leg,” Lamppa says. “This will affect only one leg, whereas normal swelling in pregnancy will generally be even in both legs.” If you notice signs of DVT, it’s important to seek medical attention right away. DVTs can be very serious and they need prompt treatment—and women who are pregnant or newly postpartum are at particular risk. DVTs can occur in either leg, but they’re much more common on the left side than the right side, says Frederick Friedman, Jr., an ob-gyn and associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. The reason for this is uncertain, but it might be due to greater compression of the left deep veins by your growing uterus.

Home Remedies for Leg Cramps During Pregnancy So what can you do when that familiar pain strikes? There are a few easy ways to help ease leg cramps during pregnancy:

Flex your foot as soon as you feel the cramp coming on. “You want to point your toes up as far as you can bring them, like trying to bring your toes to your shin,” Lamppa says. She recommends holding this position until the cramp calms down.
Elevate your leg. Try this after you flex your foot to help move things along, Greves says. Even better, try stretching and then elevating your leg.
Walk it out. This can be a little tricky if you’re having an intense cramp, but movement can help, Lamppa says.
Massage the cramp. Rubbing the muscle can help relieve the tension (and cramping), Lamppa says.

If those remedies don’t work, acetaminophen (Tylenol) is considered safe during pregnancy, Lamppa says. She also suggests talking to your doctor about taking a magnesium supplement.

If you’re having any of the following symptoms along with leg cramps during pregnancy, call your doctor:

Persistent throbbing in one leg
Leg swelling
Redness in your leg
A leg that’s warm to the touch

It’s always a good idea to at least mention leg pain to your care provider during your regular checkups, but it’s especially important to see your doctor if you have any pain that persists or gets worse. If you have a “sudden, significant difference in leg size” or you can see a “rope-like” structure in your calf, Friedman recommends calling your doctor right away, as these could be signs of DVT. That DVT could cause a pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot that travels to and blocks a portion of your lungs—and it’s a life-threatening emergency.

How to Prevent Leg Cramps During Pregnancy

In general, using “good body mechanics” when you’re walking, exercising and lifting is important, Lamppa says. “You don’t want to make pain worse by injuring your joints or pulling muscles,” she adds. Moving around can help work out the acids that can build up in your leg muscles, Greves says. Suffice it to say that you should also try to avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time.

While leg cramps are common during pregnancy, there are a few things you can do to lower your chances of getting them in the first place:

Stretch your calf muscles. Stretching them out regularly (think: a few times a day) can help relieve tension in the area that can lead to cramping, Shepherd says.
Stay physically active. Moving around can help work out the acids that can build up in your leg muscles. Exercising regularly is “almost always beneficial,” says Lamppa. While most forms of exercise can help with leg pain during pregnancy, leg exercises like walking, using a stair machine, stationary cycling and using an elliptical machine “are likely to be beneficial,” adds Friedman.
Strive for a balanced diet. On the dietary side, Lamppa recommends lowering your sodium and caffeine intake.
Take a warm shower or bath before bed. This can help relax your muscles.
Drink plenty of water. This is important for pregnancy, in general, but can also help lower your risk of cramping, Lamppa says.
Take a magnesium supplement. There’s some evidence to suggest this can help with leg cramps, Lamppa says. Most prenatal vitamins already contain some magnesium, but you can talk to your doctor about whether you might benefit from additional supplementation.

If leg cramps during pregnancy are a regular thing for you, talk to your doctor. They should be able to help guide you on next steps.

About the experts:

Frederick Friedman, Jr., MD, is an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. He serves as director for both the division of obstetrics and the division of generalists in the department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science at the Mount Sinai Health System.

Christine Greves, MD, is a board-certified ob-gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, Florida. She received her medical degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Julie Lamppa, APRN, CNM, is a certified nurse midwife at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Jessica Shepherd, MD, is an ob-gyn at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. She received her medical degree from the Ross University School of Medicine in Miramar, Florida.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.

Plus, more from The Bump:

Safe Over-the-Counter Medications You Can Take While Pregnant

Exercising for Two: The Dos and Don’ts of Pregnancy Workouts

How to Deal with Headaches During Pregnancy

"Charlie's Horse Syndrome": an unusual symptom that warns of the presence of a blood clot in the body

Health

Photo: IStockphoto

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, almost everyone now knows about such a terrible diagnosis as thrombosis. Infection provokes various complications, but thrombosis is one of the most frightening. Doctors are sometimes forced to amputate a leg or arm to save a life.

However, not only covid can provoke the formation of a deadly blood clot in the body. A blood clot can appear due to a sedentary lifestyle, bad habits, various chronic diseases.

"Charlie's Horse" is an informal name for the syndrome, which refers to a muscle spasm or cramp that occurs in any muscle of the body, but mainly in the leg. This unusual combination is used by residents of North America.

"Charlie's Horse" in the US and Canada was nicknamed spasms of the legs in honor of baseball player Charlie Redbourn, nicknamed Old Hoss. He played in Major League Baseball in the 1880s and suffered from frequent seizures.

You should definitely be on your guard if you are suffering from sudden and painful muscle spasms in your leg. Convulsions can appear both at night and during the day. Most often in only one leg. This may be a warning that you are suffering from a blood clot and not restless leg syndrome.

“This symptom is insidious in that it can easily be mistaken for muscle damage. Those who play sports are especially at risk, because there is a high chance of injuring the leg with uneven power loads, ”the National Blood Clot Alliance experts quote the Express edition.

The following symptoms are often added to muscle spasms :

the leg got bigger, it seemed to be a little swollen;
the affected area became redder and warmer;
the skin on any part of the leg may change color: become white or blue;
you don't like touching your leg.

A blood clot can remain motionless for a long time, but everything changes in a second. The blood clot breaks off and quickly travels to the lungs. Here already the account will go on minutes. The person will begin to suffer from shortness of breath, severe chest pain, heart palpitations. And if there is no doctor nearby, then everything will end extremely tragically.

Therefore, if you notice that you have muscle cramps or pain in your leg, be sure to make an appointment with your doctor. The specialist will prescribe all the necessary tests and help identify the true cause of the ailments.

Sofya Khromova

Horse pregnancy: how long it lasts, how many foals there are

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Home / Help / Articles and Reviews / Horse Pregnancy

Pregnancy in horses with relative health and proper care, as a rule, proceeds without problems. It is worth breeding a mare with a stallion not earlier than the fourth year of her life, since only by this time the horse’s body will get stronger and will be completely ready for bearing offspring. Mating should take place on the second day of the start of the hunt for the mare and last until estrus passes. A veterinarian or an experienced breeder can determine the onset of pregnancy without ultrasound diagnostics and early testing, since outwardly this will be noticeable only starting from six months of gestation. The first and main sign is the absence of estrus by the next month. The pregnancy of a horse lasts quite a long time, 11-12 months. This is one of the longest gestation periods among mammals. During this delicate period, it is necessary to protect the mare from hard work, riding on her, especially at the end of the term. It is necessary to carefully monitor the health of a pregnant horse and its behavior. The stall in which the horse is kept needs to be insulated, the bedding should be changed more often. You need to add special top dressing to the feed and ask it in fractional portions several times a day. This will make it easier for the mare to digest food. The gestation period in horses can shift by about two weeks earlier or later than a certain date - this is an acceptable rate. It depends on the characteristics of the mare itself, the size of the fetus, conditions, nutrition.

The process of childbirth under all the observed conditions and the absence of pathologies in the foal passes quickly, no more than an hour. The mare gives birth standing or lying on her side. She can tie her tail with a clean rag and put any dense fabric under it and watch the process from the side. The umbilical cord ruptures without assistance from the fact that the horse stands up or the newborn falls to the floor if the birth takes place standing. After giving birth, the foal will have to get up quite quickly and begin to kiss the udder, the horse will help him do this. After the horse owner needs to carry out all hygiene procedures that are required.

As a rule, horses have one foal. But there are also cases of twins. With this option, there is a danger that one of the foals will not survive or they will both be small and weak. However, there are happy exceptions. About six months after birth, the foal should be next to the mother, as he needs her milk and care, and she will be calmer. The mare can be loaded with work already two weeks after birth. In general, under normal conditions of keeping, care and attitude towards the animal at the usual time, and during pregnancy, the process will proceed without problems and end safely.