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Treatment, Home Remedies, and Prevention

Pregnancy isn’t always a cakewalk. Sure, we hear how beautiful it is (and it is!), but your first months may have been filled with morning sickness and heartburn. And just when you think you’re out of the woods, leg cramps come along.

Leg cramps are a common pregnancy symptom that usually occurs in the second and third trimester. In fact, nearly half of all pregnant women report muscle spasms by the third trimester.

You may experience these cramps mainly at night — just when you’d like to get the sleep you’re probably craving — and feel tightness in your calf, foot, or both areas. Some women also experience them after sitting in one position for an extended amount of time.

It may not be possible to entirely prevent leg cramps. But preventative and relief measures like stretching, staying active, and drinking plenty of water may help ease your symptoms and get your mind back on the true joys of pregnancy.

Let’s start by talking about what causes these cramps, because knowledge is power when it comes to getting relief.

Circulation changes

During pregnancy, circulation slows — this is totally normal and not a reason to worry. It’s due in part to overactive hormones. (You probably know by now that hormones are gifts that keep on giving for the whole 40 weeks — and beyond.)

During later trimesters, your body also experiences an increase in blood volume, which also contributes to slow circulation. This can lead to swelling and cramping in your legs.

Tips for improving circulation while pregnant

• Try sleeping on your left side.
• Elevate your legs as often as possible — literally, find the time to put your feet up and relax if you can.
• At night, place a pillow under or between your legs.
• During the day, stand up and walk around every hour or two — especially if you have a job that keeps you at a desk all day.

Dehydration

Quick check: Are you drinking enough water?

During pregnancy, you’re ideally drinking 8 to 12 cups of water each day. Watch out for symptoms of dehydration, like dark yellow pee (it should be clear or nearly clear).

Dehydration can cause and worsen leg cramps. If you’re experiencing them, try upping your daily water intake.

Weight gain

The pressure from your growing baby can take a toll on your nerves and blood vessels, including the ones that go to your legs. This is why you’re more likely to experience leg cramps as your pregnancy progresses, especially in the third trimester.

Gaining a healthy amount of weight and staying active during your pregnancy may help prevent leg cramps. Talk to your healthcare provider if you’re concerned.

Fatigue

It’s the norm to feel tired during pregnancy — you’re growing a tiny human! — and this is especially true as you gain more weight in the second and third trimester. As your muscles get fatigued from the added pressure, too, it can lead to leg cramps.

Try drinking plenty of water, going for a walk during the day, and stretching before bed to prevent leg cramps due to muscle fatigue.

Calcium or magnesium deficiency

Having too little calcium or magnesium in your diet may contribute to leg cramps.

But if you already take a prenatal vitamin, you likely don’t need to take an additional supplement. A 2015 review of studies of 390 pregnant women found that taking magnesium or calcium supplements made little to no difference when it came to experiencing leg cramps.

If you’re concerned you aren’t getting enough of these nutrients, speak to your doctor. You’re probably getting labs done occasionally anyway, so it doesn’t hurt to have these levels checked.

DVT blood clot

A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) blood clot can occur in the legs, thigh, or pelvis. Pregnant women are 5 to 10 times more likely to develop a DVT than non-pregnant women. While there’s no need to panic that you’ll get one — it’s pretty uncommon to start with — we can’t say enough that knowledge is power.

Bottom line: Keep moving. We’re not talking marathons here, but the best way to prevent DVT during pregnancy is to avoid hours at a time of inactivity.

If your job requires a lot of sitting, you could set a quiet alarm on your phone to go off every hour to remind you to get up and walk — perhaps to the water cooler to add to your water intake for the day! Two birds, one stone.

Also take extra care to get up during long flights. You may want to check with your doctor before flying while pregnant.

Symptoms of a blood clot are similar to leg cramps, but a DVT blood clot is a medical emergency. Seek medical care right away if you experience symptoms like:

• a lot of pain in your legs when you’re standing or moving around
• severe swelling
• warm-to-the-touch skin near the affected area

Stretching before bed

Performing a calf stretch before getting into bed at night may help prevent or ease leg cramps. Follow these steps:

1. Stand facing a wall, an arm’s length away.
2. Place your hands on the wall in front of you.
3. Step your right foot back. Keep your heels on the floor the whole time and bend your left knee while keeping your right leg straight. Keep your left knee bent as so you feel the stretch in your right calf muscle.
4. Hold for up to 30 seconds. Switch legs, if needed.

Staying hydrated

Drinking plenty of water during pregnancy is important to prevent dehydration — and dehydration can also lead to those awful leg cramps.

Try to drink 8 to 12 cups of water each day during pregnancy. Easier said than done, sure — but super important for a lot of good reasons.

Applying heat

Try applying heat to your cramping muscle. It may help loosen up the cramp. No need to buy a fancy heating pad: You can also use a microwave-safe cloth bag (or a sock) filled with rice.

Massaging the area

When you get a leg cramp, performing a self-massage may help ease your pain. Use one hand to gently massage your calf or wherever your leg is cramping. Perform this self-massage for 30 seconds to a minute to ease your cramp.

You can also get a prenatal massage, which can be a positively divine experience. Look for an experienced therapist in your area who specializes in working with pregnant women.

Exercising

It’s a smart idea to stay active throughout your pregnancy, even though you don’t want to overdo it.

With your doctor’s OK, pregnancy-safe activities like prenatal yoga, walking, and swimming can benefit you and your baby-to-be.

Staying active can prevent excess weight gain, promote circulation, and yes — help prevent leg cramps. Always stretch and warm up before and after exercising so your muscles don’t cramp up afterward, though.

Avoiding inactivity

So, perhaps you don’t have the time or energy for a challenging hike or run. That is more than OK — you need to listen to your body and know your limits, especially during pregnancy.

But sitting for long periods of time can lead to leg and muscle cramps. To avoid this, make sure you stand up and walk around every hour or two. Set a timer on your phone or watch if you tend to forget to get up during the day.

Leg cramps are a common pregnancy symptom. (That doesn’t make having them any easier, but hopefully it turns down the stress dial a bit.)

If you’re concerned about your pain or they’re causing too much lost shut-eye, mention it at your next prenatal checkup.

Also call your doctor and let them know if your leg cramps are severe, persistent, or worsening. You may need supplements or medication.

Seek medical help immediately if you experience severe swelling in one or both legs, pain walking, or enlarged veins. These may be symptoms of a blood clot.

The straight answer here is that there is no straight answer. (Great.)

Leg cramps are most common in the second and third trimester of pregnancy, not the first. But changing symptoms are a valid reason to wonder if you’re pregnant.

Some women do report aches and pains during the first trimester. This is likely due to your hormonal changes and your expanding uterus.

Leg cramps alone can’t tell you if you’re pregnant. If you suspect you’re pregnant or miss your period, take an at-home pregnancy test or see your doctor to confirm.

To prevent leg cramps, try the following:

• Drink between 8 and 12 cups of water per day.
• Stay active throughout your pregnancy.
• Stretch out your calf muscles.
• Wear comfortable shoes — leave the heels at home!
• Eat a balanced diet with calcium- and magnesium-rich foods like yogurt, leafy greens, whole grains, dried fruit, nuts, and seeds

Experiencing leg cramps during pregnancy isn’t pleasant. But it’s a common symptom, especially at night. Try our tips — we think they’ll help.

And as always, let your doctor know if you have any related worries. Never feel bad or self-conscious about phoning or emailing your clinic — helping you through a healthy pregnancy is the number one concern of OB doctors and nurses.

Early pregnancy | Shchelkovsky perinatal center

Pregnancy is a wonderful period! However, the changes taking place in the body at this time can greatly frighten you. The phenomena characteristic of pregnancy are different for all women, and will not necessarily be repeated during each subsequent gestation. Let's analyze the most common symptoms, their causes and possible methods of correction.

1. Frequent urination.

Frequent, painless (!) urge to urinate is one of the signs of pregnancy. This is due to increased secretion of progesterone (pregnancy hormone), changes in metabolism and pressure from the growing uterus on the bladder.

Be sure to see a doctor if:

• painful urination (this may be a sign of an infection)
• urine of strange color (stained with blood, brown)
• the amount of urine excreted per day is much less than the liquid drunk per day

Life hack! Under no circumstances should fluid intake be restricted! To alleviate the condition and reduce the frequent urge to urinate, it is necessary to exclude products that have a diuretic effect: tea, coffee, zucchini, watermelon; as well as salty, spicy and fried foods. It is better to drink water or juice. Wear comfortable cotton underwear that does not squeeze the lower abdomen.

2. Nausea, vomiting, heartburn, increased susceptibility to smells.

Nausea is one of the common symptoms of early pregnancy. The range of issues related to nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is quite wide. From "it's good, I don't even feel sick" (with relief), "I don't feel sick, what's wrong with me?" (with anxiety) to "when will this nausea pass" (with hope). Indeed, these symptoms are not at all a mandatory accompaniment of gestation, they can manifest at 7-8 weeks and last up to 12-14 weeks. The duration of this condition can sometimes be delayed, but rarely persists throughout pregnancy.

Life hack! For nausea, eat before feeling hungry. Solid, non-hot food and drinks at a cool temperature are best. With heartburn, you should eat small portions of food and often, and most importantly, sit, stand or walk for at least 30 minutes after eating, but do not lie down.

You should definitely consult a doctor if:

• vomiting occurs even after drinking water
• vomiting is exhausting, accompanied by dizziness, weakness
• dryness, jaundice and flaking of the skin appear
• Nausea and vomiting interfere with proper nutrition, accompanied by weight loss

To reduce nausea and vomiting in the morning, try eating something before you get out of bed. It can be a cracker, a cookie, a piece of hard cheese. And salty food is preferable to sweet. You can have a snack in the same way at night when you get up to go to the toilet. Do not lie down immediately after eating, this will only increase nausea. Vitamins for pregnant women with nausea should be taken in the evening after meals. Cool water with lemon, ginger, mint tea, or ginger or mint candies can alleviate the condition. It is necessary to exclude those foods, drinks and smells that are unpleasant to you. Brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth often can also reduce nausea.

3. Pain or cramps in the lower abdomen, constipation, pain in the lumbar region.

The simplest and most easily controlled cause of pain is delayed and incomplete bowel movements. An increase in the concentration of progesterone relaxes the smooth muscles, which are located not only in the uterus, but also in other hollow organs. In this case, the correction of the diet and the restoration of the passage of feces will help. If the measures are ineffective, the doctor may prescribe safe drugs for you. A special type of pain that occurs during exclusivity in pregnant women is pain in the round ligament of the uterus. This sharp, rather intense pain occurs, as a rule, on one side with a sharp change in body position (for example, when getting up from a chair or leaving a car). This pain occurs due to stretching, and then a sharp contraction, like a spring, of the round uterine ligaments. The pain quickly disappears if you immediately take a comfortable position and does not require special treatment.

You should definitely consult a doctor if:

• pain is accompanied by spotting bloody discharge from the external genitalia
• increasing duration and intensity of pain
• abdominal pain accompanied by dizziness, fever, loss of consciousness

Life hack! To normalize bowel movements, eat more vegetables and fruits, drink water and move more during the day. Try to eat often and in small portions.

4. Enlargement and soreness of the mammary glands.

Hormonal restructuring of the body during gestation is accompanied, among other things, by an increase in the size of the mammary glands and an increase in their sensitivity. By the end of the first trimester, the soreness usually disappears, no additional methods of treatment are needed.

Life hack! Choose comfortable supportive underwear (it should not leave marks on the skin at the end of the day). You may need a larger size or a sports bra. Pain in the mammary glands is relieved by a warm shower at the end of the day.

You should definitely see a doctor if:

• the pain is intense
• mammary glands are very dense with redness and body temperature is increased
• discharge from the nipples appears (purulent, bloody)

5. Increased body temperature.

In early pregnancy, an increase in body temperature to 37.5 ° C is not necessary, but is possible due to the peculiarities of the action of progesterone. Because of this, it is difficult for pregnant women to endure stuffy, hot rooms. Self-medication is dangerous: an attempt to bring down the temperature even with a seemingly harmless folk method - tea with raspberries - can mask the true cause of hyperthermia and delay the diagnosis. Due to the increased body temperature, pregnant women should dress in layers and avoid stuffy and hot rooms and spaces so that they can always “adjust” their temperature on their own.

• temperature above 37.5 °C
• along with fever, any pain occurs
• runny nose, cough, body aches appear

6. Nasal congestion, difficulty breathing, nosebleeds.

These symptoms can be explained by the individual reaction of the vascular system to the increase in blood volume that occurs during pregnancy. Another possible reason is dry air in the room, the operation of central heating batteries.

Life hack! The easiest way to deal with nasal congestion is to use a humidifier. If you don't have one, you can put a damp towel on the battery - less effective, but better than nothing. It is possible to use sprays with sea salt, but you need to carefully read the instructions and especially the "Indications" section, it should contain information about the safety of the product during pregnancy.

You should definitely see a doctor if:

• symptoms of a cold occur
• nasal congestion accompanied by ear congestion
• These symptoms appeared after exposure to the allergen known to you

7. Blood pressure fluctuations.

An ideal option for the course of any pregnancy is the stability of the blood pressure throughout the gestation. However, this is extremely rare. A small (up to 10 units) increase in pressure from the usual reference may be due to an increase in the load on the cardiovascular system as a result of changes in body weight, hormonal changes, and uterine pressure on the vessels. Normal pressure: systolic below 130 mm Hg, diastolic no more than 85 mm Hg. Blood pressure in the range of 130-139/ 85–89 mm Hg considered high to be normal. High numbers are often observed in patients of older reproductive age, suffering from diabetes mellitus and kidney disease, obesity, etc. However, it is imperative to tell the doctor about all these concomitant pathological conditions at the first appointment and, if necessary, consult a neurologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist and other related specialists . Reasonable physical activity, adherence to sleep and wakefulness, a balanced diet, and the rejection of coffee and strong tea allow you to keep pressure within limits. Of the completely exotic for our days, but no less significant - the prevention of stress.

Life hack! If you are experiencing high normal blood pressure for the first time, repeat the measurement after 15 minutes. If the pressure remains elevated, see a doctor.

Be sure to see a doctor if:

• your blood pressure is above 140/90 mmHg
• pressure increased by more than 10 mm Hg. relative to your usual
• an increase in the pressure indicator is accompanied by edema, the appearance of "flies" before the eyes

NB! You should also pay attention to lowering blood pressure. Numbers less than 90/60 mmHg - an excuse to see a doctor.

Life hack! Keep a blood pressure diary, especially if you are prone to hypertension. Show your diary to your doctor at every appointment.

8. Heaviness and pain in the legs.

Heaviness and pain in the legs, especially in the evening, are frequent companions of pregnancy. There is an explanation for the occurrence of symptoms: an increase in load due to growing weight and a shift in the center of gravity of the body.

Life hack! Ask your partner/husband to give you a foot massage, relax with your limbs elevated (not too much!) A therapeutic pedicure, dousing the legs with cool water, a contrast shower, a cream or gel for legs with cooling components (menthol, essential oils), as well as compression stockings or stockings of the lightest degree of compression will help.

You should definitely see a doctor if:

• one or both legs are very swollen or discolored
• previously diagnosed varicose veins, family history of thrombosis

9. Skin changes.

During pregnancy, you may notice dark spots on your skin. Especially often such darkening (hyperpigmentation) is observed in the nipple area, along the white line of the abdomen. Stretch marks (stretch marks) may appear on the skin of the abdomen and thighs. These are normal signs and do not require any treatment. In most cases, skin color will return to normal after breastfeeding ends, and stretch marks will shrink and fade. Itching can be associated with stretching of the skin, especially in the abdomen and mammary glands. This symptom occurs infrequently and is usually successfully stopped by the use of special products to moisturize and soften the skin. By the way, these same remedies usually help in the fight against stretch marks.

Life hack! Oils and moisturizing creams to increase skin elasticity, contrast showers, massage with a hard brush will help reduce the likelihood of skin changes.

You should definitely consult a doctor if:

• along with itching there are areas of redness, spots, peeling
• itching increases

10. Bleeding gums.

Changes in the characteristics of blood circulation in the body of a pregnant woman can cause bleeding gums. The appearance of minor blood impurities during brushing your teeth, when eating solid foods (for example, an apple) is acceptable. However, the key provision is "insignificant". If you find it difficult to assess your own condition, consult a specialist.

You should definitely consult a doctor if:

• you have loose teeth, sore gums, bad breath
• bleeding in the gum area increases

11. Fatigue, mood instability.

Tearfulness, lack of strength, forgetfulness, distraction, the whole palette of feelings "here and now"... The list can be continued, and there is only one explanation for this - pregnancy. The most common early symptom is severe fatigue. There is no universal recipe, just as there is no single picture of these states. The main recommendation for all pregnant women is to rest often, relax and even sleep during the day. Most importantly, you need to remember: pregnancy is not a disease, but a great time to prepare for motherhood.

Why pulls legs during early and late pregnancy. What to do if you pull your legs during pregnancy

After conception, the female body begins to change. Everything undergoes changes: from the hormonal background to the physical parameters of the body. Such changes bring a lot of inconvenience to a pregnant woman. One of the frequent complaints of expectant mothers is a pulling pain in the legs that occurs at any time of the day. The nature of such discomfort may be different, so it is better to immediately pay attention to the first symptoms and consult a doctor about this. Consider why legs are pulled during pregnancy, and what a pregnant lady should do about it.

Contents

• Drawing pains in the legs and pregnancy
• Pulling legs during pregnancy - causes and symptoms
  • Drawing pains with varicose veins during pregnancy
  • Drawing pains in the legs with diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract
  • Drawing pains in the legs with deficiency useful substances
  • Edema and pulling pain in the legs during pregnancy
  • Divergence of the pelvic bones and pulling pain in the legs during pregnancy
• Drawing pain in the legs during pregnancy - diagnostics
  • Pulling the calves of the legs during pregnancy
  • If pulling the legs during pregnancy at night
  • If pulling the legs during pregnancy as during menstruation
• Pulling the legs during pregnancy: what to do
• Video: Pain in the legs during pregnancy

Drawing pains in the legs and pregnancy

During gestation, the female body is not the same as before. The restructuring of the hormonal system, massive physiological changes and restarting the work of many systems cause swelling, muscle strain, impaired blood microcirculation throughout the body, including in the legs.

Such phenomena may occur imperceptibly or create some discomfort. For example, swelling and pressure of the uterus on the ureter can be the reason that the expectant mother from time to time begins to pull her legs in the early stages of pregnancy.

In the second half of gestation, the baby's needs for oxygen and nutrients increase every day. The reserves of calcium and vitamins in the female body are quickly depleted. There is also a constant increase in the load on the musculoskeletal system. These, at first glance, physiological and harmless phenomena cause significant damage to the female body, it becomes exhausted and tired. This may be one of the reasons why a woman pulls her legs during late pregnancy.

Note! Pulling sensations in the legs during gestation may be the result of overwork in the daytime, for example, after a hard day at work.

Pulling legs during pregnancy - causes and symptoms

In addition to the physiological causes of pulling pains, there are also pathological provocateurs of discomfort in the legs. The reason that pulls the legs strongly during pregnancy can be varicose veins, vitamin deficiency, preeclampsia with edema, overwork, water-salt imbalance and many other conditions.

Drawing pains in varicose veins during pregnancy

A common cause of constantly pulling legs during pregnancy is varicose veins. This pathology is directly related to the course of pregnancy. A constant increase in body weight, a violation of the usual blood flow, a load on the muscles and the vascular system is a complex trigger for the development of varicose veins.

Usually, varicose veins of the legs appear in the second half of gestation, when the uterus actively compresses the internal organs and creates tension in the spine. As a result of this, the outflow of blood and fluid from the small pelvis is disturbed, venous congestion occurs in the legs, and the veins weaken.

Note! The appearance of pulling pains and varicose veins is promoted by wearing uncomfortable shoes and tight clothes. A woman should always be comfortable in her outfit.

Symptoms of varicose veins during gestation:

• Drawing pains in the lower part of the legs (more often in the calves).
• Moderate itching and burning in the limbs.
• Constant feeling of tiredness in the legs, which does not leave even at night.
• Distinctive blue stars on the legs.

Chronic nagging pain in the legs, which indicates varicose veins, is a reason to visit a doctor in order to prescribe treatment. In the first stages, varicose veins can be stopped without surgery.

Tip! To improve the condition of the veins of the lower extremities, a pregnant woman is recommended to wear special stockings.

Drawing pains in the legs in diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract

If a woman pulls her stomach and legs during pregnancy, especially in the early stages, it is necessary to immediately exclude the pathology of the urinary system.

During pregnancy, the risk of inflammation of the kidneys and ureters increases. This happens for physiological reasons. The body of the uterus compresses the ureters, the outflow of biological fluid is disturbed, and the pathogenic flora forms a focus of inflammation.

Symptoms of pathology of the urinary system:

• decreased/increased urination;
• drawing pains in legs, pelvis, abdomen;
• burning and cutting during urination;
• swelling of the tissues of the legs, face.

Important! Inflammation in the kidneys and ureters during pregnancy is a common occurrence. There is no need to panic, because it is perfectly treated.

Acute pyelonephritis may be the cause of pulling sensations in the leg. The pain syndrome can be concentrated both in the lower back and give to the thigh. Therefore, if during pregnancy the right / left leg is pulled, the woman has fever and nausea, inflammation of the kidneys must be excluded.

Drawing pains in the legs with a deficiency of nutrients

Lack of vitamins during gestation can hardly be called a rarity. The baby takes the lion's share of vitamins and minerals from the mother, which leads to a lack of nutrients.

The cause of pulling pains in the legs is the deficiency of tocopherol, vitamin D, as well as magnesium, calcium, fatty acids. With a deficiency of vitamins, in addition to pulling pains, fatigue and weakness are present, hair and nail plates break and lose their attractiveness, immunity decreases.

Important! The choice of multivitamin preparations for pregnant women is huge, so an obstetrician-gynecologist should make the choice of a suitable drug.

Edema and pulling pains in the legs during pregnancy

During pregnancy, the circulation of fluid in the body slows down. The use of excessive amounts of liquid, especially coffee, tea and sweet juices, the abuse of salt, as well as a sedentary lifestyle lead to fluid retention in soft tissues.

Most often, the legs take the blow, which are very swollen, begin to pull, lose flexibility. A woman has to adhere to a salt-free diet, reduce fluid intake, drink diuretic decoctions.

It must be taken into account that swelling and pulling pains in the legs occur against the background of serious diseases. First of all, preeclampsia, diabetes, heart pathologies and thyroid insufficiency are excluded.

Divergence of the pelvic bones and drawing pains in the legs during pregnancy

Preparation for the birth process starts almost immediately after conception. The pelvic bones are constantly expanding so that the baby can be born.

The process of bone separation is very slow, so there is no significant discomfort. From time to time, a woman pulls between her legs during pregnancy, and pain can also radiate to one or both legs. In general, this phenomenon is considered natural.

If the pain in the legs increases towards the middle of pregnancy, the doctor may suspect a calcium deficiency. A menu enriched with dairy products or taking calcium supplements helps to fix the problem.

Drawing pains in the legs during pregnancy - diagnostics

If there are pulling pains in the legs during gestation, you should immediately identify the disease that causes this symptom. Correct diagnosis will be facilitated by a complete description of existing complaints.

Pulls calves during pregnancy

• Unpleasant sensations in the calf muscles in a pregnant lady is a symptom of magnesium and calcium deficiency. The pain is aching in nature, convulsions occur at night. A biochemical blood test helps to clarify the situation. Massage, walking, reviewing nutrition helps to correct the situation.
• Aching pain in the calves can also indicate varicose veins. Pain, tingling, numbness, burning sensation and "stars" on the skin are signs that are characteristic of varicose veins in the legs.
• Another likely cause of calf pain is flat feet. Pregnant women, as a rule, are aware of their diagnosis, but they do not always know that an incorrectly formed arch of the foot during gestation creates a load on the entire musculoskeletal center.
• The shift in the center of gravity aggravates the load and the woman begins to pull the muscles of the legs during pregnancy. In addition to pain in the calves, there will be pain in the knees, corns on the toes, burning feet. Discomfort disappears after wearing special insoles that compensate for the defect of a flat foot.

If pulling legs during pregnancy at night

Nocturnal nagging pains in the legs occur against the background of overwork and hormonal changes. The exact cause of the syndrome of nocturnal pain in the legs cannot be established. But after delivery, the problem disappears without a trace.

If during pregnancy pulls the legs as during menstruation

Pregnant women are alarmed by aching pain between the legs, reminiscent of premenstrual. In the early stages of gestation, such a symptom may indicate a threat of miscarriage, therefore, in this situation, consultation with a gynecologist is very important.

In addition to pulling pains between the legs, the following symptoms indicate the threat of miscarriage:

• abnormal discharge from the birth canal;
• weakness, disorientation;
• acute pain in the lower abdomen;
• bleeding.

When pulling legs and lower back during pregnancy in the third trimester, there is reason to believe that the birth process begins. It is also likely that such sensations are only a sign of training contractions and the process of lowering the baby's head closer to the exit. Such changes begin to occur two weeks before delivery.

The pulling sensations associated with the preparation for childbirth are periodic, rarely cause a general deterioration in well-being, do not need to be corrected.

During a change in the position of the baby in the womb at the end of gestation, a pinched nerve can occur. Depending on where the damaged nerve radiates, a woman will pull her left / right leg during pregnancy. Sometimes the pain will be unbearable, but there is nothing left but to wait for the moment when the baby takes the correct position. In the meantime, you can use a special bandage to support the tummy.

Pulling legs during pregnancy: what to do

If natural physiological changes in the body are the cause of discomfort in the legs during pregnancy, the doctor will give general recommendations. In the case of the pathological nature of pulling pains, the underlying disease will be treated.

To reduce discomfort in the legs during gestation, the following rules will help:

• Regardless of the gestational age, a woman needs sufficient rest. Any overwork will be manifested by pulling pains in the limbs.
• For the prevention of varicose veins, it is advisable to wear compression stockings.
• To normalize blood circulation in the body, you need to do a light exercise.

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