{"id":10268,"date":"2019-05-14T10:57:08","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T14:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.oviahealth.com\/guide\/10268\/leg-cramps-during-pregnancy\/"},"modified":"2025-05-20T13:37:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T17:37:15","slug":"leg-cramps-during-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/guide\/10268\/leg-cramps-during-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Leg cramps when pregnant"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Leg cramps are painful sensations in your legs that often occur at night during pregnancy. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are most common in the lower legs, or calves, but can happen higher up as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>What causes it?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, leg cramps can be <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">explained<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> easily. If you get dehydrated, exercise more than usual, sit all day or skip meals &#8211; these can all explain a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sudden<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> bout of leg cramps. But sometimes, leg cramps pop up during pregnancy even when you\u2019re doing everything \u201cright.\u201d <\/span> Some believe they can be attributed to the added weight your body must handle, as leg cramps are most frequent during the third trimester. Changes in circulation caused by your expanding uterus and the pressure it exerts <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">could also be a reason for cramping muscles.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Tips!<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: revert; font-family: proxima-nova;\">Stretching, daily activity, and staying well-hydrated are the basic ways to combat or prevent leg cramps.\u00a0 <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skipping meals or your prenatal vitamins may also contribute to increased cramping, as your body needs more essential nutrients right now to fuel its muscles. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Massages, heat or cold application could also help with cramping in the moment. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: revert; font-family: proxima-nova;\">Your healthcare provider may be able to provide insightful advice as to how you may be able to get some relief. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re also suffering from restless legs, they may suggest adding supplements, like Magnesium.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h5>\nRead more<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"\/guide\/10303\/infrequent-urination-when-pregnant\">Infrequent urination when pregnant<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/guide\/10412\/prenatal-yoga-pregnancy\">Prenatal yoga: what it is and how it helps<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Sources<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mary Marnach<\/span>, M.D. &#8220;What causes leg cramps during pregnancy, and can they be prevented?&#8221; <em>Mayo Clinic.<\/em> Mayo Clinic, 4\/12\/2023. Web.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scripps Family Medicine. \u201c4 Things that trigger <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">muscle<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> spasms and cramps\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scripps.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 7\/26\/2023. Web.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Leg cramps are painful sensations in your lower body that often occur at night during pregnancy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":232897,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ovia_author_name":"","ovia_author_prefix":"","ovia_author_image":"","ovia_content_type_id":"175","ovia_product_mode":"3","ovia_days_from_signup":"","ovia_days_from_lmp":"136","ovia_days_from_baby_birth":"","ovia_days_from_enroll":"","ovia_health_module_days_from":"","ovia_article_for_email_days_from":"136","ovia_health_module":"","ovia_legacy_id2":"","ovia_ttc":"","ovia_article_subtype":"","ovia_health_symptom":"53","ovia_partner_id":"","ovia_partner_custom_group":"","ovia_legacy_category":"1","ovia_legacy_category2":"","ovia_content_url_id":"10268","ovia_include_share_buttons":"","ovia_fertility_goal":"","ovia_secondary_module":"","ovia_trimester":"","ovia_child_age":"","ovia_share_image":"","ovia_more_menu_image":"","ovia_button1_url":"","ovia_days_from_postpartum":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"fert-category":[],"preg-category":[58,56],"parent-category":[],"fert-tag":[],"preg-tag":[],"parent-tag":[],"class_list":["post-10268","article","type-article","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","preg-category-pregnancy-symptoms","preg-category-staying-healthy-while-pregnant"],"yoast_head":"<!-- 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