Charlie Horses in Pregnancy: What you can do to prevent them?

Charlie horses are the nickname for leg cramps. While they can happen at ANY point in your life, they especially happen during pregnancy. AND they very frequently awaken you during the middle of the night with your calf just KILILNG YOU… Today we’re going to talk about how you can prevent them but also what you can do when they happen. Lots of home remedies for leg cramps during pregnancy, so lets get onto the help!

What are Charlie Horses?

It’s just a muscle contracting hard in one spot. We’re not exactly sure why they happen (or why pregnancy makes them more frequent), but we know they can be very painful and annoying (especially at night — which is often when we find them).

What Prevents Charlie Horses in Pregnancy?

These prevent leg cramps in most people — but there are some special considerations in pregnancy (which is why you’re here with The Pregnancy Nurse).

Stretch

I am a huge fan of prenatal yoga and one of the BIG reasons is that keeping your muscles stretched can help prevent these cramps. Be sure to focus on lower body — hips, legs, calves.

If it’s really been a problem I might look up a video on just calf stretches that you can do before bed.

** You can actually get Charlie horses all over your body — but calves is the most frequent spot. If you’re having them on other spots stretch those areas. Some people think ligament pains are similar to charlie horses << read that whole article if you think you’re having charlie horses on your abdomen!

I think it’s smart to mention to your provider any big pains that you’ve been having including Charlie Horses — so they can help you improve them.

Listening to your body is such an important part of trying to prevent these. I’m also a big fan of listening to baby — if you’re in your 3rd trimester (or close to it) be sure to grab my kick count cheat sheet to make sure you’re doing them right.

Remain Active

It’s really easy to just do the bare minimum during pregnancy. And I’m not here to tell you to start up a giant fitness program at this phase in your life. But doing what you’ve done all along can be helpful.

Adding a short walk after dinner can help that lower body stay limber. It’s good for you, and might even help you sleep better.

Huge fan of staying active in pregnancy!

Want to know more healthy pregnancy tips? — check out these posts:

• Pregnancy, Tylenol® & Autism: What Expecting Moms Need to Know
• Signs You’re Ready to Be Induced
• What to Do If You are in Pain During Pregnancy
• Avoid Tearing at Delivery: 3 things you can do.
• Allergies During Pregnancy: What’s Safe and What’s Not

Calcium & Potassium.

Muscles use calcium and potassium to work. Adding these into your diet can sometimes help make sure all of that is available to your body. For me, I tried to eat a bananas at least every other day (potassium) and a Tums now and then (calcium). Heartburn or not (although, frankly — often there for heartburn)….

Obviously, there are lots of sources for both of these important minerals, any question ask your provider!

A note on electrolyte drinks:

Electrolyte drinks have gotten a lot of push lately. Some people swear by them. I even have a post on if Gatorade is safe during pregnancy. The reality is that a lot of these drinks have a fair amount of sugar, and maybe too much sodium (which can be a contributor to preeclampsia or hypertension in some people). Personally, I drink filtered tap water, I don’t recommend distilled water (because the minerals are out of that) and try to eat a varied diet.

If I work out hard and am especially sweaty, and maybe craving a sweet drink I’ll add some electrolytes to my water. It’s a rare occasion — more of a treat for getting so sweaty.

As a reminder electrolyte drinks aren’t regulated like drugs. You can’t be sure how much of what is in it and what else they have added. I think we should be more careful with them than we are.

However, our body most often pees out any electrolytes that aren’t necessary — so that’s the good news.

Hydration

While we’re here talking about beverages — making SURE that you are hydated is a huge key.

I know they say 8 giant glasses of water — but honestly, that’s sort of hard to know.

For me, the key is making sure that pee is a nice pale shade of yellow (if you have a white toilet — it gets tougher if your toilet is tinted).

I have some friends who want “clear” urine and I’m here to remind you that your body is always going to excrete bilirubin in the urine (that’s what makes it yellow) and I don’t think that’s a viable goal.

From someone who’s peeked at urine samples from thousands of women — you’re looking for a pale shade of yellow. That compensates for how much you’re sweating (important for a nurse here in Phoenix), and what your body needs.

If that urine is a darker yellow drink up!

I don’t hear this tip a lot, because most people want to pretend that there’s a magic number for everyone. But, I’m here being practical for you (as I can’t remember how many glasses I’ve had at any point). Your body can guide you. Want more practical tips? Join me in here!

Magnesium

I hear this tip a LOT — and I’ve actually started taking magnesium as I take my journey through perimenopause over here. However, I do it under the care of my provider. He was very helpful in talking through the….

Type of Mageniusm — there are a few different types, and they can each have their own benefits/risks. Some can make your stools softer, or too soft. So, be sure to discuss with them how much and what kind of supplement you should be taking (if any). I will say that mine has also sort of chilled me out and helped me sleep better. So, it’s been a win for me (but talk with your doctor).

The Dosage — I know that many providers have feelings about how much is too much — so talk with them!

Some people feel weird asking providers questions like this — but it’s AOK to say “I’ve been having leg cramps and I heard magnesium might help — do you think that’s safe for me and the baby?” Asking question is a PRO move in pregnancy, so starting on small things like this can help you feel more confident as the questions get a bit tougher.

Want to know more about feeling confident & ready? — check out these posts:

• Secret Keys to Labor that No One Talks About
• How to Feel Confident Making Choices During Labor
• The Three Biggest Mistakes Labor Patients Make—And How to Prevent Them
• Month-by-Month Pregnancy Timeline & To Do List

Good Shoes

You may need to bid an fond farewell to your heels for the rest of pregnancy. They can put a lot of pressure on your calves that might make these nightly terrors worse.

Or, at least save them for a special occasion.

The good news? I’ve had these like CRAZY with all of my pregnancies, but they went away afterwards. You can see those heels again once you’re not pregnant.

Compression Socks

Compression socks can help return any extra fluids to your body. They can be a big help in this issue. There are so many cute ones available any more, and you can get a smaller or a harder compression depending on your needs.

Any question about these ask your provider, but I have a whole article on how compression socks can be helpful and when to start wearing them.

Even as a nurse I wore compression socks to work — just made my 12 hour shifts more bearable — even not pregnant! Lots of people wear them, we just don’t talk about them much. They can be really helpful though! I also wear them to Disneyland!

What to do when you get a Leg Cramp?

This is going to focus on calf cramps, but the same things can be true for other muscle cramps.

Flex Don’t Point — You gotta stretch that muscle out. Pointing your toe will make it worse. Sometimes the pain is so much you can’t flex it — so you might need to get out of bed and use your weight to help it flex.

And yes — I’m with you that these absolutely suck. I’m sorry it’s just one more weird pregnancy symptom we could do with out. It does seem like mother nature has it out for pregnant patients!

For some people that stretching will be enough — but for some people the muscle while not contracting as hard is still very painful. If that is the case:

Walk around for a bit — these will help the muscle work out the lactic acid that has built up from it working so hard (needlessly). Grab a little water to help stay hydrated and help wash that out!

Heat or cold can help too — I recommend a microwaveable heating pad so you can fall asleep safely with it on your leg (and it will cool). Make sure that you have ice wrapped in a dish towel so you don’t freeze your skin too. We don’t need that! Personally, I prefer heat — but everyone is different, and I see both recommended.

Also, if you find them common having a quick stretching session before bed can help prevent them.

I am also here to remind you that you can absolutely cherish this baby and the life you’re going to build, and also hate pregnancy and all the weird things (like this) that come upon your body during pregnancy. It’s not cool and we don’t have to love it.

BUT hopefully, the tips in this article will help you manage them better.

Want more tips to manage your third trimester, labor, birth & postpartum better — check this out. I think you’ll find it super helpful!

What are YOU doing for your charlie horses? Tell us in the comments so we can learn together!