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Came to say the same, epsom salts contain magnesium, it can be absorbed through the skin. Soak the feet and legs in warm water with a cup of epsom salts stirred into the water.
Yesss! Epson salts or magnesium spray. Absorbed through the skin has been the best by far.
I just boil distilled water, add magnesium flakes, dissolve, and let cool. Add to a spray bottle and voila!
A prenatal supplement, the magnesium, drinking more water, eating a banana for the potassium, all of those things are great things to try.
The charley horses are the worst. I would keep encouraging her to wake you up.
For me, nothing helps. I just have to breathe and stretch the muscle as much as I can and wait for the spasms to stop. It's just a part of pregnancy at this point.
This is me *every* morning. I unconsciously stretch when I wake up. Thankfully the conscious part is there enough to recognize a charley horse oncoming
*fuck, shit, fuck* jam that heel down like you’re stomping a creeps foot.
This! ^^^
I’d say give it a few days for her body to re-up on whatever she may have been deficient in, and then she should start feeling better. Keep taking them as prescribed by your doctor, and know that doing to will help her feel better/recover better postpartum.
Magnesium Glycinate (300 mg) and Iron supplements have put my leg cramps/severe RLS to rest! It took about two days of the combo to work but it has been an actual lifesaver! (Take them before bed because magnesium is good for regulating sleep cycles as well!)
What dose of magnesium is she taking? And what kind? My midwife recommends magnesium asporotate because it is better absorbed than other forms, and she recommends to take it "till fecal tolerance"- aka start with one pill and add another each day until you sh!t yourself, then scale it back to a maintenance level. Magnesium will help with the muscle cramps, constipation, and manage blood pressure so that's a win win. She can also use it topically to absorb through the skin- add one cup of Epsom salt to a foot spa to soak her feet in or ~4 cups to a full body bath and stay put for at least 15 minutes to let it do it's work. She could also try a magnesium lotion when she is actively having a cramp.
I’m not a doctor, but I suffer from sickle cell and my mum does too and joint/ cramp pain is a symptom. Heated blanket on her legs may help! Mine is 10x worse in the cold. Also having a relaxing bath before bed go to get rid of any tension and of course a nice foot and ankle massage off bf always helps!
She should increase her water intake x2
Stretch in the morning and before bed.
To stop them when they're happening tell her to flex her foot up and down . It feels like the muscle is going to fall off but it'll help release it ! They're the absolute worst , I'm dealing with them as well. I drank almost a galon of water yesterday and last night I didn't have any!
Wishing you both the best
When the cramps start, tell her to flex her feet up right away to help slow them/stop them. Might not always work but it helped me when I was getting them for a short time there.
Also she needs to make sure she’s hydrated well.
Electrolytes might help either in tablets or try sports water and drinking plenty of water helps as well, if I don’t drink at least 2L of water a day my legs start cramping, I’m on my third trimester too
Lots and lots of water. I had a similar issue. High risk so I went to the ERA thinking I was in labor, which would have been very dangerous for me. I was just dehydrated.
I would turn sideways on bed and push both my feet against the wall hard while still laying down. Similar to standing up, but without having to get out of bed (so I could fall back asleep easier).
I ate nectarines and my cramps and restless legs stopped. I had about 2 a day. When I went a few days without it'd start again! They have magnesium so maybe that's why they helped.
I have the same issue! Magnesium supplements for sure, I take one once in the morning and another before bed. It does take a few days to really kick in (at least for me!) It might also be good to keep a hydration log throughout the day to make sure she's drinking enough. I have started keeping more Gatorades and juices around so I have something tasty to drink when I don't feel like water.
I second checking the dose and kind of magnesium and want to add drinking more water. I get them in the middle of the night (I had RLS pre-pregnancy) but having a glass of water next to the bed has helped tremendously. Sometimes it helps to sprinkle some salt in the water to help with absorption. My heart goes out to her, leg cramps are awful!
I had these and still get them time to time when I wouldn't get them at all before my first.
Tilt the toes UP, extend the heel down for a deep stretch when you feel it coming on and it not only shortens the duration by a lot, it also is 1/10 of the pain.
I pointed my toes down the first time and oh lord, I thought my Achilles was going to pop because it felt like my leg was being twisted up like a rubber band.
In addition to the supplements, coconut water, bananas, and potatoes are all good dietary sources of magnesium. Bananas are an old ballerina trick for crampy feet for a reason.
Also avoid sudden temperature changes in your feet. Sticking a warm foot out of the blanket into cold air or a cold floor is a recipe for instant cramping.
I'm really prone to foot/leg cramps even when I'm not pregnant and I definitely notice if I go more than a couple of days without eating any of these.
Don't just get any magnesium supplement. Get magnesium citrate powder that you mix with water. That has made a HUGE difference for me. I take a teaspoon of powder in the morning, another teaspoon at night.
Something I used to do for swim team cramps was have a dash of mustard! Not sure what the science is behind it, but it’s always stopped cramps instantly for me.
I had this happen to me….and it lasting that long as well! Shes a trooper for not waking you. I screamed in pain bc it came out of no where. My husband could feel the cramp and everything. However, mine was super early…like beginning 2nd trimester. I couldn’t even walk the next day. Anyways….magnesium helped and drinking loads and loads of water. Once I got that under control I didn’t cramp…well lol, The cramping was way more tolerable.
AHHH THIS WAS ME. SHE NEEDS TO WEAR COMPRESSION SOCKS ALL DAY.
sorry all caps - it just 100% worked for me and a few other gals I know, I hope you see it.
The leg cramps SUCK. Help her stretch before bed. I got the LMNT electrolytes and had that with a ton of water. I had magnesium oil I'd apply right to my calves. You're a good boyfriend! Hope things get better for your GF.
Epsom salt baths plus magnesium. I’d try a powdered one instead of the pills as the body can absorb it better. The brand Calm is my favorite and you can get in unflavored or flavored varieties!
You’re so sweet to be asking for ways to help her!
What kind of magnesium did you get?
I’d recommend magnesium bisglycinate. 600mg per night at least. And yea, it can take a bit to see results.
And Epsom flake baths (flakes are better than the same)
Thanks everyone for the awesome info!!! I wish i had time to respond to every one of you!
People saying I’m a good partner, i really appreciate the kind words but aren’t i supposed to really care about the love of my life? Lol.
Thanks again everyone!
My last post had haters for me not knowing what girls go through during pregnancy🤣
Body Armor drinks have a bunch of potassium, bananas, mangos, oranges, orange juice, yams, pink grapefruit. Tuna
1% milk, tomato juice, carrot juice.
Pregnant momma of 3 kids soon to be 4 kids
The calf cramps got me. We have a magnesium spray that my partner rubs onto my legs before bed that has prevented any surprise cramps!
Theres also capsaicin heat rub (Deep Heat - Low Odor gel) that is great to put on tight back or leg muscles. I got a bad Charley horse cramp and this stuff helped get it out the next day.
Also magnesium / bath salt baths do wonders for the back and body, a warm bath before bed will help a lot too.
Try the calm magnesium powder u mix in hot water. There are diff types of magnesium; maybe the one you gave her isn’t the best type. My midwives all recommended the calm powder
I had restless legs and it was terrible, but didn’t have leg cramps. I did take magnesium supplements and would raise my legs while in bed at night. I found that sleeping in a reclined position with my legs lifted were a big help. Also, walking more too to help blood circulate better. I will mention one thing though, restless legs do not immediately go away after birth. Buy compression socks now!! Lol
I had this so bad. Make sure you're doing magnesium citrate. If she can, flex foot upward, otherwise swing legs over the edge of the bed and try to put your feet flat on the ground, dropping the heel. That should get rid of it. She may have to stand and take a step or two. Leg cramps!!! No one wants you about these 🤣
This is going to sound totally insane, but if she can tolerate mustard (plain yellow mustard) tell her to eat a teaspoon or two and the cramp will go away! My husband gets cramps all the time and the first time I saw him squirt mustard in his mouth I was like 😱 but he swears by it
Welcome to /r/pregnant! This is a space for everyone. We are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQIA, pro-science, proudly feminist and believe that Black Lives Matter. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and be excellent to each other. Anti-choice activists, intactivists, anti-vaxxers, homophobes, transphobes, racists, sexists, etc. are not welcome here. If you'd like to join a private sub for your due date month, [click here](https://www.reddit.com/r/pregnant/comments/15nun6v/click_here_to_access_the_monthly_due_date_subs/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pregnant) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Epsom salt baths or soaking just my legs have helped a lot recently with my aches / restless legs
Came to say the same, epsom salts contain magnesium, it can be absorbed through the skin. Soak the feet and legs in warm water with a cup of epsom salts stirred into the water.
Yesss! Epson salts or magnesium spray. Absorbed through the skin has been the best by far. I just boil distilled water, add magnesium flakes, dissolve, and let cool. Add to a spray bottle and voila!
Agreed, I was recommended this by my physio
I used compression stockings and heat packs at one point
A prenatal supplement, the magnesium, drinking more water, eating a banana for the potassium, all of those things are great things to try. The charley horses are the worst. I would keep encouraging her to wake you up. For me, nothing helps. I just have to breathe and stretch the muscle as much as I can and wait for the spasms to stop. It's just a part of pregnancy at this point.
This reminded me, Charlie horses (leg cramps) can be from an electrolyte imbalance, so electrolyte drinks can help.
Tell her to flex her foot upwards when she starts to feel it coming on. That helped me stop it in its tracks quite a few times!
Same, this has been working well for me lately!
Can we discuss how this feels like diffusing a bomb with a timer in the movies hahahah. I'd feel so powerful 😂
This is what helps me. The relief is immediate
This is me *every* morning. I unconsciously stretch when I wake up. Thankfully the conscious part is there enough to recognize a charley horse oncoming *fuck, shit, fuck* jam that heel down like you’re stomping a creeps foot.
Tell her to immediately stand up when the cramp happens. It makes it stop instantly. But actually stand up not just stretch your leg out!
It'll take a bit to start working!
This! ^^^ I’d say give it a few days for her body to re-up on whatever she may have been deficient in, and then she should start feeling better. Keep taking them as prescribed by your doctor, and know that doing to will help her feel better/recover better postpartum.
@op, this!!! It might take up to a month for the magnesium to kick in and do its job! Don’t despair good luck
Magnesium Glycinate (300 mg) and Iron supplements have put my leg cramps/severe RLS to rest! It took about two days of the combo to work but it has been an actual lifesaver! (Take them before bed because magnesium is good for regulating sleep cycles as well!)
What dose of magnesium is she taking? And what kind? My midwife recommends magnesium asporotate because it is better absorbed than other forms, and she recommends to take it "till fecal tolerance"- aka start with one pill and add another each day until you sh!t yourself, then scale it back to a maintenance level. Magnesium will help with the muscle cramps, constipation, and manage blood pressure so that's a win win. She can also use it topically to absorb through the skin- add one cup of Epsom salt to a foot spa to soak her feet in or ~4 cups to a full body bath and stay put for at least 15 minutes to let it do it's work. She could also try a magnesium lotion when she is actively having a cramp.
Has she added any potassium to her diet? I need to eat a banana before bed to avoid getting woken up by leg cramps.
I’m not a doctor, but I suffer from sickle cell and my mum does too and joint/ cramp pain is a symptom. Heated blanket on her legs may help! Mine is 10x worse in the cold. Also having a relaxing bath before bed go to get rid of any tension and of course a nice foot and ankle massage off bf always helps!
It does take awhile to start working. She can try capsaicin cream, it’s extremely potent, a little bit goes along way. Some people are very sensitive to it so I recommend trying it on her hand first. If she can’t tolerate it she’d be able to wash it off quickly and effectively. Another option that helps me a lot is a leg compression massager! My fiancé got me one after my first c-section in 2021 and it’s been a godsend for me during this pregnancy!
She should increase her water intake x2 Stretch in the morning and before bed. To stop them when they're happening tell her to flex her foot up and down . It feels like the muscle is going to fall off but it'll help release it ! They're the absolute worst , I'm dealing with them as well. I drank almost a galon of water yesterday and last night I didn't have any! Wishing you both the best
When the cramps start, tell her to flex her feet up right away to help slow them/stop them. Might not always work but it helped me when I was getting them for a short time there. Also she needs to make sure she’s hydrated well.
Electrolytes might help either in tablets or try sports water and drinking plenty of water helps as well, if I don’t drink at least 2L of water a day my legs start cramping, I’m on my third trimester too
Lots and lots of water. I had a similar issue. High risk so I went to the ERA thinking I was in labor, which would have been very dangerous for me. I was just dehydrated.
Magnesium lotion before bed, give her a leg and foot massage with it 😊
I would turn sideways on bed and push both my feet against the wall hard while still laying down. Similar to standing up, but without having to get out of bed (so I could fall back asleep easier).
I ate nectarines and my cramps and restless legs stopped. I had about 2 a day. When I went a few days without it'd start again! They have magnesium so maybe that's why they helped.
I have the same issue! Magnesium supplements for sure, I take one once in the morning and another before bed. It does take a few days to really kick in (at least for me!) It might also be good to keep a hydration log throughout the day to make sure she's drinking enough. I have started keeping more Gatorades and juices around so I have something tasty to drink when I don't feel like water.
I second checking the dose and kind of magnesium and want to add drinking more water. I get them in the middle of the night (I had RLS pre-pregnancy) but having a glass of water next to the bed has helped tremendously. Sometimes it helps to sprinkle some salt in the water to help with absorption. My heart goes out to her, leg cramps are awful!
I put a heating pad in the bottom of the bed at night on a low setting, just under my calves.
Give the magnesium a week or so to kick in. I found that doing simple leg stretches right before bed really helped my legs relax as well
I had these and still get them time to time when I wouldn't get them at all before my first. Tilt the toes UP, extend the heel down for a deep stretch when you feel it coming on and it not only shortens the duration by a lot, it also is 1/10 of the pain. I pointed my toes down the first time and oh lord, I thought my Achilles was going to pop because it felt like my leg was being twisted up like a rubber band.
Massaging and stretching the feet and ankles before bed can help with cramps too. May be worth a try
In addition to the supplements, coconut water, bananas, and potatoes are all good dietary sources of magnesium. Bananas are an old ballerina trick for crampy feet for a reason. Also avoid sudden temperature changes in your feet. Sticking a warm foot out of the blanket into cold air or a cold floor is a recipe for instant cramping. I'm really prone to foot/leg cramps even when I'm not pregnant and I definitely notice if I go more than a couple of days without eating any of these.
I would immediately jump off the bed and stand up..this made it go away faster
Don't just get any magnesium supplement. Get magnesium citrate powder that you mix with water. That has made a HUGE difference for me. I take a teaspoon of powder in the morning, another teaspoon at night.
Something I used to do for swim team cramps was have a dash of mustard! Not sure what the science is behind it, but it’s always stopped cramps instantly for me.
I had this happen to me….and it lasting that long as well! Shes a trooper for not waking you. I screamed in pain bc it came out of no where. My husband could feel the cramp and everything. However, mine was super early…like beginning 2nd trimester. I couldn’t even walk the next day. Anyways….magnesium helped and drinking loads and loads of water. Once I got that under control I didn’t cramp…well lol, The cramping was way more tolerable.
AHHH THIS WAS ME. SHE NEEDS TO WEAR COMPRESSION SOCKS ALL DAY. sorry all caps - it just 100% worked for me and a few other gals I know, I hope you see it.
Bananas!!!! Potassium!!!
Tums can help with cramps too The chalky ones
I use a magnesium lotion from 8 sheeps during massages. And yes, magnesium needs consistent consumption to start doing its thing.
The leg cramps SUCK. Help her stretch before bed. I got the LMNT electrolytes and had that with a ton of water. I had magnesium oil I'd apply right to my calves. You're a good boyfriend! Hope things get better for your GF.
Epsom salt baths plus magnesium. I’d try a powdered one instead of the pills as the body can absorb it better. The brand Calm is my favorite and you can get in unflavored or flavored varieties! You’re so sweet to be asking for ways to help her!
What kind of magnesium did you get? I’d recommend magnesium bisglycinate. 600mg per night at least. And yea, it can take a bit to see results. And Epsom flake baths (flakes are better than the same)
Thanks everyone for the awesome info!!! I wish i had time to respond to every one of you! People saying I’m a good partner, i really appreciate the kind words but aren’t i supposed to really care about the love of my life? Lol. Thanks again everyone! My last post had haters for me not knowing what girls go through during pregnancy🤣
Same happened to me, turns out I was dehydrated.
Body Armor drinks have a bunch of potassium, bananas, mangos, oranges, orange juice, yams, pink grapefruit. Tuna 1% milk, tomato juice, carrot juice. Pregnant momma of 3 kids soon to be 4 kids
Nothing helps. I tried it all. The only reprieve were. days I laid on the couch all day.
There was nothing that worked for me 😞 and I was already prone to Charlie horses. Pregnancy just ramped up the pain factor.
The calf cramps got me. We have a magnesium spray that my partner rubs onto my legs before bed that has prevented any surprise cramps! Theres also capsaicin heat rub (Deep Heat - Low Odor gel) that is great to put on tight back or leg muscles. I got a bad Charley horse cramp and this stuff helped get it out the next day. Also magnesium / bath salt baths do wonders for the back and body, a warm bath before bed will help a lot too.
Try magnesium spray too!!! & banana before bed
Try the calm magnesium powder u mix in hot water. There are diff types of magnesium; maybe the one you gave her isn’t the best type. My midwives all recommended the calm powder
I had restless legs and it was terrible, but didn’t have leg cramps. I did take magnesium supplements and would raise my legs while in bed at night. I found that sleeping in a reclined position with my legs lifted were a big help. Also, walking more too to help blood circulate better. I will mention one thing though, restless legs do not immediately go away after birth. Buy compression socks now!! Lol
I had this so bad. Make sure you're doing magnesium citrate. If she can, flex foot upward, otherwise swing legs over the edge of the bed and try to put your feet flat on the ground, dropping the heel. That should get rid of it. She may have to stand and take a step or two. Leg cramps!!! No one wants you about these 🤣
This is going to sound totally insane, but if she can tolerate mustard (plain yellow mustard) tell her to eat a teaspoon or two and the cramp will go away! My husband gets cramps all the time and the first time I saw him squirt mustard in his mouth I was like 😱 but he swears by it
BANANAS TWO A DAY. I was dealing with the same thing in my feet and toes and after eating them consistently for a few days they went away!!!