[Cutie Patootie]

<p>Last night and today I have had severe leg cramps and hip pain.  So bad I almost took some pain meds left over from a surgery and couldn't get out of bed or walk, but waited it out instead.  It was excruciating.  I have always had hip pain with pregnancy, but the leg cramp is something new.  I did go out with my mom for 8 hours yesterday, grocery shopping, etc., but still, I need to be able to function.  An all day day is typical.  All I know is I can't have another night/day like that and it is not at all conducive to cooking Thanksgiving dinner for 8 people.  Anyone else experience this and is there anything I can do to prevent it?</p>

 

[~Nikki~]

<p>My experience is that the leg cramps are usually due to a potassium deficiency, and eating banana's helps.  I suffered from terrible night-time leg cramps during my last two pregancies, and got in the habit of eating a banana each evening and they completely went away.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Can't offer any advice on the hip pain, though.  Hopefully somebody else will chime in?</p>

 

[wake_up]

<p> Last pregnancy my midwife had me take calcium/magnesium supplements for cramping and that helped me a lot.  You have to take both, in a certain ratio, I think.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hip pain could be a couple different things.  What type of pain was it?  Pinching, radiating, aching?  There's a fair amount of ligament relaxation that begins even at this early stage I think, and it can really whack out hip joints.  As a prenatal massage therapist, I often work on the deep lateral rotator muscles for pregnant mamas, which can help with "sciatica" type pain, as well as work on the iliotibial band (goes down the side of the thigh, hip to knee) and that brings relief to a lot of women.  If you have the money/time, see if you can find a good prenatal massage therapist near you.  Or a chiropractor could help...</p>

 

[Cutie Patootie]

<p>Thanks so much.  I was taking Rainbow Light Magnesium Plus Calcium but stopped because it seemed to mess with my stomach.  I actually started up again the evening of the horrible leg cramps day, but dropped my intake to 2 instead of the 3 recommended and I think it is helping a lot.  I have also been eating bananas in this pregnancy like mad, but hadn't eaten them for a couple of days when the leg cramps were so severe.  The hip pain I have had for a little over 7 years.  It started when I was on bed rest with my first pregnancy and never went away, even when I am not pregnant.  It is a severe aching that can radiate down into my joints.  When it is at the worst, it travels down into my knees and ankles and I can't walk.  There is pretty much no position that relieves it.  I was seeing a chiropractor weekly for years up until this past April, but we just moved and I have only been a few times since then.  I better step it up.   Wake_up, what you do sounds wonderful.  I am going to look into finding a prenatal massage therapist on Monday.  One of the hardest things for me with the hip pain is the anticipation of right after I birth.  With my last two births, I have had to have my chiropractor immediately on hand after the birth just so that I am able to sit upright.  With baby #2, I birthed in an odd position and only one side of my sacrum opened for the birth causing some trauma that doesn't heal.  I'm wondering if prenatal massage and chiropractic together might make this afterbirth better for me.  Okay, I am rambling.  Thanks again!</p>

 

[Buddhamom]

<p>I don't have pain, but I have been having restless legs and it is driving me crazy when trying to sleep at night.</p>