Cramping in your calves during pregnancy

Our tips & advice

Your baby is building his entire skeleton and using a lot of calcium to do so. If so, you may find yourself short of it. Often this is the cause of cramping, especially in the calves. Therefore, most remedies are based on supplementing calcium.

• Foods rich in calcium: Bananas, almonds, brassicas, sesame seeds, most green vegetables, avocado, dairy products.
• Extra magnesium can also help. Low-dose calcium/magnesium tablets are also available at the drugstore that you can try.
• Avoid cola. It is more acidic than vinegar and prevents the calcium you ingest from being absorbed in the intestines. So you still have nothing to show for it.
  Calf cramps, which occur mainly at night, can sometimes be helped by stimulating the blood flow in your legs before going to bed. A nice hot bath/shower or a walk can do this and/or take a hot water bottle to bed with you.
• If you have a standing job, then against cramping and fluid retention in your legs, try supportive tights (and then put on flat and good shoes!).