What to do if you have leg pain during pregnancy? What causes leg cramps during pregnancy?

Many women will neglect to exercise during pregnancy. Due to special physical reasons, they often lie down for a long time in one position. So what should I do if I have leg pain during pregnancy? What is the cause of leg cramps during pregnancy?

What to do when your feet hurt during pregnancy

1. Edema and painful feet: With the change of fetal weight and fetal position, the water in the pregnant woman's body tends to accumulate in the ankles, causing edema and pain in the ankles. The solution to edema is to raise your feet as much as possible, do leg stretching exercises frequently, wear wide and comfortable shoes, and do not cross your legs when sitting.

2. Arch pain: Arch pain during pregnancy is mostly caused by fatigue or overstretching of the arch. Overstretching of the arch is caused by excessive pressure on a ligament that maintains the arch (called the "plantar fascia") during pregnancy. The best way to prevent arch pain is to stretch the arch every morning or before and after exercise, not to walk barefoot, and to wear low-heeled shoes with soft soles.

3. Foot cramps: This painful cramp is caused by increased blood volume and progesterone during pregnancy. Pregnant women can prevent cramps by rotating their ankles to improve blood flow and raising their feet when sitting. If cramps persist, try walking around obstacles and stretching the gastrocnemius muscles every day.

4. Ingrown toenails: Wearing tight shoes during pregnancy can cause ingrown toenails. The solution is to wear loose shoes in the last three months of pregnancy. If ingrown toenails have already occurred, do not go to some private clinics for minor surgery. Repeated nail cutting will make ingrown toenails worse. The best way is to find a professional foot and ankle surgeon.

5. It is common for pregnant women to have larger feet. This is because during pregnancy, a hormone called relaxin is released (a hormone that relaxes the pelvis when the baby is born), which makes the ligaments of pregnant women's feet more relaxed, causing the feet to become wider and longer, often making the feet of pregnant women half the size.

What causes leg cramps during pregnancy?

1. Calcium deficiency in the body. As we all know, the calcium required for fetal bone growth is entirely provided by the pregnant mother. Calcium is an important factor in regulating the secretion of glands for muscle contraction, cell division, and low calcium will increase the excitability of nerves and muscles, leading to muscle contraction and subsequent cramps. Since blood calcium levels at night are often lower than during the day, cramps often occur at night.

2. If you walk too much or stand too long during pregnancy, the burden on leg muscles will increase, leading to the accumulation of local acidic metabolites, which will cause muscle cramps. However, don't think that the more you sleep, the better. Sleeping too long will slow down blood circulation, accumulate metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide, and may also induce muscle cramps.

3. Cold factors, such as the low room temperature at night in winter, the quilt used when sleeping is too thin or the legs and feet are exposed outside the quilt; or a bad sleeping posture, such as lying on your back for a long time, the quilt pressing on the soles of your feet, or the soles of your feet against the bed, causing poor blood circulation, which can also cause cramps.

4. Excessive meat consumption

If pregnant mothers consume too much meat at one time, it will cause cramps. Because meat is rich in protein, excessive intake will affect the metabolism of carbohydrates, leading to the accumulation of acidic metabolites and causing electrolyte disorders. One of the manifestations of electrolyte disorders is cramps.

5. Excessive fatigue

As the weight of pregnancy continues to increase, the burden on the mother's legs continues to increase, and the leg muscles are often in a state of fatigue. Walking too much or standing too long during pregnancy will increase the activity of the calf muscles, increase the burden on the leg muscles, lead to the accumulation of local acidic metabolites, and cause muscle cramps.

6. Sleeping posture

Bad sleeping posture, lying on your back for a long time with the quilt pressing on your feet, or lying on your stomach for a long time with your feet against the bed, forcing certain calf muscles to be in an absolutely relaxed state for a long time, which can easily cause leg cramps.

7. Sleeping too long

This will cause blood circulation to slow down, causing metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide to accumulate, and may also induce cramps.

What to do if pregnant women have wind-heat cold and cough

Treatment of wind-heat cold in pregnant women: Drinking chicken soup can relieve symptoms such as nasal congestion and runny nose during a cold, and it has a good effect on clearing respiratory viruses. Drinking chicken soup regularly can not only increase the body's nutrition but also enhance the body's natural resistance and prevent the occurrence of colds.

Treatment for wind-heat cold in pregnant women: In the early stage of a cold, drink more boiled water and take some vitamin C. You can also pour hot water at about 42°C into a thermos cup and continuously inhale the hot steam, 3 times a day, the effect is good.

Treatment for wind-heat cold in pregnant women: When pregnant women with wind-heat cold first experience itchy and painful throat, immediately gargle and rinse your mouth and throat with concentrated salt water every 10 minutes. It will be effective after more than 10 times.

Treatment of wind-heat cold in pregnant women: You can also try the following method. When pregnant women with wind-heat cold just feel itchy nose and throat, do the following exercises 2-3 times to recover. The method is: stand upright with your feet slightly apart, straighten your neck, head up as much as possible, open your eyes wide, stretch your tongue as long as possible, straighten your ten fingers, and then exert force from the top of your head to your hands and toes until your whole body trembles and makes a continuous "ah" sound, repeat 2-3 times.

How to relieve bitter mouth in pregnant women

1. Keep a good mood

Keep a positive attitude, think about happy things, and don't be annoyed by bitter taste in the mouth and getting angry, which will trap you in a cycle. A good attitude is beneficial to the development of the fetus.

2. Drink plenty of water

The fetus metabolizes amniotic fluid very quickly, so the amount of water in pregnant women will be greater than before, and the amount of water they drink will also increase. Warm boiled water is best, which is conducive to their own metabolism.

3. Eat more fruits

I believe everyone knows that there are many fruits that contain vitamins. Pregnant women should eat more of these fruits when they have a bitter taste in their mouth, and the sweetness of the fruit can help pregnant women reduce the bitterness. The fruits that pregnant women should eat include: dragon fruit, bananas, apples, etc.

4. Drink honey water

You can drink some honey water, which can relieve the bitter taste in your mouth, nourish the body and help with bowel movements.

5. Eat light food

When pregnant women have a bitter taste in their mouth, they must remember not to eat too greasy food. It is best to eat light food.