In the middle and third trimester of pregnancy, pregnant women due to excessive weight support, the burden on the leg muscles increases, and when sleeping at night, the leg muscles sometimes cramp and pain, which is medically called gastrocnemius muscle spasm. It is generally mild in the first trimester of pregnancy, gradually worsens with the increase in the month of pregnancy, and is more frequent at night or during sleep. Prolonged sitting, cold, and fatigue can be induced. In the third trimester of pregnancy, the uterus enlarges and the blood circulation of the lower extremities can also cause calf spasms. However, calcium deficiency during pregnancy is the most important cause of calf cramps.
Pregnant women need a lot of calcium because they want to transfer part of their calcium to the fetus during pregnancy. If the long-term calcium deficiency can not only reduce the maternal blood calcium, induce calf cramps or hand and foot twitches, but also lead to osteoporosis in pregnant women, and then produce osteomalacia, the fetus may have congenital rickets and convulsions, so pregnant women's calf cramps are also problems that cannot be ignored, and must be treated in time to supplement calcium in time.
The Continental Nutrition Society requires a daily intake of 1500 mg of calcium during pregnancy, which is not easily achievable according to most Chinese recipes. However, the following countermeasures can be taken:
1. Eat calcium-rich foods: such as 100 ml of milk contains 120 mg of calcium, and the calcium in the milk is easy to absorb, which is one of the main measures for calcium supplementation. Pregnant women can also eat some foods with high calcium such as cartilage and shrimp skin.
2. Taking calcium tablets: This is a more effective way to supplement calcium. But to figure out the difference between "drug content" and "calcium content". For example, calcium lactate tablets contain the most calcium, but 1 tablet of 0.5 grams contains only 60 mg of calcium.
3. Eat less table salt: If you eat too much salt, the sodium in salt will compete with calcium when it is reabsorbed by the renal tubules, and increase the excretion of calcium in the urine. Therefore, eating less table salt can prevent calcium loss.
4. Eating enough protein: It is conducive to the absorption of calcium in food.
5. Eat as little as possible from pickled, processed foods: The phosphorus in these foods will prevent calcium from depositing into the bones.
6. More sun exposure: receiving ultraviolet radiation, it can produce vitamin D, and can enhance the body's absorption of calcium.
If leg cramps occur, press your thumb upwards or massage your lower limbs.
Wanyu Pregnancy Preparation focuses on the difficult pregnancy preparation population, integrates the world's top high-quality medical resources, and specially invites domestic fertility celebrities and Dr. Shao Hui, an expert of the British Hospital in Japan, to broadcast live every week to share the knowledge of scientific pregnancy preparation.
Pay attention to wanyu pregnancy preparation, let good pregnancy occur naturally!
