Restless Legs During Pregnancy

I had mild RLS during pregnancy, and even still occasionally afterward. I didn't even realize that's what it was until AFTER having the baby. Fortunately mine wasn't too bad and never kept me awake for too long.

Good luck!

I went through both things you are going through.

For RLS...my doc gave me muscle relaxers which help some. Then when he did blood work and tested my iron, I was borderline anemic. Once I started taking iron pills, the RLS got better. In my reading and research, RLS is a sign of low iron. You may want to ask your doc about it.

I started having contractions with both mine at about 4-5 months along. With my second they were worse and more frequent. I think they say if you have more than 5 in an hour, call your doc or go to the ER. I would often have up to 10 and they were strong. My doc was never too alarmed, but my situation was different, high risk pregnancy, high blood pressure and all. So, at 5-6 months along I went in every other week for a NST. And my doc and I talked on the phone several times a week. That was just the relationship we had due to my problems. So, talk to your doc about the braxton hicks...I am sure they are nothing, but they are something you need to watch closely. Ask for a kick counter from you doc if you are able to feel the baby kick already. That may help you ease your mind also.

Good Luck!

can't help you out w/ the restless legs but on the contraction thing I can.

I NEVER felt Braxton Hicks w/ my 1st preg. The dr. had to actually tell me when I was having one.

On the 2nd preg., it was much different. I began felling them quite early (don't exac. remember which week, but early 2nd trimester). And they got quite strong as my preg. progressed.-never double-over and cry type pain, but def. enough for me to stop for a while and think "owww!"
My dr. said this is quite common amoung second plus pregs. and so do the preg. books, so don't worry about them. I've asked her several times and she always reassures me and points to the research showing it as normal. Just realize your body is preparing itself! And fyi, the after-birth pains are much more severe w/ second (and further) births than the first as well, so be prepared.

T.

I had RLS during my first pregnancy and with this one currently as well. With my daughter, I also had horrible charlie horse cramps almost every night and they were quite painful. They stopped once my daughter was born. So far in this pregnancy I haven't had the charlie horse cramps.

Not sure about the RLS, but I too am pregnant for the 2nd time. I have a 2 year old. I also noticed BHicks a few weeks ago and I do have them pretty much every other day or so. And they DO hurt. I thought they were supposed to be painless. I even had one at my last check up and my Dr confirmed that what is was. But w/o regularity and/or bleeding she said not to worry. Didn't have them with my first... Hope it's not a sign of harder labor the 2nd time around...

Good luck!

Yes - It sounds liks you have Restless Leg Syndrome. I use to sell the only approved medication for this Requip.

Here are the diagnositic questions to determine if you have it:
1) Do you have an urge to move your legs?
2) Does moving your legs provide temporary relief
3) Does your leg symptoms begin or get workse when you are sitting, lying down or at rest?
4) Does the urge to move your legs get worse in the evening.

If you answer yes to these questions you have RLS. You have what is called Secondary RLS because it is set off from your pregnancy. This is a very common occurance during pregnancy.

Check out the website www.Requip.com for some good information on RLS.

Now for some women this goes away once the prgenancy is over, but for others it does not and then at that point you can consider Requip.

Requip has a Pregancy Category of C meaning that it has not been tested in humans and has shown some harming effects in animals. I looked it up and it said low birth weight in rats. They say with Category C only take if the risks outweight the benefits.

The root cause of RLS is a dopaminergic dysfunction (dopamine). I know that people who had RLS thought Requip was a miracle drug with low side effects. Now FYI doctors have used a lot of different types of drugs to help with RLS, but it is always off label use.

Good Luck & talk to your doctor. Someone had mentioned about looking at Iron supplements and that is a great thing to consider.

Hi M. - oh how I know your misery with Rest Legs. I've had it my whole life. I've been taking an iron supplement for years and still get them just about every night, usually if I am drowsy then wake back up again. I too was very active before my baby was born, I did Jazzercise several times a week. I would still got RLS at night. It is a feeling/sensation/misery that someone who has never experience it can possibly understand. I was relieved when I discovered that it actually had a name - my sister and I just thougth we were weird, having "Mad Legs".

About a year before I was trying to get pregnant, I took Valerian Root at night to get to sleep quickly, and that really helped me. I couldn't take it while I was pregnant or nuring, though. I have found that walking around a bit, stretching each leg for a few minutes, drinking a glass of milk and then massaging the base of my spine helps. Rubbing my legs themselves feels good but doesn't seem to help the RLS ease up. Massage at the base of the spine does though.

Definitely have your iron level checked out.

There is a RLS foundation (http://www.rls.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=354&am...) that might have some additional information for you. The medications that are being prescribed to patients (not for pregnant ones) have lots of nasty side effects. My RLS would have to become much worse (and I already get it just about every night and on long trips in the car or on an airplane) before I would even considering taking those meds. I've heard it is very common in pregnancy and was hoping that mine would go away for good after my baby was born. I guess I have the life-long variety.

Good luck to you! N.

Hi M.,

Yes, Restless Legs Syndrome is common in pregnancy. I've read it has to do with iron levels. I started having it and a couple of weeks later found out I was anemic. Since I've been taking Iron pills it has lessened. I too find that when I'm most active, that is when I get it. I'm sorry b/c it is very irritating!

Regarding Braxton Hicks - I had them starting at 20w1d with my daughter (after a very busy weekend out of town when I was at a wedding) and had them very often throughout my 2nd half of my pg and this time (I'm 25 weeks with B/B/B triplets) - I've had them since 13 weeks. Some are stronger than others and they make my breathing restricted - but they don't really hurt, just very pressure-ish. I would say if you are in pain to tell your doctor.

Good luck!

I've been tortured w/ RLS since I was a kid and when I was pregnant it was really horrible. It has been linked to low iron levels ( amongst other things ) which is why many women get it during pregnancy. First, check with your Dr. and get tested for anemia. If that comes out ok, I suggest magnesium. I take magnesium supplements and it seems to help. I assume you're not drinking much caffeine now, but just in case, it has been linked to caffeine, so if you are still drinking it, try cutting back. Lastly, something that helps me when it strikes, is to walk around for 5-10 minutes (esp up & down stairs if you have them). Another thing that really helps ( and I know this sounds really weird, but I swear it works), is to shake each leg back and forth vigourously for about a minute. I usually lean up against the bed and do each leg behind me. I'm no medical expert, but I swear that RLS has something to do w/ circulation which is why moving around helps.

Good luck & I hope that helps!