After conception, the female body begins to change. Everything changes: from hormonal levels to the physical parameters of the body. Such changes cause a lot of inconvenience to a pregnant woman. One of the frequent complaints of expectant mothers is a nagging pain in the legs that occurs at any time of the day. The nature of such discomfort can be different, so it is better to immediately pay attention to the first symptoms and consult a doctor about this. Let's look at why legs drag during pregnancy, and what a pregnant woman can do about it.
Nagging pain in the legs and pregnancy
During gestation, the female body is no longer what it used to be. Restructuring of the hormonal system, massive physiological changes and restart of many systems cause swelling, muscle strain, and impaired blood microcirculation throughout the body, including in the legs.
Such phenomena may occur unnoticed or create some discomfort. For example, swelling and pressure of the uterus on the ureter may be the reason that the expectant mother begins to drag her legs from time to time in the early stages of pregnancy.
In the second half of gestation, the baby's needs for oxygen and nutrients increase every day. The reserves of calcium and vitamins in the female body are quickly depleted. There is also a constant increase in the load on the musculoskeletal system. These, at first glance, physiological and harmless phenomena cause significant damage to the female body; it becomes exhausted and tired. This may be one of the reasons why a woman has pulled legs during late pregnancy.
On a note! Pulling sensations in the legs during gestation may be a consequence of overwork during the day, for example, after a hard day at work.
Why do pregnant women experience cramping in their legs?
The mechanism of muscle contraction is quite complex; different ions (charged particles) take part in it: potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium. If we are talking about a cramp, that is, a condition when we cannot relax a muscle, then magnesium ions play a leading role. It is their deficiency that leads to women having cramps in their calves during pregnancy at night.
The lack of minerals in the body of the expectant mother can be explained simply: the restructuring of metabolism and functioning in the “double load” mode have such consequences. In particular, the expectant mother needs one and a half times more magnesium than usual.
In addition to helping muscles relax, magnesium is involved in a number of important physiological processes. In particular, magnesium is needed to regulate the processes of formation and expenditure of energy; it is involved in several hundred enzymatic reactions, and if there is little magnesium, then disturbances can occur in the functioning of almost any system of the body. Therefore, if magnesium supplements are prescribed during pregnancy, this recommendation should not be ignored.
Pulling legs during pregnancy - causes and symptoms
In addition to the physiological causes of nagging pain, there are also pathological provocateurs of discomfort in the legs. The reason for severely pulled legs during pregnancy can be varicose veins, vitamin deficiency, gestosis with edema, overwork, water-salt imbalance and many other conditions.
Nagging pain with varicose veins during pregnancy
A common reason for constantly pulling legs during pregnancy is varicose veins. This pathology is directly related to the course of pregnancy. Constant weight gain, disruption of normal blood flow, stress on the muscles and vascular system are a complex trigger for the development of varicose veins.
Typically, varicose veins of the legs appear in the second half of gestation, when the uterus actively compresses the internal organs and creates tension in the spine. As a result, the outflow of blood and fluid from the pelvis is disrupted, venous congestion occurs in the legs, and the veins weaken.
On a note! The appearance of nagging pain and varicose veins is promoted by wearing uncomfortable shoes and tight clothing. A woman should always feel comfortable in her outfit.
Symptoms of varicose veins during gestation:
- Nagging pain in the lower legs (usually in the calves).
- Moderate itching and burning in the extremities.
- A constant feeling of fatigue in the legs that does not go away even at night.
- Characteristic blue “stars” on the legs.
Chronic nagging pain in the legs, which indicates varicose veins, is a reason to visit a doctor to prescribe treatment. In the first stages, varicose veins can be stopped without surgery.
Advice! To improve the condition of the veins of the lower extremities, a pregnant woman is recommended to wear special stockings.
Nagging pain in the legs due to diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract
If a woman has a tight stomach and legs during pregnancy, especially in the early stages, it is necessary to immediately rule out pathologies of the urinary system.
While carrying a baby, the risk of inflammation of the kidneys and ureters increases. This happens for physiological reasons. The body of the uterus compresses the ureters, the outflow of biological fluid is disrupted, and the pathogenic flora forms a focus of inflammation.
Symptoms of pathology of the urinary system:
- decrease/increase in the number of urinations;
- nagging pain in the legs, pelvis, abdomen;
- burning and stinging during urination;
- swelling of the tissues of the legs and face.
Important! Inflammation in the kidneys and ureters during pregnancy is a common occurrence. There is no need to panic, because it can be treated perfectly.
The cause of the pulling sensation in the leg may be acute pyelonephritis. The pain syndrome can be concentrated both in the lower back and radiate to the thigh. Therefore, if during pregnancy the right/left leg is pulled, a woman has a fever and nausea, kidney inflammation must be ruled out.
Nagging pain in the legs due to a deficiency of nutrients
Lack of vitamins during gestation is hardly a rarity. The baby takes the lion's share of vitamins and minerals from the mother, which leads to a lack of nutrients.
The cause of nagging pain in the legs is a deficiency of tocopherol, vitamin D, as well as magnesium, calcium, and fatty acids. With a deficiency of vitamins, in addition to nagging pain, there is fatigue and weakness, hair and nail plates break and lose their attractiveness, and immunity decreases.
Important! The choice of multivitamins for pregnant women is huge, so the choice of a suitable drug must be made by an obstetrician-gynecologist.
Swelling and nagging pain in the legs during pregnancy
During pregnancy, fluid circulation in the body slows down. Drinking excessive amounts of fluid, especially coffee, tea and sweet juices, excessive salt consumption, as well as a sedentary lifestyle lead to fluid retention in soft tissues.
Most often, the impact is taken by the legs, which swell greatly, begin to pull, and lose flexibility. A woman has to adhere to a salt-free diet, reduce fluid intake, and drink diuretic decoctions.
It is necessary to take into account that swelling and nagging pain in the legs occur against the background of serious illnesses. First of all, preeclampsia, diabetes, heart pathologies and thyroid deficiency are excluded.
Divergence of the pelvic bones and nagging pain in the legs during pregnancy
Preparation for the birth process begins almost immediately after conception. The pelvic bones are constantly expanding so that the baby can be born.
The process of bone separation is very slow, so there is no significant discomfort. From time to time, a woman experiences tension between her legs during pregnancy, and the pain can also radiate to one or both legs. In general, this phenomenon is considered natural.
If leg pain worsens mid-pregnancy, your doctor may suspect calcium deficiency. A menu enriched with dairy products or taking calcium supplements can help eliminate the problem.
Nagging pain in the legs during pregnancy - diagnosis
If nagging leg pain appears during gestation, the disease causing this symptom should be immediately identified. Correct diagnosis will be facilitated by a complete description of existing complaints.
Pulling of the calves during pregnancy
- Unpleasant sensations in the calf muscles of a pregnant woman are a symptom of magnesium and calcium deficiency. The pain is aching in nature, and cramps occur at night. A biochemical blood test helps clarify the situation. Massage, walking, and reviewing your diet can help correct the situation.
- Aching pain in the calves can also indicate varicose veins. Pain, tingling, numbness, burning and “stars” on the skin are signs characteristic of varicose veins of the legs.
- Another likely cause of pain in the calf muscles is flat feet. Pregnant women, as a rule, are aware of their diagnosis, but do not always know that an improperly formed arch of the foot during gestation creates a load on the entire musculoskeletal center.
- A shift in the center of gravity aggravates the load and a woman’s leg muscles begin to pull during pregnancy. In addition to pain in the calves, there will be pain in the knees, calluses on the toes, and burning of the feet. The discomfort goes away after wearing special insoles that compensate for the flat foot defect.
If you pull your legs during pregnancy at night
Night nagging pain in the legs occurs due to fatigue and hormonal changes. The exact cause of night leg pain syndrome cannot be established. But after delivery the problem goes away without a trace.
If during pregnancy your legs pull as if you are on your period
Pregnant women are alarmed by aching pain between their legs, reminiscent of premenstrual pain. In the early stages of gestation, such a symptom may indicate a threat of miscarriage, so in this situation, consultation with a gynecologist is very important.
In addition to nagging pain between the legs, the following symptoms indicate a threat of miscarriage:
- pathological discharge from the birth canal;
- weakness, disorientation;
- acute pain in the lower abdomen;
- bleeding.
When the legs and lower back are pulled during pregnancy in the third trimester, there is reason to believe that the labor process is beginning. It is also likely that such sensations are only a sign of training contractions and the process of lowering the baby’s head closer to the exit. Such changes begin to occur two weeks before birth.
The pulling sensations associated with preparation for childbirth are periodic, rarely cause a general deterioration in well-being, and do not require correction.
When the baby's position in the womb changes at the end of gestation, a pinched nerve may occur. Depending on where the damaged nerve radiates, a woman will have a pulled left/right leg during pregnancy. Sometimes the pain will be unbearable, but there is nothing to do but wait until the baby takes the correct position. In the meantime, you can use a special bandage to support your tummy.
Pulling legs during pregnancy: what to do
If the cause of discomfort in the legs during pregnancy is natural physiological changes in the body, the doctor will give general recommendations. In the case of a pathological nature of nagging pain, treatment of the underlying disease will be carried out.
The following rules will help reduce discomfort in the legs during gestation:
- Regardless of gestational age, a woman needs sufficient rest. Any overwork will manifest itself as nagging pain in the limbs.
- To prevent varicose veins, it is advisable to wear compression stockings.
- To normalize blood circulation in the body, it is necessary to perform light exercises. Go to the pool or yoga class. A woman can choose the type of physical activity that she likes.
- An important point is to wear comfortable shoes without high boots. It is necessary to exclude any load on the spine and legs to avoid pain.
- To prevent pulling sensations in the legs in the second half of gestation, it is important to monitor body weight, kidney function and eat right. The doctor may also recommend reducing your salt and water intake.
- If the legs are constantly pulled, a woman’s sleep is disturbed, she gets tired, and begins to get irritated. To relieve the unpleasant symptom, you can massage, take warm baths, and do relaxing exercises for your legs.
Expectant mothers should listen to their bodies, rest on time and worry less about trifles. If strange sensations arise in your legs, it is better to immediately discuss this issue with a doctor, who will advise what to do about it.
What are cramps?
It’s not just during pregnancy that cramps in the legs occur; every person experiences unpleasant painful cramps from time to time. A cramp is a sudden, uncontrolled contraction of muscles that a person cannot relax. This condition can be caused by neurological disorders (for example, seizures are characteristic of epilepsy), a number of diseases (such as diabetes mellitus, osteochondrosis and others), and may also be associated with physiological conditions. After all, convulsions occur, for example, after severe overload, dehydration, hypothermia, etc. Sometimes cramps cause severe, sharp pain. Sometimes it feels like your legs are being pulled. During pregnancy, this condition, unfortunately, occurs quite regularly.