According to Danforth’s Obstetrics and Gynecology, almost half of all pregnant women suffer from muscle spasms in their legs, with cramping more frequent during the evening time. Leg cramps are a sudden tightening of muscles, which can cause intense pain. The muscles may tighten for many reasons such as lack of fluids; injury; muscle strain; staying in the same position for a long period of time; and blood circulation problems or pressure on the nerves in the spine. Leg cramps may start to plague during second and third trimester and may get worse as the pregnancy progresses and weight get increased. While these cramps can occur during the day time, probably one notices them most at night, when it interferes with one’s ability to get a good night’s sleep. In other ways cramps are sudden and sharp gripping kind of pain attacking calf muscles during second and third trimester of pregnancy. These leg cramps are mostly nocturnal and thus disturb sleep.
During pregnancy 50 per cent of women suffering pregnancy induced leg cramps; the pathology of pregnancy induced leg cramps is not exactly identified, it may be due to hormonal imbalance, excessive body weight which causes the strain on calf muscles or may be due to nutritional deficiency. It is established that by giving vitamins, minerals and amino acids, it can be subside.