Leg Cramps

Oh dear.

I've had 3 leg Cramps so far in this pregnancy and they are excruciatingly painful! They all happened when I wake up in the morning and decide to flex my feet downwards to stretch the legs out and before I know it I'm feeling this extremely tight and painful "knot" in my calf.
And it's always my left calf. So what are some ways to reduce or relieve the pain? Here are my tips.

1. Flex your feet towards your shin.

This works to stretch out the cramped muscle because leg Cramps happen as a result of a "knotted" muscle so stretching it will straighten it out over time.

2. Massage the cramped area.

While flexing your feet you may want to massage the cramped area too. This provides some relief and slowly releases the tension in the muscle.

3. Stand up on your legs.

If you're looking for a quick fix but are game enough to withstand more pain, then standing straight up on your cramped leg will provide instant relief.  Not too sure about the science behind it (I'm assuming it's due to your gravitational position coupled with the muscle stretching out as you rise) but this works a treat.

With that being said, I'm usually crying out in so much pain I don't even want to move, let alone stand up. So if you're a brave soul and tried tip #3 before, I take my hat off to you!