One of those great pregnancy bonuses came to visit in the middle of the night - my good old friend, the Charlie Horse.Who doesn't love that involuntary seizing up of the muscles in the lower calf that goes on for a never ending amount of time, interrupting what might have been an otherwise peaceful night with one or two bathroom breaks? Joy of joys!
Usually the Hubby will help me out of bed to walk it off while I whine and whimper like a true sissy. But he is currently enjoying his family in sunny Phoenix while it rains here. And I had a certain RedDog in my bed last night, so I couldn't scream out in pain for fear of waking him. I did try, but couldn't even move to get out of the bed, the pain was so paralyzing!
Instead, I sat in the dark, quietly but forcefully pounding on my leg, wondering if I would have bruises this morning. When I did wake up this morning, my calf felt like it had been trampled on - by a horse . . . finally, the name makes total sense.
Anyone else get Charlie Horses? Pregnant or not, let me know what you do to help. (I'm on my way to buy bananas today!)
15 comments:
I'm soooo sorry!!! Ahhh, leg cramps are one of my chief standard pregnancy woes! I was told to take calcium and magnesium supplements if I couldn't eat a banana(s) each day. In the days before I knew to ask, my only relief came in the form of a cold tile bathroom floor to stand on until the pain ceased while I tried to counter stretch the cramp. Ohhhhh the excruciating pain!
Yes, I used to get them too!! I would just stretch it out, it was hard to do because it hurt so much but it would go away faster. Bananas will help.
I had this problem too! Try stretching your calves BEFORE you go to bed.
Samantha,
I only had one Charlie Horse during my pregnacies but it deserves to have it's story told. It was Dec. 17, 2001, our anniversary. Eric Paul was in town and staying with us. Chris and I had just gone out to dinner to celebrate. My siatica that had come on so bad that week that I had to stop at CVS to get a heating pad. Remember I had to walk everywhere.
When Eric got home I was laying on the floor with the heating pad...I was in misery.
Everyone finally went to bed but not much later I had my first and only Charlie Horse. I thought that I was going to die and was making some really weird noises. Since our apartment was so small there was no way that Ereic couldn't hear what was going on.
Eric was up and gone before I left the next morning and all day I was sure that he was wondering what the noises were from...I knew he wouldn't believe it was a Charlie Horse since it had been "our anniversay"
It was embarrasing.
I think everyone has given good advice and I'm glad that I've never had one again.
I feel for you.
I don't get charlie horses very often but maybe because I am a big banana eater. I do get restless leg syndrome which is super annoying. Ryan just started getting it a few months ago occasionally so now he can feel my pain when I am acting like a lunatic in the middle of the night. Good luck and hang in there. Hopefully the bananas will help!
Oh I'm so sorry. Those darn Charlie Horses are so painful and I get them every pregnancy. They are awful!
I had them really bad when I was pregnant, but interestingly, I only had them in my left leg. I was so over them! That, honestly, was one of the worst things about being pregnant for me.
When achy, I do point exercises before going to bed (like ballerinas). Have had some leg cramping, but not as bad as yours and those of some others. Is there some kind of battery operated, hand held back messager that might work?
So sorry you had to suffer in silence and without the hubby.
Drink pickle juice. It really does work!
p.s. I am back....my hard drive was scrubbed down and EVERYTHING (except my bookmarked blogs) was saved. Please let me be a testimonial on your blog to back everything up everyday to an external hard drive. pheww!
Audrey, I had completely forgotten that story about your one Charlie Horse. Tee Hee, I'm glad you retold it as a comment.
I don't have to be pregnant to get Charlie Horses. I get them all the time in my feet and frequently in my legs. I spend a lot of time hopping around the bedroom in the middle of night in pain while the Kernal sleeps peacefully. I have to eat a banana almost everyday to help ward off these painful episodes. Bananas are the equivalent to cramps as garlic is to Vampires.
I hate it when I don't get the punctuation right the first time.
I got a really bad charlie horse a couple months back and was talking about it with some coworkers. One told me to pull your toes back and that makes it go away. Don't know if it works becuase I haven't been able to test it out (thank goodness)but just thought I would let you know.
LEg cramps are horrible! I got them with both pregnancies. This time around I would flew my toes up right before I went to sleep. I didn't have near as many this time and I attribute it to that. Who knows, could be all in my head. Try it and let me know!
I said flew but I really meant stretch. DO not ask me how I got flew from stretch. . .
I actually get them fairly frequently and I have my whole life and so it's not just a pregnancy thing. The key is that you have to flex your foot hard IMMEDIATELY upon feeling the cramp come on. Keep it flexed and it will go away. Your calf will probably still be a little sore in the morning but not nearly as bad as letting it continue for a long time. As for preventing it? I've always heard eat bananas and drink lots of water. I do both and still get them sometimes.
(Oh and DO NOT point your toes in the night. I've started many a leg cramp by yawning and stretching and pointing my toes really hard. Bad idea.) I can't believe all of these commenters who say they get up and try to walk it off. OUCH, PEOPLE. FLEX.
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