One in four women will suffer from it during pregnancy:
An irrepressible urge to move your legs. They seem to have a life of their own, especially at night leiden.
You are not allowed to take medication against the so-called Restless Legs, but how can you prevent this annoying ailment?
Cause
It is not entirely clear how pregnant women get restless legs (and sometimes arms). Iron deficiency, a low folic acid content, but also sleep deprivation and nerve constrictions in the body are thought to play a role. Ultimately, it comes down to the poor circulation in the legs that causes restless legs.
Restless legs get worse with a bad night's sleep, and restless legs make you sleep worse. A nasty vicious circle!
Try to prevent or break that with a good sleep rhythm, in a pleasant sleeping environment. Don't put your phone or tablet before you go to sleep, and don't put it on your bedside table or on your pillow. Then walk up to it if your legs are up, you can combine the useful with the unpleasant. Don't watch TV for too long before going to sleep, otherwise the images will play a game with your subconscious. No caffeine, but also no cocoa or tea.
Movement
A characteristic of restless legs (RBS) is that the symptoms decrease with movement. Also sounds logical, if the poor circulation is causing your complaints. So make sure you get enough moderate exercise during the day. If you're sitting, wiggle your toes a bit. Stretch your legs out in front of you or twist your toes in circles. Make sure you get your whole leg moving like this. Of course, this also works great when you're standing. Don't stretch yourself into the cramp, remember that you are more sensitive to that now too.
And do some extra yoga exercises before you go to bed.
The following exercises can help you with your restless legs: Cycling, Cat pose, Bridge, Lazy candle pose.
Bikes
If you haven't got around to it during the day, cycle at a very relaxed pace on your air bike, lying on your mat or on your bed. A few minutes is enough to get your circulation going.
Use
Lie on your back, keep your lower back against the floor. arms and shoulders relaxed. Inhale push off with the feet, feel the power in the legs and raise the pelvis.
Exhale and roll the back down again at a slow pace. Relax. Do this 3 times and then hold the pelvis high and breathe deeply into the abdomen and flanks.
The lazy candle
That doesn't sound wrong, does it, as preparation for a good night's sleep?
The lazy or broken candle has a wonderfully relaxing effect, helps circulation and promotes the removal of waste.
Provide a cushion and a wall:
You start sitting on a pillow, with your side against the wall. Then go via lie on your back and stretch your legs against the wall. Your buttocks are now supported by the pillow.
A great moment to bring your attention inwards, to your belly, and relax.
You can also raise your legs with the help of the yoga ball or on the couch.
also look at: 7 prenatal yoga Exercises
From hot to cold and back
Keep your legs warm. Pajama bottoms in bed, or a hot shower. A nice warm bath helps to relax of course.
But cold also helps. Cooling prevents the jitters. So alternate the hot with the cold tap to stimulate blood flow. Or lubricate your legs with a cooling gel or ointment.
Nutrition
An iron deficiency is often pointed to as the culprit, so make sure you keep an eye on this. Magnesium tablets may help, magnesium has a muscle relaxant effect.
If you don't like the pills, you can find magnesium in salmon, nuts, grains, chia seeds and green vegetables (spinach, peas and purslane). Magnesium is one of the minerals that is easily absorbed by the skin. So you can smear it, spray it or put it in the water of your foot bath. In addition, it can also have to do with poor disposal of your waste. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. You have to go to the toilet so often, but more moisture ensures a good drainage of the waste and helps against moisture retention. So also against those fat ankles and feet at the end of the day.
This is also about…
This ailment is most severe in the last trimester of your pregnancy, but there is a bright spot. In almost all pregnant women, the symptoms disappear after childbirth. Almost….because an epidural seems to be able to ensure that the RLS continues for a while.