Restless Leg Syndrome While Pregnant

I had this when i was pregnant to it is really annoying. THe only thing i found that helped was to take a hot bath for at least 30 minutes every night right before i got in bed, it relaxed the muscles a lot.

I feel ya. I got this with my last child. Take caffeine out of your diet. Increase potassium. I took a calcium supplement. And I actually got it so bad that the Dr FINALLY gave me a paid killer to use at bedtime so that I could sleep.

Applying heat helps. Warm/hot soaks help.

Exercise helps but once you stop, it'll come back again. So it's only a temporary relief.

Sorry I can't be more help.

I'm sending good thoughts your way.

Ugh, I hate restless leg syndrome. Unfortunately, I have it even when not pregnant. I have found that going to bed at a reasonable hour helps. I also noticed it went away when I cut out refined sugar and caffeine and ate super healthy. Wish me luck in doing this again, I love my sugar but am not sleeping so hot these days! I have heard that potassium in bananas helps, but I eat bananas a lot and have not seen a difference.

See if you can get some blood work on your levels of calcium, potassium and magnesium. Why this isn't routine for pregnant women is a total mystery to me. I had RLS in all 4 pregnancies. Bananas sometimes helped but not always. During my last pregnancy, I was at my PCP having a cough looked at and she didn't like the way I looked and did an EKG. I was sent to the ER with some kind of irregularity in my heart beat. They did a blood test and my levels of potassium, magnesium and calcium were way too low, one dangerously so (this was despite a balanced diet and pre-natal vitamins). They gave me all three minerals in the ER (some via IV, I think the potassium was a salty drink), checked my blood work again and got my heart stabilized. After that, my RLS went away until the end of the pregnancy.

Definitely eat some foods high in potassium (bananas, potatoes) and see if it helps but at your next appointment, ask for a blood test to make sure your levels are not super low. Slightly low can be corrected with food, super-low might require temporary supplementation. Once my levels were where they were supposed to be, a lot of what I had just accepted as normal pregnancy symptoms (RLS, leg cramps, feeling a little dizzy or light headed every now and again, tingly fingers sometimes) went away. I wish that I had known this during an earlier pregnancy - I would have saved myself many months of unnecessary discomfort!

I don't know if this is even something that will work but I can tell you what worked in a similar situation.
I had sorry of a restless body while pregnant when I was trying to sleep. I found out about "Gate Theory" and applied it. It helped a lot. I would have my husband move his hand back and forth on my upper back until I fell asleep. On the nights he didn't do that I would sit in one of those vibration massage seat covers on the couch and fall asleep like that.
I didn't try a change in diet because I didn't know about it. I would try.this if the.dietary change doesn't help.

My mom has this daily. She says limiting caffeine, long walks and a hot bath help her a lot.

I have had RLS since 12, oddly enough, when hormones kick in. The ONLY things that have helped me is potassium and chiropractic adjustments.

I take so much potassium (as well as a good CalMag, not the junk in most prenatals) that it makes doctors freak, but I the restlessness is gone AND I have no issues physically with that much potassium. Potassium gluconate seems to work the best for me, but what sucks is that not all brands react the same. I use TheraTech Potassium Gluconate 99mg....and I take (took when pregnant) 8-10 of them each day. I was on vacation and ran out, so I went to CVS and it was potassium gluconate, but it did nothing. Also, it takes 7-10 days before seeing any change in symptoms at that level.

Bananas are high in potassium, but have a LOT of sugar. Swiss chard has 300% more potassium than a banana and no sugar. Maybe increase your potassium rich foods and decrease the sodium.

Also, I found that the only baby (I have 4 kids) I didn't take a lot of potassium with, ended up with colic. I started back up on that much potassium and with 24 hours, his colic was gone. Then, I'd take less and less and his colic started back up.

Chiropractic adjustments helped to get everything communicating in my nervous system and made the pregnancy and labor so much better for me. Not all chiropractors are created equal. www.icpa4kids.org to find a doc who cares for pregnant women and babies. Many chiropractors care for pregnant moms are not on this list, so maybe go in and ask a few questions and see what you think?

Massages help a little, for short term relief....but was a nice relaxing hour each week of my pregnancy. I figure that is REAL maternity CARE. Someone caring for the mom, rather than making me pee in a cup and sticking me with things. LOL

I had a terrible time with it when I was pregnant, and a hot bath helped.

You have a lot of good suggestions below. You might also try magnesium supplements and or calcium supplements (with your Dr/Midwife's blessing) as they may also help. Just make sure you have the right amounts of calcium, potassium, magnesium or your symptoms may become more pronounced.

A banana a day keeps the RLS away! LOL! Also, check out these vitamins. I have been taking them for a couple years and no longer have RLS at all. They are supported by the doctor who wrote "The Vitamin Bible". http://www.GBGisIT.com Good luck!

The nights I ate a banana before bed, I was fine, the nights I forgot, I couldn't sleep. My husband wold find me in the kitchen eating a banana in the middle of the night.

Ugh!!! I'm sorry - that's my LEAST favorite part of pregnancy! There are lots of great suggestions here, but I'll tell you what worked for me anyhow. I always got it if I got sleepy while sitting down. SO, I had to just pay careful attention to myself and go to sleep as soon as I got tired. If I nodded off in a chair or on the sofa, I was hosed.

Ok, not really helpful, but it's all I could do! ;-)