Though this is one pregnancy symptom you kind of have to wait out if you experience it, there are some ways to get relief:. Get some ZZZs. Even though RLS is notorious for keeping expectant moms up at night, fatigue will make your symptoms worse. On the other hand, you might not want to force yourself to stay in bed during an RLS episode. Instead, get up and slowly walk down the hallway a few times. This gentle movement can help ease the discomfort.
Distract yourself. When your feet starting jumping on their own, grab a crossword puzzle, immerse yourself in your favorite rom com, start knitting Keep a food journal. Note what you've eaten before you experience bouts of RLS. Some women find that certain foods — such as carbs eaten late in the day — can trigger restless legs, and you may be able to figure out what foods make your symptoms improve or worsen.
Get tested. Also try yoga, Bommarito suggests. But avoid strenuous types of yoga, such as Ashtanga and Vinyasa, which could trigger a flare, she says.
Be savvy about medications. That's because many of these drugs can block dopamine levels and exacerbate RLS symptoms, he explains. For a list of safe and unsafe drugs during pregnancy, visit the RLS Foundation at rls. Get a massage. Massage may also help alleviate symptoms of restless legs syndrome , especially when pressure is directly applied to the legs, according to the Brigham Young University study.
Patients with RLS who received Swedish massage twice a week for three weeks enjoyed relief from symptoms for two weeks after this RLS treatment , according to the study.
Relax and go with the flow. Patients with RLS who prayed, meditated or listened to relaxing music regularly enjoyed a temporary reduction in symptoms, according to the Japanese study at Tottori University. Finding ways to live with restless legs syndrome instead of fighting it can also reduce symptoms, says the RLS Foundation, which offers these tips:. Restless legs syndrome RLS might sound like a simple case of someone feeling on edge.
Find out with this quiz how much you know about this often-misunderstood disorder. Not enough folate can cause anemia a condition in which the number of red blood cells is below normal , diseases of the heart and blood vessels, and defects in the brain and spinal cord in a fetus. Ferritin is a protein in the body, especially found in the bone marrow, spleen, skeletal muscles and liver. It is responsible for storing iron in the cells.
By binding with iron, ferritin is decreasing the toxicity of iron and enables its transport. Dopamine helps regulate movement, attention, learning, and emotional responses. Garbazza C, et al. Sleep Med Clinics. Sep; 13 3 Gupta R, et al.
Restless legs syndrome and pregnancy; prevalence, possible pathophysiological mechanisms treatment. Acta Neurol Scand. May; 5 Our e-Newsletter brings you the latest information, news, and resources from the experts at MotherToBaby. Media Inquiries Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar Skip to footer.
I would just like to say to any woman who has experienced this during pregnancy, you have my deepest sympathies because this sounds very unpleasant. These are the four criteria that need to be met for a diagnosis with RLS: Urgent desire to move your legs, along with discomfort such as pain, restlessness, tingling, burning, aching, or a creeping feeling.
The strong urge to move your legs and the unpleasant feelings in the legs occur just before a person is ready to fall asleep or has not been active for a while. At times the longer the person has been inactive, the worse the symptoms get. Moving or massaging your legs relieves the discomfort or greatly reduces it.
Things to avoid Even a small amount of caffeine can make RLS symptoms worse. If RLS symptoms are bothering you, you might try eliminating caffeine from your diet completely, if you haven't already. Smoking isn't good for you or your baby, and it can also trigger RLS. Some medications , such as the antihistamines in cold and allergy remedies, make the symptoms worse for some people. So while Benadryl tends to make people sleepy, for example, it may actually intensify your RLS symptoms and make it harder for you to sleep.
Lying in bed reading or watching television before you go to sleep can make things worse. The longer you lie still, the more likely RLS will occur. Instead, get in bed only when you're actually ready to go to sleep. I got RLS even before I was pregnant. For me it usually means I have too much pent-up energy and I need to get outside and go on a run or a walk.
The only thing that's been working for me is getting out of bed and either walking around for a bit or just doing squats right by the bed. One thing that helps is strengthening exercises or "tensing up" the area of muscles that suffer from the problem. For example, my RLS is in my hips.
Don't forget to breathe while you're doing it. Stretching and yoga The only thing I've found that helps is to do some yoga at night. It's the stretching that really helps. I don't need to do the whole half-hour video. Just ten to 20 minutes and it drastically reduces my RLS. Otherwise I lie in bed all night shaking my leg trying to fall asleep. The only relief is if I get up and do some yoga stretches, stretching my entire leg from hip to toe.
I'm 32 weeks pregnant and get RLS symptoms about every other night. It's very annoying, and my legs can tingle and then twitch on their own. If I get up out of bed and do some deep leg stretches using the major muscle groups thighs, calves, etc. Yoga positions seem to help. The only thing that helps me sleep is stretching my legs really well before bed. If I don't spend five to ten minutes stretching them out, I can't get to sleep at all.
Relaxation techniques Editor's note: For more ideas, see our article on relaxation techniques for better pregnancy sleep. Once I do fall asleep, it doesn't come back. So I try my hardest to get into the mind-set of not thinking about it. I try thinking of something peaceful, and before I know it I fall asleep.
I also noticed the later I go to sleep, the worse it is. I've dealt with RLS all of my life, but it gets worse during pregnancy. I found a relaxation technique and it's a miracle worker! I swear by this: Step 1: Starting with your toes, flex them as hard as you can while you breathe in.
Massage I had RLS with my last pregnancy, and massages helped me. Mainly my feet and legs but also hips. I went every other week from the time I was I was 6 months pregnant and that was great. I couldn't have done without it. Massage, massage, massage! That is the only thing that helps me. My hubby even sits up in the middle of the night when he notices me twitching and kicking and rubs my legs until either he falls asleep or they stop moving. What a guy! I have found that massage helps.
I was a massage therapist and had pregnant clients that would come in once or twice a month and claimed that it was really effective. I have received massages since I started getting RLS with my pregnancy, and it has helped. Heat The one and only thing that seems to help me is taking a hot bath while rubbing my legs. Just make sure the water isn't too hot. I am 34 weeks along and find that heat helps my restless legs. I put a heated microwavable pillow just above my knees doesn't fix, but helps when I'm trying to get to sleep.
I've tried everything, and the only thing that even remotely helps is hot showers baths if you have them, we don't. My skin is getting dried out so I'm relying on lotion more and more these days , but a long, hot shower right before I head to bed often helps calm my legs enough to get me to sleep. I got RLS very badly with my first pregnancy. What helped me get to sleep more than anything else was a plug-in heating pad. Plug it in, set it between your calves or ankles, and turn up the heat so that it is almost too hot to handle.
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