Share
Home › Experts › Twitching At Night ›

Twitching At Night

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
Hi. I am 5½ weeks pregnant. I get a lot of lower back pain when sleeping at night. I've tried the pillow in between the legs thing. It doesn't work all that well.

Also Ive recently had this problem that when I fall asleep at night I find myself twitching like I'm falling off a cliff but I'm not. Have you ever heard of this it. I just started 3-4 days ago so could it be a reaction to my prenatal vitamins?

Thanks.

ANSWER

Leg twitching can be a side effect of the hormones produced during pregnancy for some women. You might increase your calcium and cut out the soda pop for openers, and speak to your provider about other things you might do to help yourself.

The back problem is fixed with back exercises. If you are already having trouble, I'd suggest to get going on those yesterday, already. Congratulations and good luck with your pregnancy.

-- Cynthia, CNM

Cynthia Flynn

Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.