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I'm six months pregnant and get painful cramping in my legs. Can I do anything about it, or about my swollen ankles?

Answer You have hit on two of the most tedious 'minor' ailments of pregnancy. Both cramps and ankle-swelling are common. The womb gets heavier as the months roll by in the run up to blast-off, and it exerts increasing pressure on your body. There's more fluid in your system at the moment too.

The effect is that the veins in the legs don't get the blood back to the heart just as easily because of the pressure on them. That's also probably the cause of cramp in pregnancy. The best remedy I know is gentle swimming. It seems to help take some of the pressure off your pelvis and will aid your circulation. So will gentle exercise, even walking. Don't sit with your legs crossed, and try sleeping on your side. It's also a good excuse to sit with your feet up, literally. Rubbing your legs and gentle stretching will ease the cramp.

Occasionally leg-swelling can be serious, though. If just one leg is swollen you must see a doctor straight away to rule out the possibility of a blood clot.

In late pregnancy, ankle swelling can be a sign of a condition called pre-eclampsia, a dangerous but treatable complication where blood pressure goes up. Always make sure you get your blood pressure checked when ankles swell in pregnancy, but remember that most of the time the cause is totally harmless.

Source:living.scotsman.com