Pandawife, happens to receive this in my email from what to expect.com, see if it helps
Week 19 of Pregnancy: Leg Cramps
These painful spasms that radiate up and down your calves and legs, all too often keeping dreamland at bay, are very common during the second and third trimester of pregnancy.
There's nothing like getting into bed at the end of a long, exhausting day — especially when you're expecting. Aching for a good night's sleep (literally, if your back's been acting up again), you throw back the covers and prepare to happily surrender to sleep. But if you're like many expecting moms, something may be keeping you awake tonight (besides what color to paint the nursery): leg cramps. These painful spasms that radiate up and down your calves, all too often keeping dreamland at bay, are very common during the second and third trimester. While these cramps can occur during the day, you'll notice them (oh, baby — will you notice them!) more at night.
No one knows for sure what causes leg cramps in pregnancy — though there are plausible theories aplenty. It could be that your leg muscles are just fatigued from carrying around all the extra weight of pregnancy. Or that the vessels that carry blood to and from your legs are compressed by your growing uterus at 19 weeks pregnant. There's also speculation that it may be somehow related to diet, though this hunch hasn't been substantiated by studies.
Whatever the cause, you'll need a quick fix when a leg cramp does strike — especially when it's standing (or lying) between you and a good night's sleep. So, here's a quick fix: Straighten your leg and gently flex your ankle and toes back toward your shins.
