Leg cramps.

Until you have experienced a pregnancy caused leg cramp then you have not experienced a leg cramp I say. Pregnancy leg cramps are a whole new experience and boy do they hurt. It feels like your whole muscle is being ripped in half. Worst still it always felt like the cramp would never end. I always thought I would just have to learn to live with the agonising pain of a muscle being torn in two. There was nothing to do but cry and moan until thankfully it did eventually subside. The next morning I would wake and my muscle would be really sore, as though I'd done some heavy exercise the night before.

Happily I found that taking Magnesium supplements helped me. While I still got the leg cramps they occured less frequently and with less force.

For any subsequent pregnancies I plan on taking Magnesium from the start, in the hope that it may prevent the leg cramps altogether.

Recommended pregnancy books.

Before trying for a baby I decided to get a book about pregnancy to find out what I was actually getting myself in for.

I bought Birth: Conceiving, Nurturing and Giving Birth to your Baby by Catherine Price and Sandra Robinson and found it to be a gem. It is written by two Australian mid-wives, so it has relevant Australian information. It is packed full of knowledge on conception, pregnancy, birth and newborns. There are also pros and cons on topics, which aide in decision making. I constantly devoured this book during pregnancy.

Another book I recommend is Up the Duff by Kaz Cooke. It is also written by an Australian and has lots of useful, relevant information, but it is written in a humorous way (which is something very much needed on occasion).