Pregnancy woes

[Guest guest]

19 weeks (out of 40) tomorrow - almost halfway.

I'm having some of the " usual " pregnancy complaints that folks have, but I'm

actually having them more than I've ever had before, and earlier than ever

before.

leg cramps - so far have only had one actual " charlie horse " /cramp (those that

wake me and force me to jump out of bed to stretch the calf and release the

cramp) but most of the night I can feel the threat of a cramp, and twitchiness

(restless leg syndrome, I think). No trouble with these in earlier pregnancies,

but in #8 I had it pretty badly, but not until the last trimester. Started

really early this time, around the start of the second trimester (13-14 weeks).

Also struggled with leg cramps and twitching when I first stopped eating

grains/sugar/starches 2+ years ago.

varicose veins - never had any in pregnancies 1-7, only a tiny little spot in

#8, that didn't show up until the third trimester, but already, even by about 13

weeks, I've got several large clusters of varicose veins on my right calf.

Insomnia - again, have had this in pregnancy #8, a little in those before (it's

a common pregnancy ailment) but am really struggling this time. Not that I'm not

sleeping at all, but after my first round of sleep (about 11:30/12 - 4am) my

sleep is so light and restless that I almost feel like I shouldn't bother. A

big part of this is the twitchy sensation in my legs, as I think I am fearful of

a leg cramp. I never get back into a deep restful sleep.

Things started off so well, with much less first trimester queaziness, that I

was hopeful this pregnancy would be better all around, starting off so much

healthier and staying on a healthier eating program, but it seems, in some ways,

it's worse.

I'm fully on the program, cheats are few and far between (and if I cheat, it's

not like cake and ice cream, more like a couple of spoons of homemade plain goat

milk yogurt or enjoying a little mustard on a hamburger - I don't eat sugar or

white flour stuff at all.

Any suggestions on things to do to help prevent the leg cramps/twitching, and

help or at least prevent worsening of the varicose veins?