Hi D.,
I'm so sorry to hear about the pain you're experiencing. I started to experience pain and numbness at 25 weeks. By the time I delivered both my hands were numb and I could only feel parts of my thumbs. My arms were also slightly numb. The pain was the precursor to the numbness. I wish I could say it got better, but it wasn't until after my son was born that I got the feeling back and the pain stopped.
Some suggestions: you can take tylenol which is safe during pregnancy. Also, I wore carpal tunnel wrist and arm braces while I worked or drove my manual car. They helped keep my wrist straight and blood flowing to the hand.
A word of caution: I had the numbness due to swelling and water retention. I ended up having to be on strict bed rest due to preclamsia for a month prior to delivery. Make sure . your doctor is watching your blood pressure. Also, play close attention to other swelling in your body. There are some classic signs of preclamsia that you may want to research and watch for.
I hope this helps and that the pain goes away fast.
S.
Mommy to 4 month old boy