Post Partum Wrist Pain

I don't know if this was the same as what you are going through or not, but I experienced tremendous pain from carpel tunnel syndrome during the last few weeks of pregnancy and about three months following delivery. I had a very difficult time holding her in a way that was comfortable for me. A friend of mine experienced the same thing and she was the one who told me it would go away about 3 months post partum...and it did. If it hasn't quite been 3 months postpartum for you, then wait and see. If you are still experiencing discomfort after 3 months postpartum then check with your doctor.

Hi D.,

I too had wrist pain starting at about 6 weeks post partum. The area near my wrist bone was swollen and very sore and any movement of the hand was painful. I didn't do anything about it as first, even though it was getting worse every day. Some days it was all I could do to not cry out when I moved my right hand! Eventually, I asked my Dr. about it when I took my daughter in for a well-baby visit. He said it was tendonitis and suggested ice packs on it for 30 minute intervals several times a day. That didn't help me much at all. A few weeks later he made a splint for me to wear during the day. I wore that for 2 months. It didn't help either. Finally, he sent me to an orthopedic doctor. He told me that this was VERY common with new mommies and he was surprised and sad that my doctor had let it go on for months before sending me to see him. He recommended a cortizone shot and said that one or two of those usually fixed it and in really severe cases, they would have to snip the tendon. Fortunately for me, one shot did the trick. 4-5 days after the shot I was back to normal and only had one minor flare up that lasted for a couple of days several months later. Don't wait like I did!!! If your insurance can let you make appointments with specialists yourself, see an orthopedic doctor. If you have to go through your general practitioner, do that, but get it taken care of. The shot hurts like crazy while they are injecting it because it goes right into the inflamed tendon, but after that it works amazingly fast. Best of luck to you!!!

I developed tendonitis in my right wrist from carrying my baby. It's the tendon that runs from the base of your thumb on the outside of your hand and up your forearm. My doctor recommended using the other hand to hold my baby, and icing it for 10 minutes twice a day. Tendonitis is basically inflamation, so icing and meds like Advil help. Once my baby got older and I held her less it went away. Another common problem women develop is carpel tunnel syndrome. I don't know much about that, but ask your doctor.

Are you noticing any swelling? Tingling? Numbness? Or is it just pain? I know it is common due to water retention and edema during pregnancy for women to experience postpardum carpal tunnel syndrome, but you'd need more details to determine if something like that was going on.

I didn't have wrist pain with my kids, but late in my first pregnancy I had wrist and arm loss of feeling. I was seeing a massage therapist at the time who was also an acupunturist. The acupuncture did some good, but mostly it has just faded over time. I suspect there is a nerve somewhere that is getting compressed and causing the pain. Good luck finding relief. Hopefully it will come soon.