Pregnancy Induced Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

This was the most excruciating thing about being pregnant. But it went away almost immediately. There is not much you can do about it. And the braces did very little to help me. But you're almost there. It will be over soon. Good luck.

I had that too! It went away as soon as the baby was born. It stunk, but within 2 weeks of giving birth it was gone.

I had horrible carpal tunnel with my first pregnancy. My doctor said it was normal also. Mine started when I was about 22 weeks pregnant. I was unable to do anything when I woke in the morning as well. My doctor had to take me out of work wnen I was 30 weeks along. I started noticing a difference as soon as I gave birth and it was completely gone before I left the hospital. Hopefully you will have the same results. Good Luck!

Hey T., I too had this same problem and I was so glad it wasn't just me. My OB/GYN told me it was because my hands were swollen and the pressure was pressing on the carpal tunnel nerve in my hand and wrist. I found that if I rotated my hands around in a circular motion it would ease the pain I felt early in the A.M. and I did it throughout the day. The pain lasted for a few weeks after I had my baby and went away on it's on. So yes it will be hard for you to lift the baby, but its something about love and not wanting to hurt the baby by dropping them that you will find a way to pick him/her up with no problem. Best wishes and blessings.

I agree with you (Shari M), the first week I tried to do everything when my daughter was sleep. Boy was I wrong, I felt myself getting irritated at first and then everything made me mad or cry. So I stopped and went to sleep when she did and I didn't feel depressed anymore.
Also thats what family/friends are for. Let them help you if they ask you if you need some help to them HELL YEAH!!! LMBO!

I had this when I was pregnant. Keeping the wrists stiff did not help much. What worked for me was rubber bands. Take a rubber band that's not too big and put all your fingers and thumb of one hand inside, then press out against the rubber band (sort of like the reverse of squeezing). For some reason, strengthening the tendons of the back of your hand seems to help the circulation improve. Raise your hands over your head for short periods to get the fluid to flow out a bit. I retained a lot of water while pregnant which went away within a few weeks after birth, and breast feeding helps with that too. Drinking plenty of fluids (water, tea (ice or hot), etc) now can help flush your system. Remember you're peeing for two.

It is common and goes away after you give birth. Meanwhile, try to sleep w/ your arms/wrist/hands as straight as possible. Dont sleep w/ your arm under your head. Unfortunately you cant take ibuprofen for inflamation. You will have to try something else for that.

I had the same problem when I was pregnant with our first child but not with the second one. I have never had the problem since then so it is just temporary!

Hi T....I suffered with this during my one and only pregnancy. I ended up having to leave my job on disability. The trick is to not use your hands and wear the braces all the time especially when sleeping as it keeps your hands in a better position. The GOOD news is it will probably go away with delivery but I had a flare up after which made breast feeding difficult. I had several more flare ups throughout the years and finally had surgery in 2007 (my daughter was born in 2001). The GREAT news is since the surgery I've had NO problems...hang in there and Best of luck!

D.

I didn't actually have carpal tunnel until after my son was born. After several months of dealing with it I finally went to a wrist dr. He assured me after viewing xrays that it would go away on its own and that wearing wrist braces at night would help.

The braces helped and it did go away!

I would add, cold compresses periodically and keep your hands elevated when you sleep (with the wrist braces on)

You might look into doing prolotherapy on the wrist. It is a natural treatment using glucose solution. It heals regular carpal tunnel. I don't know if the pregnancy would change the need for it, but there should be information on the web if you google it. You can check for prolotherapists in your area if you are near a rather large city.

L. Cheek, MD
Dublin, VA

Hi T.,
I had mild carpal tunnel when I was pregnant and shortly afterwards. I chose a brace from the pharmacy and wore it a few days at work and then wore it a few nights. I got to the point that I could wear it at night and wouldn't have the problems during the day. It is very common and should go away shortly after you have the baby. I did have some problems after I had my baby but it didn't last long.
Good luck in your last few weeks with baby stuff and CTS!

J.

Hi T.,

I'm not a doctor, but I am a massage therapist. It sounds like you are developing Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. The tingling of the hands comes from the neck area- where the nerves exit the spine. It could be a result of the way you sleep. It's common when someone sleeps with their arm raised. The muscles in the shoulder/ neck area get tight. When you're up and about, the muscles stay in a shortened position and pinch on the nerves in the neck area. The wrist braces only address the symptom, not the problem which is why you're not getting much relief.

If you've put on much weight during the last trimester, the additional weight will contribute to the nerve entrapment.

If you can afford to see a massage therapist that specializes in pregnancy massage or chair massage, I'd strongly suggest you seek their services. I also suggest you get a book on self massage, especially Trigger Point Therapy. You'll be able to get relief whenever you need it.

Good luck.
CK

Hi T.,
It's a very real diagnosis and problem-pregnancy induced CTS. I had it midway through my pregnancy. I had a hand surgeon inject my hands with an anti-inflammatory and it was the best thing I could have done. You'll probably still need to wear the braces, but it's so much better. Wear them at night no matter what. Also, be prepared, if you get the injections, to hurt worse for the first 24 hours. I didn't realize that and was flipped out that I'd made the wrong choice, but not so. I do NOT regret doing it-my pain was so much better controlled.
Good luck! K.
PS-they say it goes away after delivery, when your body begins to return to normal:-)

I had hormone complications with soft tissue damage/injury after a car accident and learned a lot about the two as they relate to one another. I'm now expecting, and notice some similarities. The couple things I can suggest are (1) wear wrist braces - not too tightly- at night all night long every night, (2) stretch your shoulders (doorway stretches), your hands, and your wrists, many times every day, and (3) rest up your hands and wrists by especially not doing any repetitive motions (such as mousing online for more than a half hour unless it's your work, etc.) When my hormones flared so did my soft tissue injuries. The wrist braces at night started helping within a couple weeks -so you have to keep doing it even if you don't feel an immediate benefit. I had a great physical therapist who also acknowledged the hormone influence, who was also a hand/wrist specialist - she made the difference for me. Good luck, and once you deliver and are able if you are, then the anti-inflammatories will also help you recover more quickly.

~J

T.:
Yes - it does go away. I had it too and your description sounds exactly what I experienced. After delivery I used antiinflamatory over the counter meds that my Dr said I could take while nursing. I also used ice packs just like it was a new injury. I also started taking a cartilage and joint complex like glucosamine (check what's OK for nursing) The joint complex I think was more for other joint pain. I was 43 when I had my little 9+ lb son. At my age I felt like I'd been run over by a truck after delivery and ALL my joints hurt. I think for me it was because of my age.After all those wonderful pregnancy hormones left my body - I was really achy for a couple months. The Carpel Tunnel did NOT prevent me from caring for my son becaseu it went away and the residual was manageable until that time with the meds and ice. Don't worry - get your answers from your Dr. before you leave the hospital. And - SLEEP WHEN YOUR BABY SLEEPS. Don't try to be Super Mom and get stuff done when the baby is sleeping. That is the quickest route to Post Partum Depression - I think it should be called Post Partum Sleep Deprivation. Cos the Moms that nap when baby does - don't get the depression (From what my friends have said comparing notes) Blessings - hope that helps - S.

I had to wear the braces every night I slept, it will take a few days but the discomfort will go away. What also helps is to make sure your back is against the chair when you type it removes the strain from your joints when you are typing. My carpal tunnel went away after delivery, but resurfaces from time to time. Hopefully this will help you deal with it.

This happened to me also. I'm sorry to say that the only things that helps is not being pregnant anymore. I experienced it during pregnancy but once I had my baby it no longer bothered me. Hang in there.

I had a similar problem when I was pregnant. I would take an Ibprofin or tylonol every now and again for inflamation and pain. The good news is that you are almost at the end... it will go away once the baby is born. It is hormonal. It is because of all the blood coarsing through you and relaxin. You are gunna be fine.

I would, however, make sure that your doctor checks your blood pressure to make sure that you are not dealing with a pre-eclamtic situation. Sometimes the swelling and pain are symptoms of something like that. But hang in their, girl. lack of sleep now prepares you for the first months of having a newborn, but then it gets so much better little by little.

Yes I did experience this. For the last 8 weeks of my pregnancy, then for 6 weeks after I delivered it was there - though it did lessen during the 6 weeks post-pregnancy. I didn't find a lot of relief for it unfortunately. I don't know if you have read this article or not, but they offer a few suggestions on how to make yourself more comfortable. http://www.babycenter.com/0_carpal-tunnel-syndrome-during...

Good luck!
-K.

I had it with my 1st pregnancy and it went away as soon as I delivered. I hope you have the same results.

B.

I just wanted to add I had this too, as well as loss of sensation in my arms and hands especially at night. My doctor referred me to a physical therapist who worked wonders for me. I had a series of exercises I had to do daily and I visited her 2x week for stretching and tens machine sessions (AWESOME! extremely relaxing!!) It really helped with the nerve problems, but even more with the stress at home and at work during my pregnancy.
I also second what's been said about napping when baby does! As one who didn't and did get post partum depression, I wish I'd done more napping and made more requests for help and shut out all the complaining about the dirty house etc from DH. I hope you can learn from my experience! Best of luck- J.

I highly recommend trying acupuncture. Yes, it will likely go away once you deliver, but then carrying the baby can also exacerbate the situation and a lot of moms get carpal tunnel from that, too, so you need to be careful. I've had great success w/ acupuncture and so have a number of other women I know.
Good luck!

I had this same thing while pregnant with my first. I was working as a hairstylist at the same time and had to quit it was so bad. Wearing braces at night and not overworking my wrists/hands helped and it went away as soon as my son was born. With my second baby I never had any trouble but wasn't working and didn't gain as much weight as the first.

I had it and it was awful! Made nursing the worst, trying to hold the baby's head and the breast...not to mention the pain of nursing! But all worth it...so no worries. It's all temporary. Ice your hands/wrists as much as possible. Watch your sodium intake like a hawk!! Wear the braces as much as possible, especially at night. If you walk any distance, keep your hands up at breast level or above (better workout too!). Once you have delivered, as long as your doc says ok while nursing, take ibuprophen. Watch for all the signs of pre-eclampsia. Your wrists...some women's ankles...everyone is different! God bless and I hope this helps.

Same thing happened to me w/both pregnancies. My boys are 7 years apart & it still happened w/my 2nd son, eventhough I was eating so much better than the 1st. What made it HORRible, was that I play the violin for a living. I never thought I'd have such problems, but at about 4-5 months, it started w/the numbness & pain. I had probably 20 weddings to go until I had my son & I never thought I'd make it. I could barely play one song-my husband's a photographer, & pain was written all over my face:(.
I did exercises, ate well, etc & nothing helped. My boy is 2 now & I've never completely recovered. It's especially bad in the ams. And every night, I wake up numb & have to make sure I'm not sleeping on my arms wrong. The only advice I can say is it's a teeny better when my arms are hanging down at my sides. Pushing a stroller/shopping cart still makes them numb.
Maybe get one of those boppy pillow things to help you hold your baby. That way you can shake out 1 arm at a time & have them secured still.
Good luck-& I don't mean to sound negative about the after part-it's really NOTHing compared to what it feels like during pregnancy.
S.:)

I had the same problem when I was pregnant with my daughter. The thing that helped me the most was wearing the braces to sleep. Then I wouldn't have to wear them unless I was typing during the day. I know it's painful, but it is normal, and will go away. You're almost done, just hang in there!