I guess my celebration present of being in the third trimester is having some weird feelings in my hands and wrists. I’m self-diagnosing myself as having carpal tunnel, well at least until I talk to my OB.
Of course the feelings that I have were not present last Wednesday at my doctor’s appointment.
Of course, that would have been too convenient.
I’ve been hearing that carpal tunnel can come in the 2nd half of pregnancy due to retaining fluid and swelling. The thing I find odd is that I’m not exactly swollen.
Yes, my hands might be a bit just because my wedding band and engagement ring are a little too snug for my liking, but it’s not like the swelling of a balloon or anything that dramatic. It’s very moderate, if any, and not visible to the naked eye, that’s for sure.
I’m guessing that since I’m on the computer just about all day it could be carpal tunnel. Most of the time I am sitting on the couch in the living room with my laptop, so I’m not what you would call ergonomically correct. In fact, I should probably go sit properly in my office with my wrists how they should be.
For maybe a month or two I have noticed that my hands fall asleep when I’m asleep. I hate that numb and tingling feeling. I did ask my OB at my appointment a month ago about this and she said that it was normal. While reading up on carpal tunnel, I see that this is part of it as well.
Starting just a few days ago I’ve noticed a weird feeling in my left wrist and thumb. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that it’s painful, but it’s sometimes sharp and definitely annoying. It’s definitely worse at night and right when I wake up in the morning. I shake my wrists around a lot and that seems to help and there is also a popping kind of noise, like when you crack your knuckles.
If it is carpal tunnel, then I might talk to my doctor to see what will help. I read that ibuprofen helps, but I know that I can’t take that while pregnant. I also read that sleeping in a wrist brace could provide some relief so I will try that out as well.
Have any of you experienced the symptoms that I’ve been having? If so, were you “diagnosed” with carpal tunnel? What did you do for relief from it? Most importantly, did it go away after you had your baby?
Thanks!
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Yes, that sounds very familiar. Wearing the wrist braces at night was helpful for me. If it doesn’t clear up post-pregnancy you can get a nerve conduction study to see if you do have carpal tunnel.
Yes ! You just described what I had in late pregnancy with my son and I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel. I never had the popping though. For me the only way I could fall asleep while pregnant was to play free cell on my laptop until I got sleepy. I am sure that didn’t help my wrist one bit. My doctor told me to get a brace but I never did. It did go away after I gave birth for the most part, if I am in a funny position while typing I get a little tingly but no where near the severity I had while pregnant and it goes away when i change positions . While pregnant it didn’t go away if I moved.
See what your doc says – they will probably suggest a wrist brace.
I have had similar feelings and my midwife just said that the tingling could just be in relation to the fact that I am producing and circulating more blood in my body. My hands get numb/tingly when I am walking a lot and they are hanging down by my sides constantly. It may not be carpal tunnel at all – just another of those fun pregnancy side effects!
I had some minor carpal tunnel I think. It went away after about two weeks fortunately, so it may have been just that I was spending too much time on the computer
But I made myself get off the computer anytime my wrist/thumb started bugging me and that really seemed to help.
Thanks everyone! Glad to know that I’m not the only one!
Chrystal – Funny that you said your hands get numb/tingly when walking. The other day while I was walking my hands got swollen from being down at my side, but just about the whole walk my feet were numb and tingling. It lasted just about the whole time and was really strange, so maybe it is just something related to pregnancy instead of carpal tunnel. Interesting…
I have never heard of this – but then I am very niave when it comes to all things to do with getting pregnant!! I will do some research in to this, as my legs go really dead at night. Odd feeling. Thanks for the links x
Yes! That is it and I thought it the weirdest thing when my doctors told me that I had carpal tunnel. I wasn’t even at a computer that often anymore by the time I developed the symptoms. It started at night when I was asleep and then progressed to happening during waking hours. My whole arm would go numb and just send me into a panic. I thought they were going to have to cut it off. Well it lasted for a while post pregnancy but did eventually go away. Hang in there
I had it!! My symptoms were just like Tanisha described. It was awful and went away immediately after I gave birth (via c-section unfortunately). I used the carpal tunnel wrist guard and it helped. Don’t worry, you are almost done and it does get better!!
Yup, I had this. My hands were very numb and tingly for the last few weeks of my pregnancy – so annoying. It was about a week after my c-section when I finally noticed: Hey, I have feeling in my hands again!
For me, it wasn’t carpal tunnel, it was a water weight/swelling thing – all that swelling in the end put some pressure on certain nerves that caused it, and so it didn’t let up until all that water weight and swelling was gone.
I had the same problem in my third trimester, my wrists would ache and cramp up if I was on the computer or trying to cook/chop something. It was kind of painful, and almost immediately after I had my son it cleared up and went away.