Wrist pain at night

[breatheslowly]

I've been waking up with stiff hands and pain in my right wrist & thumb. It hurts but isn't the end of the world. I assume it is pregancy related carpal tunnel syndrome. Should I:

1. Go and buy a wrist support to wear in bed.
2. See GP - do they supply wrist supports?
3. Do nothing (currently 36+4 and obviously if it goes away after birth then it is only a few more weeks).

Any ideas or experiences?

[unfitmother]

I went for option 3 and it stopped as soon as DS arrived.

[OffOffandAway]

I went for option 3 but when the baby was was prescribed ibuprofen cream (which didn't work) and ended up with a steroid injection (which did work). But sore wrist was a bit pesky when the baby was small and trying to feed and change it.

Prob worth mentioning to your GP or midwife as if they can provide a support it might protect your wrist when you are lifting your baby.

[Hevster]

I asked GP about it last time and the answer was do nothing if I can live with it - annoying to live with but it did stop after birth.

[katechristie]

mention at your next MW apt maybe? - mine continued for the first few months whilst BF, and was a bit tricky sometimes with night feeds picking DS up, as I could never clench or make a fist properly. - A pain inthe shower as I'd always drop the shampoo bottle too as it would take an hour or so on waking to ease - but there you go, what's a dropped bottle of shampoo, it was DS in the middle of the night I was more worried about!

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

I'd get some wrist splinto to wear at night, and mention it to your mw at your next appt. The NHS would probably provide them, but your lo will probably be here by the time your referral gets seen!

[AuntieMaggie]

my mum had this (though she wasn't pregnant) and used to wear those heat patches you can buy at night - i think you can get them reasonably cheaply at wikinsons and other cheap shops...

Also is it possibleyou're sleeping with it funny?

[LittleB]

I had this last pg and its just started this pg (19wks) my gp referred me for a physio appt, got a cancellation the next day. The physio just confirms its carpel tunnel and then gave me splints. They are fairly uncomfortable but do the job and are worth wearing! I generally only wear them at night, but last time did wear them when driving a long way or spending a long time on the computer as those made it worse too. Definitely worth getting a physio referral from your midwife or gp, all on the nhs.

[Porcelain]

I mentioned this to my MW (I have a lot of pain in the middle of my palms) and she told me I could have splints for night if it got worse, then did a very amusing impression of why your hand position at night makes it worse. A friend at work told me hers went almost instantly after the birth, so I'm not that worried.

[picc]

Feeling really that people were given splints (and even physio appts) on the NHS.

I had really bad CP tunnel during last pregnancy, and for months afterwards. I was told I'd have to buy the splints myself, because they weren't available on the NHS. And they weren't cheap.

My GP did refer me to a specialist, who then recommended they operate... but that all took months.

If you can get hold of some splints, then do take them! They really relieved the pain for me. I'd wake up in agony otherwise.

Hate to say it, but mine didn't go away after DS was born, it got worse (aggravated by feeding positions and stuff)

sorry!!

[Ozziegirly]

I have it, and have gone for Option 3. It's bloody painful isn't it?

[tablefor3]

It could be CP Tunnel, or it could be De Queirens (sp?). I had DQ in both wrists starting just affter DD was born. Apparently it is very common when pregnant and BF'ing because the higher levels of relaxatin hormone makes all of your joints looser and more vulnerable to damage, not just the ones related to birth.

One wrist cleared up fairly sooner after birth, the other took some while. I eventually went after 9 months and got a hospital consultation. Was given a splint and some tips. It healed very quickly, but I was finishing BF'ing at the same time and it was some months after the birth, so might have cleared anyway. I also went back to work and was simply lifting my heavy growing well baby.

[tablefor3]

simply lifting my heavy growing well baby less often (obviously....)

[LooL00]

I had this when dc2 was about 4 months old and it was particularly painful when i was bf her. Ibuprofen gel didn't help. not lifting the car seat with my wrist did help, I hooked it up with my elbow. it used to come back once in a while after i stopped bf and a couple of ibuprofen tabs would sort it out (do not take ibuprofen when pregnant).

[KnuffelKont77]

My midwife sent me to hospital, they checked my blood pressure which had been stable throughout pregnancy and was still normal. they then had me on the monitor for baby heart. After being there for 2 hour they said yep its probably carpal tunnel. stop eating salt take vitamins, which I had been doing both. I discussed it later with midwife again. she suggested that getting to a physiotherapist would not be worth it because the baby would be born soon.

I went into my local chemist and got wrist supports. They were great, during the night and during the day to stop me doing to much. The symptoms lasted for 4-6 weeks after birth and still sometimes when hanging up wash...

so do something if its hurting you!

[AuntieMaggie]

yeah my mum eventually had the op but still gets some problems every now and then, but as I said she said applying heat at night was the nest thing.