Sore hands and feet - BF related?

[Petcat]

My DD is 12 weeks old and exclusively breastfed. For the 6 weeks or so I have had really stiff, sore hands and wrists, especially in the middle of the night. My feet also ache like hell when I'm getting out of bed. I occasionally get numbness and tingling in my fingers too.

I went to see the doc today because the pain has been getting worse and it really hurts to pick my baby up. The doctor said it's probably hormonal/breastfeeding related, exacerbated by picking up and holding my DD all the time. I have had some blood tests done and in the meantime she advised ibuprofen and to rest my hands if possible (not much chance of that sadly)

Just wondered if anyone else has experienced this, has any tips for coping and can give me hope it might get better soon. I am hoping to bf for at least a year but don't know if I can cope with restricted use of my hands for that long!

Bump for you.

I had something v similar. Saw GP who told me it was nothing. Think he thought I was imagining it. Vividly remember slowly trying to go downstairs holding the baby because my joints hurt so much when I first woke up. By six months, despite still breastfeeding, I was ok again.
All I wanted from the GP was reassurance it wasn't anything serious.

I think it's hormonal. Your hormones from pregnancy are balancing back to normal, maybe the joint pain has something to do with relaxin. I googled it also at 3 months as my hips, knees and ankles were painful, I needed painkillers too. It did only last for a couple of days though.

I had this, but only in my fingers. I saw my doctor who gave me ibuprofen gel and told me to go back if it didn't stop after a while. My friend had the same around the same time and her HV told her it would stop when BF stopped. It lasted for a few months and then stopped.

I hope you get it sorted...

I had it in wrists and thumbs and forefingers. GP said it was hormonal + lifting a weight you're not used to. Especially the pincer movement when you pick baby up under their arms. Can't remember how long it lasted but at worst I almost felt I couldn't pick DS up from cot in the night. Was a lot worse at night.

Then when DS was about 4 mo is started in my knees. Stairs were the worse and lowering and lifting myself in and our of chairs, esp to bf was agony. Now DS is 13mo and its in my elbows. Especially my left one. Feels like tennis elbow. I think its worse in left as I hold DS on right and use left to do everything from lifting heavy shopping bags to unlocking doors etc.

Pregnancy hormones can stay in your body for up to a year after you have your baby someone told me, and if you bf it can be a lot longer than that.

My fingers and thumbs began to 'trigger' after 48 hrs and feet started hurting a few days later. Still very painful especially after being in bed although loosen up as the day goes on. Doc said was relaxin etc and should correct within about 6 months of stopping bf. I am still feeding though so don't know if it will!

I had this after ds1 was born. I couldnt pick him up without it hurting nor turn on a tap as my wrists were so stiff and sore. Turns out it was a symptom of an under active thyroid and once I got thyroxine levels sorted out all the pains went away. My thyroid was fine before and during pregnancy ( was abroad where they tested routinely) but apparently I developed post party's thyroiditis. Might be worth getting it checked?

That should read post partum not post party's (chance would be a fine thing!).