Chronic wrist pain from placing DS in his cot - anyone else?

[MamaHobgoblin]

I have unusually thin and knobbly wrists, but up until now they've seemed strong enough. Since DS was about 3 months, I've experienced growing, if intermittent, pain in one of my wrists when I lowered his basket, and now cotbed. His head, the heavy bit (!) is usually over my left wrist, the painful one. It also hurts a lot when I turn him round from one boob to the other.

It's got to the point where I can't flex my hand round so my palm faces my face without a lot of pain, and I think I'm getting refered pain up that arm from trying to avoid painful positions. It hurts pretty much every time I use that wrist, now. (DS is 1 year and yes, I still lower him, asleep, into his cot.)

I'm trying not to use that wrist in this position and try to use my other hand for 'heavy' work, but it's very limiting, and I'm finding there are loads of things I can't do properly if I don't flex one of my wrists round. I can't really carry DS safely, for a start. The GP thinks it's a peculiarity of my bone structure and I'm having an X Ray to see if I have an abnormal extra wrist bone but she reckons it's just a thing I have to live with.

Does anyone recognise this type of pain from that sort of activity? Did you find anything helpful (aside from not using the wrist at all!)?

Yes, I had this when my DD was a baby. I went to the GP after the pain got so bad, I dropped her when lowering into moses basket. I was referred to physio who have me exercises to do which helped enormously and pain eventually went within 3 months

I had the same wrist pain as you when my daughter was a baby. It became very painful. I didn't go to the doctors and it eventually eased off. I'm afraid I didn't find anything useful for dealing with the pain.

I had a lot of joint pain and various aches and twinges for about two years after having DD. It really seemed to knock my body off kilter!

I also have thin, knobbly wrists

Luby - I just wish the rest of me was as thin as my wrists! I get comments about them, sometimes...

It's good to know that once you stop doing this sort of action, it might ease off, anyway. I was worried I'd be stuck with it.

FL, thanks - I might see my GP again and ask if I could see a physio.

I have this very same pain (also left hand) and it is also stopping me doing a lot of things. i first noticed mine when I was rinsing a cup under a running tap..I turned the cup over to empty the water out and squealed in agony. My son was about a year at the time ..he is 3 now and i am still suffering....but intermittently now...but definatley still there. I have had it xrayed and nothing found...some days it is really painful and feels like an electric shock through my wrist..and then I dont feel in on other days when I may do the dame movement...I would love to know what it is and all you ladies have my sympathies...not sure if I have helped at all but just wanted to let you know there is another sufferer.

Reviving this old thread because I have this problem and have just had it diagnosed as De Quervain's tenosynovitis. It is excruciating and I am constantly worried about dropping my baby.
I can't hold things or pick things up or do anything without gritting my teeth in agony.
I had a cortisone injection into the wrist last week but it doesn't seem to be helping.
I know rest is the best thing but I am SAHM and how can I go the day without picking up my 8 month old son?

I really need to hear a success story, I feel really down about this!

Rest really is the best thing. I had severe wrist strain in both wrists at the same time(baby + toddler to lift 24/7). I didn't see a doctor about it, I just assumed it was strain and for me it was probably was just that.

I remember using my forearms to pick up and take dcs weight (unwieldy but possible), and scooping a dc up with the crook of my elbow and balancing on my hip - anything to save my wrists. I found that strapping up my wrists made the pain worse.

I have thin knobbly wrists too but strong arms.

Eventally my wrists got better but they are prone now to strain (tweak them every now and then). One thing I have noticed that may not be related is that I've lost my grip (physically, mainly ) and have to use one of those widgety things to unscrew lids/jars.

Like I said, the pain does go with time, especially as dcs get more indepenantly mobile.

Thanks for writing about your experience kissingfrogs, I think it is strain for me too, but in my left wrist it is excruciating - feels like my bones are cracking if I forget and try to lift something or grab something.
The doctor ( I'm in Japan at the moment so it was a very odd GP appointment! ) basically said that I may have to wait until my DS is walking until it gets better, that just doesn't seem quite right.
Has anyone had this badly enough to warrant the surgical procedure?

On the bright side, I seem to becoming more and more adept at using my forearms instead of my hands for any lifting....