Hey moms:)
I am 20wks pregnant and a few weeks ago I posted that my arms were falling asleep at night. Well that progressed into basically only my right arm going numb alot and waking me several times a night totally asleep and with pain shooting up to the elbow. So I am thinking that those seem like symptoms of carpal tunnel brought on by pregnancy. I am first and foremost praying about it and have gotten prayer and I do feel better. My question is for any of you who dealt with this what you did to help with the symptoms. I cannot sleep well on my left side due to an old hip injury, my hip is perfect now but after laying on it for a while it starts to hurt, plus even on my left side my arm falls asleep pretty quickly. My right side is totally out, it is almost instant that my arm goes bananas. So I have been propping myself up at night high enough that I can breathe un-labored and this has allowed me to actually sleep. I actually slept sitting up on the couch one night, but I don't think I can do that regularly. I read that after 24wks there is a shot they can give you, anyone had that? How long did it take for the problem to end after birth. I have put a call in to my dr and am waiting to hear back but I always appreciate the practical advice I get here. Thanks:)
I had carpel tunnel during my first pregnancy and sleeping with a wrist brace really helped a lot. I felt like a pshychiatric patient, but it worked. :) Prayer is always the best remedy though! I don't know if I would trust taking a shot, but that's just me. I'll say a prayer for the Lord to help you through this tough time! Your reward will come soon, you're half way there!! :)
I went through the same thing. My doctor gave me those wrists wraps that have the metal bar in them so you can't bend your wrists and it went away for me.
Like others, I found almost instant relief from the simple wrap-around wrist brace that you will find at Walgreens/CVS. They have a metal piece in them that keeps you wrist straight and allows the blood to flow and relieve the pressure. I started wearing it only at night and as the pregnancy progressed, found that I needed to wear it during the day, too. In my case, the carpal tunnel did not go away until after the swelling stopped, which, for me, was about 1 week after delivery. Hang in there - you will definitely find relief without having to get a shot!
Find a chiropractor quick! Avoid any "shot" or other drug you can when pregnant--it's not a disease, after all. Chiropractic is safe, effective and will work with Mother Nature to help you toward comfort and ease. It will also make your labor and delivery faster, easier and safer. And after all, you need good, uninterrupted sleep to help your baby's development. Ask around--you'll find a good chiropractor in your own neighborhood. Good luck!
I had pregnancy induced carpal tunnel with both my pregnancies. I wore a wrap around wrist brace, you can get them at walgreens, cvs, maybe even wal-mart. It did make a difference and helped alot. In the beginning I would only have to wear the brace at night but then I ended up having to wear them around the clock. I'm thinking it took a couple of weeks to go away after I gave birth, can't remember for sure I just know it wasn't instant like I was hoping but it wasn't that long either and it did go away.
I agree with Betsey on this one. Although in addition to the brace on the hand, I also applied IcyHot. It smells awfull and is a booger to deal with but, ooooh the relief!!! Just like others have said, mine went away with childbirth. (although I suspect that it may have still been there but I didnt notice for all those sleepless nights!!!)
The other thing I did was to keep the arm stretched and active during the day. IE, exercise, lifting (even if its a can of green beans) during the day. Gotta keep that blood flowin'!!!
Margaret :)
I believe I responded to your first request. I think you need to have your doc check your hormone levels that your thyroid puts out. I have thyroid problems and had both of my hands go numb during pregnancy. My endocrinologist tested my levels and, yes, they were out of whack. A few weeks after a synthyroid adjustment the numbness went away. Your hormones are so out of whack during pregnancy, that even though you may not have problems normally, now you may.
I had the same problem as well during my pregnancy. My doctor sent me to a physical therapist and she custom-made a brace for me. It helped a tremendous amount. Also, the CT went away almost immediately after I gave birth. I also thought I would let you know that when you are pregnant you are actually NOT supposed to sleep on your right side as this can put too much pressure on your vena cava and could potentially cut off blood supply to the baby. That's why doctors recommend that you sleep on your left side. HTH!
I had the same thing during my first pregnancy. It is not carpal tunnel syndrome, it just feels like it. I'm not sure if the pain went away immediately after the baby was born, or I just had so much to occupy my mind that I didn't notice any additional pain. I definitely would not take any shots or additional medication.
Hadn't heard of a shot, but totally identify with your experience. It didn't take long to clear up. It sure was miserable while it lasted though!
totally had that same problem with my last pregnancy- it isn't carpal tunnel though it is the position of the uterus in relation to some of the nerves in you spinal cord. I asked my dr about it. You are doing exactly what I did. Prop yourself. A recliner works really well if you have one. If not you might ask for an early Christmas present. : ) It ended when I had the baby although it got better as I got more pregnant and could move the baby around by sitting on my exercise ball. If she was in the wrong spot and my arms fell asleep I would sit on my ball facing my bed so I could fall asleep if I wanted and just rock on it for about 30 min that would usually move her up so I could get some relief. Good Luck! KB (mommy of 4)
