https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 30 May 2026 06:04:11 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-651234 Tue, 19 Mar 2013 06:30:07 +0000 mrs. bird 651234@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: make sure you immobilize your thumb on that hand as much as possible so try to keep it from getting worse, also continuous motrin (not just when it hurts, but as a preventative measure) to keep the swelling down so it can heal. regular carpel tunnel type wrist braces don't immobilize the thumb, which is the most important part. ice &amp; keeping it above your heart (elevating it) can help too. hope yours doesn't get worse! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-651026 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:54:32 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 651026@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. bird: I think that's why I have it. It's worse in my left hand because I need to hold lo upright while feeding. </p> <p>Mine's not too bad yet; hopefully I can be careful how so it doesn't get worse. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-650707 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:12:32 +0000 singingbee 650707@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: yes! I didn't have a baby to pick up or feed and I got it! It took a while to go away. Part of it was because I wasn't quite sure of what it was. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-650508 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:00:29 +0000 Rubies 650508@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had this and it was painful! I bought myself a wrist brace and wore it for a couple of weeks, a few hours here and there at a time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-650499 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:56:37 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 650499@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>And I had it right after delivery, before even holding the baby much. We thought it was because of where my IV was placed and the resultant swelling. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-650477 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:36:34 +0000 mrs. bird 650477@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've had it, it was awful! I had to see an orthopedic surgeon and have PT. </p> <p>@dagret: It's not always because someone is lifting a baby wrong, although I'm sure that happens. It's also common in breastfeeding moms who are supporting their breast or babies head while feeding. I got it when my nanny LO was sick for a long time &amp; had to be carried All. The. Time. BFF got it as a hairdresser. Lots of things can lead to it, but modifying the way you hold LOs can help. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-650465 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:18:58 +0000 singingbee 650465@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had this from my iv being irritated when they tried to put it in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-650462 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:15:47 +0000 Kemma 650462@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had it combined with an irritated radial nerve and the onset of carpal tunnel and the only treatment that really gave me long term relief was wearing wrist braces at night. </p> <p>For me I started getting pain, tingling and numbness in my fingers / thumbs towards the end of my pregnancy and when it didn't subside post partum my midwife referred me to a Hand Therapist. A big part of my problem was also the way I was holding Baby while breastfeeding which has sorted itself now that LO is older.</p> <p>My Hand Therapist recommended that I stop wearing a watch or anything that would irritate the nerves in my wrists, do gentle forearm stretches and massage, nerve glide exercises and try to keep my wrists in a neutral position.</p> <p>I'm now five months post partum and I'm pretty pain free, I still wear my braces at night to keep on top of it though </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-650443 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:07:59 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 650443@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had deQuervain's and was able to resolve it with a simple cortisone shot. Check with your PCP or your orthopaedic surgeon. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-650432 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:04:27 +0000 sunny 650432@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have this from incorrectly lifting my baby and torquing my wrists while nursing. </p> <p>e.g. Don't hold your baby like this!<br /> <img src="http://previews.agefotostock.com/previewimage/bajaage/ac19b0b16fc52004a26ef02453e9b8a1/BIS-BLM003563.jpg" /></p> <p>I am not a doctor or physical therapist so please consult a professional for treatment. However, I can describe how my diagnosis and treatment went.</p> <p>To test if I had de Quervain's or not, my doctor asked me to do the test described here: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finkelstein%27s_test" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finkelstein%27s_test</a></p> <p>I had to put my thumb in my palm, then close my fingers over the thumb and and bend my wrist like this:</p> <p>I couldn't even move my wrist a tiny bit before I had sharp shooting pains.</p> <p>I went to hand therapy for several weeks and it did get better. Here's what they did for me. They put hot compresses on my wrist, manual massage and finally ice packs while doing electro-stimulation. I was also given a custom made brace to keep my wrist in a neutral position and some exercises to perform at home.</p> <p>I went for about 8 weeks and my pain level decreased dramatically. I haven't been in about 8 weeks and my pain has gone up a little bit but I'm going to try the hot and cold packs at home to try to help it heal. </p> [attach=2232/13/mjvjxx.150x113.150px-Finkelstein-s_test.JPG] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-649770 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:28:58 +0000 banana 649770@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes I totally did! It's gone now though (thank goodness!). She's 7.5 months old! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-649432 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:23:00 +0000 wheres_c 649432@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-649424 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:21:27 +0000 duckduckkristen 649424@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had this starting when LO was a few weeks old in both wrists. I wore a thumb stabilizing brace and modified how I lifted LO. At 6 months it was still bothering me so I saw an orthopedic surgeon. He said he cold give me a cortisone shot when I was done BFing (or he would do it while I was BFing as long as my OB approved), but once LO started crawling it got a lot better. It was pretty bad for awhile though. Apparently it is very common!</p> <p>I reccomend getting a good brace and wearing it as often as possible, even while sleeping! Hope it feels better sooner than mine did. Advil also helped, but since I was BFing I tried not to take it too often. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-649396 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:12:33 +0000 buffalove 649396@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@dagret: good luck! i hope it gets better, it's so painful, especially in both hands! i had an over the counter brace i'd worn for carpel tunnel that helped a bit too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-649394 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:11:53 +0000 pinkb 649394@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@dagret: wow i cant image having it in both. It was really painful! I hope yours gets better soon! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-649387 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:09:04 +0000 dagret 649387@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@buffalove: I've tried icing and ibuprofen for a day and that has really improved it already. im going to give it a week and go from there. </p> <p> @pinkb: I'm a compulsive googler or I would have assumed a sprain if it was only 1 hand. I have it in both! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-649367 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:03:37 +0000 buffalove 649367@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had this! I'd had really bad carpal tunnel during my pregnancy and thought it was related to that, but I finally went to the doctor when LO was 10 weeks and I was heading back to work soon. The orthopedic diagnosed it immediately, gave me a cortisone shot, and all was well the next day. DS is 8 months and it hasn't come back. </p> <p>The doctor offered me 3 options to treat it: do nothing and it will prob go away in 3-4 months (because you're no longer holding them in the same position as they get older), wear a brace which is pretty restrictive since it immobilizes your thumb, or get the cortisone shot which works within 24 hours. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-649351 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:58:37 +0000 pinkb 649351@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>OMG I feel so stupid! I had this in my left hand for a week and a half, I had no idea it was an actual thing. It came on all of the sudden after I went back to work. I wrapped my wrist and hand everyday all day. I thought I has sprained it or something, but didn't remember doing anything that hurt. It finally went away after I started taking advil twice a day and iced it twice a day. It hurt really bad and really affected me being able to lift anything. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-649344 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:56:53 +0000 dagret 649344@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: dr google tells me it's from lifting babies incorrectly - putting your hands under their armpits and lifting puts all the strain on your thumb. I'm trying to "scoop" him using 2 hands or squeezing his sides when lift him under the armpits. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-649307 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:44:30 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 649307@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I do! But I hadn't heard of it before. What's it from exactly? Mine is worse in my left hand. I though it was from occasionally doing compressions while pumping but I haven't always had the pain. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-have-mommy-thumb-tell-me-about-it#post-649086 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:23:34 +0000 dagret 649086@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So L is 8 weeks old and I am pretty sure I have de Quervain's tendinitis - aka "mommy's thumb". I have pain at the base of my thumb where it meets the wrist, and occasional hand numbness in the middle of the night; I am trying ibuprofen and ice, and trying to lay off the iPhone surfing, plus modifying how i life L, before I call the doctor. </p> <p>Anyone else have this? </p>