Did anyone suffer from this? How long did you have pain before you saw a doctor (if at all)?
I have had pain in my left wrist (I'm right handed) for several weeks now. Sometimes I forget about it, other times it makes me yelp out in pain! I definitely don't feel like going to the doctor, but I don't want to end up with a bigger problem if I ignore it.
I haven't taken advil or iced it or anything yet, I've just been dealing.
pear / 1992 posts
My only advice is to address it ASAP and aggressively. I have been dealing with this for 6 months now and it progressed from annoying to nearly incapacitating very quickly.
I never did make the time to see a doctor, but am forcing myself to go next week. I have worn a thumb-stabilizing brace for my waking hours for about 5 months, took Aleve around-the-clock for several of those months, iced my wrist and rested in the evenings after LO was asleep. All this to say I am not pain-free.
I've heard wonderful things about the cortisone shot though and I'm crossing my fingers they will just stick me when I am at the doctor next week (instead of having me return for one). Good luck! And if you're looking, this brace is what I (and @lemong) use and it has made all the difference for me. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YIFA2C/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
GOLD / squash / 13576 posts
I had it and for me, it went away. I changed the way I was picking up LO and that really helped.
blogger / pineapple / 12381 posts
I had deQuervain's too. Mine was mainly triggered by the IV I got in my left hand. I went for a cortisone injection at 2 months post partum. That really helped with the pain. It fully resolved by 6 months and the associated cyst went away at 1.5 years.
honeydew / 7811 posts
@lindseykaye: so sorry you've been dealing with all of that! 
are you going to see your obgyn, or your regular doctor? I wasn't even sure who to call. I haven't done anything yet, because I can manage without pain relievers. But I think I must have a high tolerance for pain since I did have a pain med free childbirth 
I do have shooting pains occasionally, like today while I'm at work.
@littlek: I have been trying the 'scoop him up under the butt' method of picking up and it helps, but I don't remember every time. And I also have pain doing non-LO-related things (like today at work).
honeydew / 7811 posts
@Mrs. Jacks: Interesting! I had an IV in my left hand too. Not during my entire labor, but towards the end when I needed some pitocin. They also left it in for what seemed like forever afterwards, even though it was no longer attached to anything. We were waiting to be discharged and had to keep asking them to take it out! Do you think that increased my chances?
grapefruit / 4717 posts
@cmomma17: I had/have this. Went to lots of physical therapy. Wore wrist/thumb braces. Modified how I picked up LO - careful not to separate my thumb from the rest of my fingers. Be careful when putting LO in and out of the car and stroller. I ended up having to switch to PT that addressed issues in my neck from always looking down while BF and on the computer.
pear / 1992 posts
I am going to see an orthopedist. Part of why I put off seeing a doctor is that I didn't want to end up going to multiple appointments just for referrals (seeing my midwife, who would probably tell me to see my primary care, who would probably tell me to see an orthopedist). We have a great orthopedic institute associated with the university where I live and they actually have walk-in care hours, but they're from 5pm and things just haven't lined up for me to be able to get there until next week.
It has certainly gotten better than it once was - so hopefully if you catch it early and are conscious of it you can help it heal on its own!
(And I had a med-free birth, too! I have told my husband many times that this pain has been worse than labor/delivery for me)
blogger / pineapple / 12381 posts
@cmomma17: Mine infiltrated a bit, so I know there was extra swelling in that area. The ortho guy was so afraid that I was going to sue that he was like, "it's only a contributing factor, not causal"... but in my case, I'm pretty sure it was a big contribution.
honeydew / 7811 posts
@pregnantbee: my neck and back are killing me lately! I think motherhood is wrecking me from head to toe! I thought it was mostly from nursing at night. I do it in bed where I have zero support for my back and arms. Lugging around the car seat causes me pain too (and we live in a second floor apartment so that adds to the strain).
grapefruit / 4717 posts
@cmomma17: I'm so sorry you're in pain. I felt the same way especially around 3 mo out. Be careful to use a neutral wrist position when pushing the stroller. Try not to lug the carseat if possible. If you do, hold it with both hands close to your body. Can you add pillows for more support in bed? Or get up and go to a chair?
persimmon / 1165 posts
I had it, wore a wrist guard for over a month and finally went to the doctor. I got my first cortisone shot and it was essentially gone in a few days. Now my other wrist is acting up...
The method of treatment is advil and a wrist guard. If that doesn't work, then cortisone shot. Good luck and get it taken care of sooner than later!!
honeydew / 7811 posts
@Mrs. Jacks: So now I'm wondering about something else ... part of my left hand has actually been numb since I gave birth too! Forgive me not remembering my anatomy terms, but it's the pad of my hand underneath/connected to my thumb. I didn't think it was a big deal at first, because I have dealt with numbness in the past. I have a partially numb leg on my right side, that was potentially caused by nerve damage in my back.
After giving birth, the tops of my thighs and my left hand were numb, but the thighs cleared up in a few days. Some feeling, but not all, is back in my left hand.
Weird.
honeydew / 7811 posts
@lindseykaye: It sounds like your pain might be more severe than mine. Although if I just let this go, I might get there! I hope the ortho is a big help to you and you get some relief soon!
@pregnantbee: we bought a recliner for the living room to use for nursing during the day, I've just been too lazy/tired to go out there in the middle of the night. I did recently begin using my boppy again for support, I had stopped using it for a few weeks. I will try to use two hands for the car seat. In the mornings when I have the car seat, diaper bag, pump bag, lunch bag and purse I have definitely had "bad form" as I haul it all down the stairs!
@sheskrafty: oh no! I'm sorry you're getting it in the other wrist!
grapefruit / 4235 posts
I thought I had mommy thumb but I actually have carpal tunnel (IG you google the dequervain's tendinitis test...it didn't send shooting pains up my wrist.). So I wear regular wrist splints to sleep and if I'm driving for a long time.
honeydew / 7811 posts
@dagret: I googled, but I can't figure out how to do it to myself! lol I'm glad I'm alone in my office today because I look pretty weird right now ...
If I make a fist around my thumb, holding my arm parallel to the ground and push down on the top of my fist I have pain in my wrist, but I wouldn't call it "shooting"
clementine / 959 posts
I had this and wore a thumb stabilizing brace and finally saw an orthopedic surgeon at 6 months pp. He didn't want to give me a cortisone shot until I was done BFing, but said if I got a note from my OB he would do it. I got pregnant right after so no cortisone shot for me. The pain finally went away when I stopped BFing, so I think it was from the way I was holding my breast or LO.
The orthopedic surgeon told me there was no risk of any damage if I didn't get the shot, just that I would have to deal with the pain until it went away. Be careful not to lift your baby under the armpits and instead just scoop them up with a hand under their butt and head. Hope you feel better!
apricot / 309 posts
I had this and wound up getting a referral to a phyiscal therapist after seeing my primary care doctor. The PT helped quite a bit - I went for 8 or 10 sessions and she did some general massage and some ultrasound treatment. I was also taped up with kinesio tape to help with the ligament's movement. As @lindseykaye said, I also use a wrist brace at night. It's gotten a whole lot better - I used to have really sharp pains when I would do random things, like lift a frying pan, but now it's not usually an issue. Sometimes it flares up when I have to carry LO a lot when she goes through a clingy phase, but then I try and remember to carry her correctly. She also gave me some exercises to do that helped.
I didn't get the cortison shot because I am still breastfeeding. A friend of mine did and it went away, though now she says she occasionally has some wrist pain.
Good luck!
honeydew / 7811 posts
@duckduckkristen: @lemong: sounds like cortisone is not an option for me then, EBF'ing and then hopefully getting pregnant again in the not too distant future. I'll try to focus on good form for a while and see if it improves.
thanks for sharing your experiences!
blogger / pineapple / 12381 posts
There is no contraindication of the local cortisone injection with breast feeding as far as I know.
| Today | Monthly Record | |
|---|---|---|
| Topics | 0 | 0 |
| Posts | 1 | 0 |
Ask for Help
Make a Suggestion
Frequently Asked Questions
Bee Levels
Acronyms
Most Viewed Posts
Hellobee Gold
Hellobee Recipes
Hellobee Features
Hellobee Contests
Baby-led Weaning
Bento Boxes
Breastfeeding
Newborn Essentials
Parties
Postpartum Care Essentials
Sensory Play Activities
Sleep Training
Starting Solids Gear
Transitioning to Toddler Bed
All Series
Who We Are
About the Bloggers
About the Hostesses
Contributing Bloggers
Apply to Blog
Apply to Hostess
Submit a Guest Blog
Hellobee Buttons
How We Make Money
Community Policies
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
19 comments