Anyone's fingers falling asleep constantly?

[JamesMama]

Yeah, cuz it's driving me INSANE!!!

I would lie on my left side last night, and get woken up because the fingers (just the fingers from the knuckles up) were tingling and asleep. So I'd roll to my right side (no easy feat...add the pain of getting kicked in the crotch 8 times as I flop my huge Shammu self over) and then get woken up minutes later because the fingers on my right hand were asleep and tingling. : This went on for most of the night.

Any advice?

Whats wrong with me, is baby on a nerve or something? Because this is REALLY getting annoying.

[2crazykids]

Not in your DDC, but I had this with my first pgncy. Eventually, it spread to both hands and arms. I had to "sleep" sitting up on the couch with my hands propped on stacks of pillow...It was the worst experience I have ever been through.

My 4th degree epesiotomy was nothing compared to the constant pain of carpal tunnel syndrome. I used braces for my rists and hands, I tried different positions...nothing.

It went away after I delivered my son by the 2nd or 3rd week. I did not have it with my 2nd pgncy until the last week of my pgncy it started coming back slowly..but then I went into labor at 37 weeks! Thank goodness! (babe was fine at 7#9oz!)

I know how you feel and I wish I had some sort of remedy for you!

[Da WIC Lady]

That would be me too. Not sure if the wave is more to say me too or to shake out the numbness... I've noticed it in the middle of the night when I have to pee. It's especially bad if I've woken up on my right side. Then again I am right handed. I just try to stay on my left side, but other than that, I have no clue.

Anna

[dcgrl]

I have it too--but mine has been pretty constant for about 5 days now. Mostly three fingers on my right hand, but my left is numb in the morning after I get out of bed. Being in the pool helps. You can try acupressure/acupuncture/chiropractic (can one of our chiropractors weigh in on caring for carpal tunnel?). See here for acupressure points you can work on: http://altmedicine.about.com/library.../aa092500a.htm

Basically, this is a side effect of retaining fluid--the fluid is exerting pressure on the nerve(s) in your arms. I would think that mild diuretic teas (like dandelion) might help with the water retention--but it hasn't helped me so far...

[pixiedust]

Me! I had carpal tunnel in both hands towards the end of my last pregnancy and was REALLY hoping to skip it this time around. So far I just have it in my right hand though thankfully.

Oh, and just as a warning.. I was totally expecting it to go right away after I had my baby last time but it lasted about 2.5 weeks after birth so don't be suprised if it takes awhile to go away.

[Living Slowly]

At first it was just wrist pain, then my hands started going numb while I was asleep. For the past 4 weeks, I haven't had the numbness, but my hands are very swollen and at night so stiff I can barely move them. I feel like an old woman at night. They ache really bad. And at night, it gets so bad that I can hardly hold the tissue to wipe my ass when I get up to pee every hour! Now my wrists are hurting again which makes it even worse. This morning I had to get my husband to open the can of O.J. for me because it hurt too much fro me too do it. Aghhh!!!

[dcgrl]

Originally Posted by VeganLove

And at night, it gets so bad that I can hardly hold the tissue to wipe my ass when I get up to pee every hour!

wiping is the worst! Makes me wish I had a bidet!

[michaelsmama]

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I had it severely starting in 33/34 weeks with last DS - got to the point where I couldn't do any dialy tasks - including stirring a pot, writing, anything that involved the use of fingers or hand. I swore off anything that provoked pain or numbness (was living in community at orphanage and blessed to have a million helpers among the volunteers and husband) but you can really only do that for so long. A woman volunteering with me, PT by training, guessed thoracic outlet syndrome -w asn't a perfect fit of diagnosis, but a start. Came back to the states for a weekend, saw a neurologist, had a cervical spine MRI, saw an orthopedic surgeon, both said NOT thoracic outlet. but couldn't give me a diagnosis. Finally this April (DS then 17 m/o) was referred to a rheumatologist who said YES it's thoracic outlet and sent me to PT which helped immensely (as did quitting a job full of paperwork and computer work - quit for pregnancy, but drastically cut symptoms). people kept saying "carpal tunnel-like symptoms" - but it's a different problem and solution. Now i continue with stretching exercises and strengthening stuff and it helps when i have minor flare ups. Not sure why my diagnosis took so long, but it was incredibly frustrating and made working and daily life difficult. Thank God i'm past it now...

Moral of the story - DON'T accept "we can't quite diagnose you, hopefully it will go away" as a diagnosis - if pain and numbness persist past delivery/postpartum, seek more help and treatment. (yes it can also be just part of pregnancy, so maybe you/others will be lucky and it will just go away-- but if not...) If you have more questions for me, feel free to email me at [e-mail] and I'd be happy to share resources and thoughts.

[Bonawich]

I've got it some, although more in my feet - mainly when I sit in "formerly comfortable" positions.

[StacieM]

Only when I'm sleeping. I guess my hand/wrist ends up in a weird position or something.

[Elena'sMami]

Oh yeah! At first I thought carpal tunnel syndrome, but now I think it's more a thoracic outlet problem (although I don't know that I think it's TOS). I found that sleeping with my hands elevated didn't really help. It's compression of my shoulders that's the problem (and, at 37 weeks, I can only sleep on my side I sleep on one side for 1/2 hour, then my hands and forearms start aching, so I switch to the other side...all night long. Usually around 4 am I get up for an hour or two, google my symptoms, lurk here, post a little, then try getting in another hour or two of sleep The pain is a relatively recent thing, but the past few days I wake up and can't close my hand - too painful. This morning I had to cancel my chiro. appt. because I couldn't close my hand enough to grip the steering wheel. Incredibly ironic, since I was going to chiro. about the same problem! Lucky for me, my husband is a shiatsu practitioner, and he can usually work on me for 1/2 hour in the mornings to restore some functionality to my hands - at least enough to be able to open the fridge and get the milk out for breakfast! It tends to dissipate over the course of the day, and by late afternoon it's not debilitating any more. Self-hypnosis helps if I start it while the aching is still mild. Sorry so long, I've just been feeling so ALONE in this - so good to find company in my misery.

Rebekah

[scheelimama]

I've had my right hand only falling completely asleep several times at night since about midway through my pregnancy. I always sleep on my left side or on my back (with left side slightly elevated, so a tad to the right). I don't have any extra water retension, so it's not that. I haven't been too worried and it's not painful, just annoying.

[JamesMama]

Mine seems to be fine at first at night, last night I was fine, till I woke up to pee at about 5:00, from then on it was torture. Tingeling, just in the tips of my fingers, from the knuckels up. And now my knckles are killing me when I bend them. Not so bad that I can't function, but bad enough that it hurts to make a fist. *sigh*

It doesn't hurt persay, just annoying as heck.