Carpal tunnel in pregnancy

Tingling, numb or achy hands in pregnancy — especially waking you at night — often come down to carpal tunnel syndrome. It’s a common and usually temporary pregnancy complaint, and while it’s annoying, there’s plenty you can do to ease it. Here’s what’s happening and how to get relief.

What it is. The carpal tunnel is a narrow passage in your wrist that a key nerve (the median nerve) runs through. In pregnancy, fluid retention and swelling can press on that nerve, causing tingling, pins and needles, numbness, or aching in your thumb, fingers and hand. It often affects both hands and is frequently worse at night or first thing in the morning.

Why pregnancy brings it on. The extra fluid your body holds in pregnancy is the main culprit, which is why carpal tunnel tends to appear more in the later months when swelling is greater. It’s more likely if you have a lot of swelling generally. The good news: because it’s driven by fluid, it usually improves after birth once the swelling settles.

What helps. A few simple things make a real difference:

• Wrist splints — worn especially at night, these keep the wrist straight and take pressure off the nerve, and are often the single most helpful step. A pharmacist or physio can help you get the right one.
• Change positions — shake out your hands, avoid sleeping curled over your wrists, and prop your hand up on a pillow at night.
• Ease repetitive strain — take breaks from typing, phone-scrolling or other repetitive hand work, and adjust your setup so your wrists aren’t bent.
• Manage swelling — gentle movement, not standing too long, and keeping cool all help with the fluid retention behind it.

Getting more help. If it’s really bothering you or not improving, see your GP or a physiotherapist or hand therapist — they can fit splints properly, suggest exercises, and advise on other options. Most people manage well with conservative measures and don’t need anything more during pregnancy.

When to get it checked. See your doctor if you have constant numbness, weakness or clumsiness in your hand (like dropping things or struggling with buttons), or if the symptoms are severe — these are worth assessing. And remember that significant, sudden swelling of the hands and face, or a bad headache and vision changes, need prompt review as they can signal pre-eclampsia — that’s different from carpal tunnel, but worth knowing.

After the birth. For most people, carpal tunnel eases in the weeks after birth as the extra fluid clears. If it lingers beyond that, mention it to your GP, as occasionally it needs further treatment — but that’s the exception.

Carpal tunnel in pregnancy is common, usually temporary, and very manageable. A night splint, some tweaks to how you use and rest your hands, and managing swelling will get most people through comfortably — and your GP or physio is there if you need more. Hang in there; it typically fades once your baby arrives.