Pregnant left arm numb

6 weird things that may happen to your body during pregnancy

Heartburn is a common condition during pregnancy.

Pregnancy is a very exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming when your body starts changing and suddenly you don’t feel or look like yourself anymore. You might even find yourself googling strange symptoms in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep.

Morning sickness, extreme tiredness and stretch marks are more widely known discomforts and signs of pregnancy, but there are also some lesser known symptoms and conditions that can occur in pregnancy that you might not know about.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition that causes pain, numbness and tingling in the hand and arm. It can develop during pregnancy thanks to hormonal changes – an increase in fluids during pregnancy compresses the median nerve in the wrist causing a sense of weakness in the hand and the tingling feeling.

Carpal tunnel syndrome can range from mild discomfort, sporadically painful, or severe. Symptoms of carpal tunnel are tingling and numbness in the hands, which usually resolve on their own soon after birth. Splinting and resting the wrist, physiotherapy or anti-inflammatory medication may be helpful for some women experiencing carpal tunnel syndrome.

If you are experiencing tingling and numbness in your hands make sure you let your maternity care provider know.

Skin tags

You may have been told that you’ll be glowing during pregnancy but unfortunately skin conditions like acne, stretch marks, rashes and skin tags are also common.

Skin tags are a type of skin lesion that not uncommon and are non-cancerous. They are hormonally related and can increase in number during pregnancy. Skin tags are caused by the hyperactive growth of your skin and is most likely brought on by hormonal changes and increased blood flow. They usually appear in areas that are often rubbed or hot, moist areas such as you neck, torso or breast folds.

Skin tags are not painful and there is nothing you can do to prevent them. When you give birth it’s possible they will disappear. Your GP or dermatologist can easily remove them by scalpel, or by freezing or burning them off.

Restless leg syndrome

Restless leg syndrome is exactly what it sounds like: you become restless and it often can prevent women from sleeping during pregnancy. It is a condition of the nervous system which presents as an urge to move your legs due to a burning, tingling or itching feeling. You may also experience symptoms such as uncontrolled jerky movements or have similar sensations in the arms. Treatment includes having hot baths, leg massages, reducing caffeine and managing your stress levels.

Discoloured vagina

During your pregnancy, you may have noticed your skin darkening in certain body parts such as your nipples, scars and/or face but did you know your vagina can also darken in colour? This is known as Chadwick’s Sign and can be an early sign of pregnancy.

The cervix and/or vagina can turn a deep bluish-purple colour during pregnancy, due to increased blood flow. So, if you look downstairs and notice things are looking a little unusual, don’t panic!

Cramping legs

Up to half of pregnant women will experience leg cramps. These are more likely to occur in the second and third trimester. Cramps occur when a build-up of acids cause a contraction in the muscle and will most likely happen at night.

During a cramping episode you can walk around, stretch and massage the affected muscles to disperse the build-up of acids or try applying a warm pack to the muscle. Speak to your maternity care provider if you’re thinking about taking any new supplements during pregnancy to help ease symptoms.

Heart burn

Heart burn, also known as acid reflux, occurs when the contents of the stomach backs up into the oesophagus, the tube connecting you stomach to your mouth. This can cause an unpleasant burning feeling. It can happen to anyone, but is more common in pregnancy because of the hormone progesterone.

Progesterone relaxes the muscles in the body and affects the entire digestive system. It is also likely to occur in the latter stages of pregnancy as your uterus places pressure on the stomach. It’s best to avoid big fatty meals, caffeinated drinks and spicy foods if you are experiencing heart burn.

You can find out more about treating heartburn here.

Worried about pregnancy symptoms?

It’s normal to be concerned when you notice a change in your body, especially during pregnancy when changes seem to happen daily! If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms or you’ve noticed anything else new, make sure you let your maternity care provider know or call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) for more information.

Why Do My Arms Go Numb During Pregnancy? An Expert Explains

Life

Halfpoint/Fotolia

by Cat Bowen

Sep. 14, 2017

Pregnancy does a lot of weird things to your body. You get hairier, your nails are wicked strong, and let's not even discuss what's happening to your vagina. But when it's a scary, strange feeling, like numbness, what do you do? If you're wondering, "Why do my arms go numb during pregnancy?" you're probably pretty worried about it and that's totally understandable. Numbness rarely seems like a normal feeling and during pregnancy, all of those fears are magnified.

Numbness is also one of those things that is really scary whether you're pregnant or not. Anyone who ever watched the HBO series Six Feet Under will remember when the character Nate had his stroke that began with him shaking out his numb arm. After that episode aired, I remember hearing that searches on Google for stroke symptoms spiked dramatically. Alternatively, anyone who's ever had tennis elbow or carpal tunnel knows the feeling of neuropathy all too well, and just the thought of numbness conjures forth images of slings and therapy and those freaking surgeries that hurt way more than you think they should.

Wanting an expert opinion on potential causes of peripheral neuropathy while pregnant, I spoke with obstetric nurse Natasha Billings of Brooklyn, New York to get the answers. I tend to be a bit of a worrier and a little bit of a hypochondriac, so I need someone to damper my alarmist tendencies.

Billings tells Romper, "Normally, it's nothing but nerve compression causing the numbness, but because numbness is a symptom of stroke, if you notice it, you do need to call your OB-GYN immediately. If it's accompanied by slurred speech, facial drooping, or if you're smelling a sulphuric odor like hair burning, call 911."

According to the University of Texas, strokes are responsible for 10 percent of all maternal deaths in the United States. While some women, particularly smokers, obese women, and women who have heart disease, are more likely to suffer stroke than others, strokes can also be idiopathic — occurring without warning or prelude. Apparently, I'm not so much an alarmist as I am cautious.

Billings went on to say, "If it's just plain old numbness, there are several possible causes. One is that you have a really big belly, and it's compressing your nerves, making them act out and go numb. This is the most common reason for pregnancy-related neuropathy." She notes that it's the same thing that happens when you fall asleep on your arm, or with it over your head. The nerves essentially go to sleep for a bit, and it's not uncommon for the feeling to return with a pins and needles sensation. While it's mostly no big deal, it still needs to be evaluated to assure you and your doctor that your limb is the only thing being affected by the nerve compression.

"It may also be pregnancy-related carpal tunnel, especially if you work in a field that you're using your wrists at strange angles frequently, like typing, cooking, or anywhere where you're liable to get a repetitive use injury. I've seen it in female firefighters who are housed because they can't go on calls, so they end up wrapping up the supplies for months. It happens." Boy howdy does it ever. My office mate had this happen to her last year, and she got to wear a lovely brace for months. She named it Earl.

Billings says your arm numbness might also be a type of brachial neuritis that flares with the hormones and body changes during pregnancy. This is much more rare, but it does occur.

Any numbness is cause for concern, and your provider will go through a series of questions with you, and may even refer you to a neurologist for imaging and further treatment. Likely, though, it's just another not so fun thing that can happen with pregnancy that you just have to wait out.

Check out Romper's new video series, Romper's Doula Diaries:

Check out the entire Romper's Doula Diaries series and other videos on Facebook and the Bustle app across Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.

what to do about it and how not to miss the body's signals about the presence of the disease

Table of contents

Causes and symptoms of hand numbness during pregnancy
What is dangerous numbness of hands and possible consequences
Prevention of numbness
Folk remedies for numbness
Cucumber tincture
Milk trays
Pumpkin Puree Wraps
Lemon and garlic tincture
Camphor ointment for the morning
Hand shower
Copper bracelets
Drawing conclusions

Pregnancy makes its own adjustments to the usual rhythm of life. Sometimes, a woman's body leads unexpectedly, and gives out symptoms that have never happened before. It arouses interest, and disturbs. One of these symptoms is that during pregnancy, hands become numb during sleep. Let's look into this issue, and understand whether the symptom is dangerous, and how to remove it.

Causes and symptoms of hand numbness during pregnancy

Do your hands go numb during sleep during pregnancy? The most common cause is circulatory problems. Nerve impulses transmit a signal of a lack of blood, and save the limbs by minimizing possible movements. However, during pregnancy, a few more are added to the characteristic cause:

Hormonal changes in the body.

A woman's body receives a powerful charge of hormones, which, on the one hand, makes bearing a fetus possible in principle, and on the other hand, makes adjustments to well-being, processes occurring in the body, appearance, mood, etc. Including hormones can cause hands to go numb during sleep during pregnancy. nine0003

Severe swelling.

A rare woman can avoid swelling during pregnancy, numb hands during sleep due to swelling. The accumulation of water leads to increased pressure on the vessels, which complicates blood circulation.

Weight set.

Another common cause of sleep numbness during pregnancy. All mothers already know that it is important to control their weight throughout pregnancy. This is not so much an aesthetic issue as a health issue. The load on the body is already increased, and if obesity of any degree occurs, the vessels reduce their ability to conduct blood correctly. nine0003

Tunnel syndrome.

Tunnel syndrome is characterized by compression of the median nerve. Because of this, nerve conduction is disturbed, and you feel that your hands go numb during pregnancy, in particular fingers and hands. Along with numbness comes a burning sensation, tingling, redness and swelling.

Vitamin deficiency.

Iron deficiency is also a common cause. This is one of the main trace elements that mothers need to replenish from the first days of pregnancy. Its lack is characterized by weakness, fatigue, and a decrease in hemoglobin. This leads to the fact that the hands go numb during sleep during pregnancy. nine0003

Less commonly, osteochondrosis and chronic pathologies of various types can be added to the causes. In contrast, you can note the reason that lies on the surface - you sleep in an uncomfortable position, because of which the tissues do not receive enough blood. Therefore, if the numbness of the hands occurred for the first time, do not panic. If possible, contact a gynecologist with this question, and most importantly, follow the dynamics of the onset of symptoms.

The danger of hand numbness and possible consequences

The mere fact that hands go numb during pregnancy is not dangerous. This is an uncomfortable symptom that can be accompanied by both a slight tingling sensation and quite noticeable pain. However, what is behind this symptom can bring serious consequences. nine0003

We have already mentioned above that if your hands go numb during sleep during pregnancy once or from time to time, do not worry, this may be due to an incorrect posture during sleep. Constant and recurrent pain can signal the presence of a disease that needs to be treated.

Leaving your arm numb during sleep unattended during pregnancy, you run the risk of exacerbating a particular disease that will lead to pregnancy complications, negatively affect the baby or negatively affect the birth process. nine0003

Prevention of numbness

If hands become numb during pregnancy, preventive measures can help. Moreover, these recommendations are useful for pregnant women in general. By introducing some changes in your usual diet and lifestyle, you can achieve significant results in the regulation of your health.

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Meals.

First of all, it is necessary to remove spicy and salty foods from the diet. It is also worth completely abandoning sausages and canned food. Other products, on the contrary, should be introduced into the diet:

Protein products. They act as a building material for the circulatory system, muscles, improve the functionality of cells. In addition, the protein is simply necessary for the baby for proper development.
Foods rich in calcium. With all the benefits of dairy products, make sure that what you eat is actually made from milk. It is also worth monitoring the reaction of your body. He should be comfortable digesting glucose.
Also on a regular basis in the diet should be foods rich in magnesium and potassium. nine0006

Drinking.

Not only what you eat is important, but also what you drink. The diet should contain exclusively purified mineral water and herbal teas. Everything else should be left for later. At the same time, it is important to keep the water balance. Drink the correct amount of liquid, calculated according to your individual needs.

Physical activity.

The reason that hands go numb during pregnancy can be physical activity. Both their excess and their shortcomings negatively affect. So, you need to completely refuse to carry heavy objects, bags on one shoulder, and minimize the time spent sitting. What is worth doing? nine0003

Wear a support brace.
Walk outdoors more often.
Do pregnancy exercises before bed, go to yoga or go swimming.

Additional tips for preventing numb hands during pregnancy.

Also introduce some good habits into your life that will help relieve unpleasant symptoms during pregnancy:

Completely give up uncomfortable clothes that squeeze. Of course, pregnancy is not a reason to look sloppy, but still, during this quivering period, the main thing is your comfort and the health of the baby. nine0006
If your hands go numb during pregnancy, choose an orthopedic mattress and pillow that is comfortable for you, purchase a special pillow for pregnant women (especially in the later stages).
Try to avoid hypothermia.
Get a massage.

But, the most important advice if your hands go numb during pregnancy is to consult a doctor. Perhaps the numbness of the hands is just a discomfort that will accompany you during one trimester, or even the entire pregnancy. Perhaps this is a signal from the body about a disease that needs to be treated today. nine0003

Folk remedies to combat numbness

To speed up the process of getting rid of an unpleasant symptom, or remove it "here and now", you can supplement the doctor's recommendations with folk methods. However, it is worth remembering that this is only an auxiliary part of the treatment. Traditional medicine offers safe and effective methods to relieve hand numbness during pregnancy, but with constant numbness, it is important to find and eliminate the cause.

Cucumber tincture

The tincture will help relieve the numbness syndrome and eliminate unpleasant indications. Its disadvantage is long preparation. The tincture is prepared for 10 days. You need to chop a few pickles and a couple of red pepper pods. All this is done with vodka and stored in glass containers for 10 days. Infusion should take place in a cold place, so it is worth placing the jar in the refrigerator. As time passes, use the tincture to rub your hands before going to bed. nine0003

Milk baths

If your hands go numb during pregnancy, an effective and pleasant treatment is milk baths. To do this, take about a liter of milk, water in equal amounts, 50 grams of honey and 400 grams of salt. Mix all this in a saucepan and simmer over low heat for half an hour. After the mixture has cooled, dip your hands in it for 15 minutes. The full course consists of 14 procedures at bedtime.

Pumpkin puree wraps

Helps prevent nighttime numbness and pumpkin. To do this, boiled pumpkin porridge should be put on your hands in a thick layer, put on cellophane gloves. So it is necessary to spend half an hour before going to bed. After half an hour, wash your hands in warm running water. nine0003

Lemon-garlic tincture

In four days you can prepare an effective non-alcoholic tincture for oral consumption. Lemon zest + an equal share of garlic are poured into half a liter of water and left for 4 days. After you need to drink 50 ml. potions before bed.

Camphor ointment in the morning

If your hands go numb during pregnancy, and in the morning you feel unpleasant consequences, such as tingling, redness, take camphor ointment, eucalyptus essential oil and rub it well on your hands with soft massage movements. nine0003

Contrast hand shower

An immediate and easy way to relieve the symptoms of numb hands during pregnancy is a contrast hand shower. One has only to hold hands under hot-cold-hot water. However, it is worth remembering the ongoing pregnancy. This leaves an imprint on the permissible temperatures. At the same time, the effectiveness of the method may decrease.

Copper bracelets

Unproven medicine also recommends the use of copper bracelets. By putting them on your hands at night, you will get rid of numbness on the first night. How much it helps when hands go numb in a dream during pregnancy has not been studied, but this method does not cause harm, so you can try folk wisdom from your own experience. nine0003

Drawing conclusions

Summing up, I would like to remind you that such an unpleasant, but seemingly unimportant symptom, is the reason for visiting a doctor. Especially during pregnancy. It is also important to remember that traditional medicine is most effective in conjunction with the official one. If your hands go numb during pregnancy, follow the doctor's recommendations, take prescribed medications and supplement them with your favorite folk method. Be healthy!

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Hands go numb during pregnancy.

Fingers go numb during pregnancy

During pregnancy, a woman undergoes amazing changes, much of what seemed important and significant fades into the background. The expectant mother is in such an unusual state of body and soul, with which there is no comparison. However, this period provokes all sorts of deviations in women's health. This is not surprising - the load that the body of a future mother is subjected to for several months is commensurate with those of athletes or astronauts. nine0003

Toxicosis, pressure surges, dizziness, constipation, swelling - almost any pregnant woman faces similar problems. These complications include numbness of the extremities. If you get numb hands during pregnancy, you should not worry too much, but you should understand why this happens and how to deal with it. This article answers many questions that arise in such cases in expectant mothers.

Causes of numbness

Imagine for a moment that a woman's body is a complex mechanism. During pregnancy, the details of this "mechanism" begin to work hard in emergency mode. This can cause malfunctions in those areas that have a "marriage" (dormant or chronic diseases). Unfortunately, modern medicine cannot replace the “details” of a woman, but reducing malfunctions in the work of a pregnant woman’s body is a completely solvable task. nine0003

Carpal tunnel syndrome

If a woman's hands go numb during pregnancy, she tries to sort out her feelings and describe them. Many complain of tingling in the fingers, some experience pain, swelling or an unpleasant burning sensation. However, in all such situations, patients use the word "numbness" in the description.
It seems to many women that the hand is simply numb, for example, after sleep. However, later, already in a free position, the numbness does not go away. Often these phenomena are observed in the second and third trimester. nine0003

Gynecologists reassure pregnant women that there is no cause for concern. The cause of such complaints is carpal tunnel syndrome. This disease often occurs in computer scientists due to prolonged stress on certain joints and tendons of the hands. Most often this happens when working with a computer mouse for a long time.

In carpal tunnel syndrome, a nerve is pinched in the area of the carpal tunnel. This causes pain in the arm, numbness and weakness in the palms. If the expectant mother is right-handed, her right hand becomes numb during pregnancy, for left-handers, respectively, the left hand. As you can see, it is the working limb that is affected by carpal tunnel syndrome. If you start this disease, in the future, complete muscle atrophy may occur, it will be impossible to clench your hand into a fist. It should be noted that women are more prone to such phenomena than men. You should not postpone a visit to a specialist for a long time, as we see, the consequences can be more than serious. nine0003

Metabolism and hand numbness

Those who have diabetes mellitus, circulatory disorders, metabolic disorders, osteochondrosis should pay special attention to the signals that the body sends. These mothers often get numb hands during pregnancy. Be sure to inform your doctor about this so that he can help you choose the right treatment. Often, a properly composed daily regimen and diet help to remove all symptoms.

What causes hand numbness at night and is it dangerous

Numbness of the hands in an unprepared person can cause a wide range of emotions, up to the very... and/or thoracic spine. Similar phenomena are caused by a decrease in motor activity, an increase in body weight. Injuries to the spine, such as a herniated disc, can also provoke a situation in which fingers go numb during pregnancy. This happens due to a pinched nerve that goes to the arm from the spinal cord. Usually in this case, the ring finger becomes numb, as well as the little finger. nine0003

Why do hands go numb during pregnancy?

Often with arthrosis of the cervical vertebrae or due to overstrain of the muscles located in this part, unpleasant numbness occurs. It is recommended to move more and sit less, do more warm-ups or massage the neck.

A low salt diet should be followed. To alleviate the condition, you can do yoga or special gymnastics. Beforehand, be sure to go and consult with your doctor or a professional instructor who conducts courses for pregnant women. nine0003

Swelling and numbness of hands

Hands swell and become numb during pregnancy quite often. In this case, you must definitely visit your doctor for a consultation. The fact is that excess fluid in the body of the mother is a danger to the health of the baby. In this situation, doctors usually prescribe a salt-free diet. It is not necessary to reduce fluid intake - it does not affect, and this has been proven, the formation of edema.

Numbness of the left hand

Doctors suggest that in this case the cause lies in the disruption of the heart. If the “engine” of the body does not work well, circulatory disorders begin, and as a result, hands become numb during pregnancy, especially the left one. However, not only heart failure provokes this process. Lack of physical activity, immobility, malnutrition also often lead to numbness of the hands. As a rule, during pregnancy, hands go numb at night, especially in the first trimester. Later, these sensations may begin to appear throughout the day. nine0003

What to do if fingers go numb during pregnancy

If you have a metabolic disorder, just drink a complex of good prenatal vitamins. Often after this, all symptoms disappear. If numbness appeared due to iron deficiency anemia, you should take drugs that compensate for the lack of iron.

It is advisable to visit a good specialist even at the stage of pregnancy planning, who will be able to diagnose diseases in a woman in time, and then cure them. Then, during the bearing of a child, unpleasant sensations will not occur or their manifestation will be minimized. nine0003

Lack of physical activity

Some pregnant women stop moving actively for fear of harming their unborn child. They believe that in this way they more reliably protect their fruit. However, this is not quite true. If there is a decrease in activity, a set of calories begins, especially since pregnant women usually do not complain about their appetite. Excess calories lead to rapid weight gain, poor circulation and congestion. In this case, there is a lack of minerals and vitamins, and as a result of all this, hands become numb during pregnancy. nine0003

Gymnastics for expectant mothers

If there are no visible causes of numbness in the limbs, especially if the woman has never complained of pain before, you should review your diet and increase physical activity without fail. The perfect solution would be daily morning exercises. A well-composed complex will help to relax or, conversely, develop certain muscle groups. This will help relieve the "clamp" of nerve endings.

If hands become numb during pregnancy, the expectant mother needs to walk more and do outdoor activities.