Every time I’ve been pregnant, my hands have gone numb. The numbness used to start in the last few weeks of my pregnancy, but now with my fourth child coming, it is starting in my third month. Does this mean I will have it permanently? What can be done for it?

Pressure on the median nerve in the wrist can cause symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. These include numbness, tingling, or pain in the wrist, hand, and fingers. During pregnancy, the amount of fluid in the body can increase dramatically to help support the growing child. This increase in body fluid puts pressure on the nerve as it passes through the wrist.

Usually carpal tunnel syndrome brought on by pregnancy goes away after the birth of the child. If you have kept on additional weight after each pregnancy, ask your doctor for nutritional advice to help you maintain a healthy weight gain during pregnancy and weight loss after pregnancy. If you chose to work with a nutritionist, he or she can also help you find ways to decrease water retention. Wearing a wrist splint at night can help relieve pressure around the median nerve by enlarging the area inside the carpal tunnel. A splint also keeps the wrist from curling up and putting pressure on the nerve while you sleep.