Overuse Wrist Injuries or ‘Mommy Thumb’

Prevent & Manage Mommy Thumb

Don’t let too much ‘L-gripping’ get you down

Overuse wrist injuries are common, especially for women.

Women are 10x more likely to experience De Quervain’s, tendonitis of the wrist at the base of the thumb.

This is caused by frequent gripping and grasping (i.e., picking up baby, picking up carseats, etc). The tendons become irritated, causing pain and ultimately limiting movement. These conditions can also affect women during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester because of fluid retention and hormonal fluctuations. Considerations to positioning during breastfeeding and when lifting your baby is one way to prevent overuse injuries. The other is to stretch out your forearms and wrist. Check out some of my favorite wrist stretches to help prevent these injuries.

Overuse wrist injuries such as De Quervain's are common in women, especially during the hormonal changes of pregnancy, followed by the frequent gripping and ...

Note that if you already experience frequent wrist/thumb/forearm pain or swelling these stretches will be very intense, and likely not be best for you. Some other ways to prevent or ease the pain include:

1. Changing breastfeeding positions so that the weight of the baby’s head it’s on your hand

2. Different lifting positions: instead of lifting baby from under arms, try lifting scooping under the bottom, redistributing the pressure that aggravates the tendons

3. R.I.C.E.: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation

4. Splint: A spica splint immobilizes the thumb and can help reduce swelling, especially if used early on

Managing ‘mommy thumb’ takes a more delicate and intentional touch to reduce the pain. Preventing ‘mommy thumb’ includes changing up wrist positions to redistribute pressure when breastfeeding and when lifting your baby, as well as stretching the forearms and wrists.