• About
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
Pregged.com
  • Getting Pregnant
    • Am I Pregnant?
    • Unplanned Pregnancy
    • Miscarriage
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Pregnancy Health
    • Mental Health
    • 1st Trimester
    • 2nd Trimester
    • 3rd Trimester
  • Week by Week
  • Relationships
    • Dads
  • Getting Ready
    • Labor
    • Birth
    • Postpartum
    • Baby
    • Baby Names
    • Baby Astrology
    • Breastfeeding
  • Shop
    • Pregnancy Products
    • Maternity Wear
    • Baby Gear
    • Diapers
    • Postpartum Products
    • Gift Ideas
  • Getting Pregnant
    • Am I Pregnant?
    • Unplanned Pregnancy
    • Miscarriage
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Pregnancy Health
    • Mental Health
    • 1st Trimester
    • 2nd Trimester
    • 3rd Trimester
  • Week by Week
  • Relationships
    • Dads
  • Getting Ready
    • Labor
    • Birth
    • Postpartum
    • Baby
    • Baby Names
    • Baby Astrology
    • Breastfeeding
  • Shop
    • Pregnancy Products
    • Maternity Wear
    • Baby Gear
    • Diapers
    • Postpartum Products
    • Gift Ideas
Home » Pregnancy » Tingling in Hands or Feet During Pregnancy

Tingling in Hands or Feet During Pregnancy

  Written by Feature Editor
   Medically reviewed by Dr Kristy June Dinampo
  Updated on June 14th, 2023
Tingling in Hands or Feet During Pregnancy

Pregnancy throws up a number of odd symptoms. Some of which seem completely unrelated to your pregnancy.

The thing is, it’s not just your abdomen that’s experiencing the changes, pregnancy affects your entire body.

One symptom you might be experiencing is tingling in the hands and/or the feet.

The sensations might include tingling or it might feel like pins and needles. Sometimes your hands or feet may experience a temporary loss of feeling and numbness.  

There are a few different reasons why this might be and fortunately most of them aren’t serious.

However, it is important to let your doctor or midwife know what you’re experiencing so that they can diagnose you.

What Causes Tinging in The Hands or Feet During Pregnancy? 

The most common reason for tingling sensations in the hands or feet is swelling. 

The swelling is often invisible to the naked eye and is happening inside your joints.

When the wrists, hands, or feet swell due to pregnancy, pressure is put onto the nerves which run throughout the area.

As your pregnancy progresses and you head into your third trimester, you may notice more visible swelling and  that the symptoms worsen, causing pain especially at night.

Aside from swelling there are several other common reasons for tingling hands and feet during pregnancy.

These are:

  • carpal tunnel syndrome
  • sciatica
  • anemia
  • anxiety
  • gestational diabetes

Because a few of these can cause serious complications (anemia and gestational diabetes) it’s important to mention the tingling to your midwife or doctor so that they can determine the cause.

They may decide to send you for a blood test to check your iron levels to discover whether you are anemic.

If it is down to sciatica or carpal tunnel syndrome, you can be reassured that this is also down to the fact that your body is changing and growing and putting pressure on nerves.

Sciatica is one of the main reasons you might experience tingling and numbness in the feet, due to pressure on the sciatic nerve from your growing uterus.

Most of the time this tingling and numbness appears very gradually and worsens as pregnancy progresses.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? 

We need to mention carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) because it is very common in pregnancy and is one of the main causes for tingling sensations in the hands and wrists.

CTS is felt in the wrists and it is due to fluid build up which presses down on the median nerve. This nerve runs down your wrist, to the hand and the fingers.

When this compression happens, you will get the classic numbness and tingling. CTS can make it hard to grip an item, and can make you drop things accidentally.  

CTS often develops in the middle of the second trimester and then into the third, you’re unlikely to notice it earlier than that.

If you experience it in one pregnancy, the chances are that you will have it in other pregnancies too.

Can You Do Anything to Help With Numbness And Tingling? 

There are a few things you can do to try and prevent it or at least try and reduce it.

The main methods are: 

  • Eat a healthy and varied diet, and make sure that you don’t put on too much weight. The more weight you put on, the more likely you are to notice pain and numbness, and the more likely CTS will be 
  • Make sure you drink plenty of water to stay hydrated 
  • Make sure you eat foods which have high levels of vitamin B6, such as sunflower or sesame seeds, broccoli and other greens, garlic, pork and lamb, hazelnuts, white fish and oily fish, as well as avocados 
  • Make sure your bra fits you properly and opt for a specialist maternity bra if you can – the pressure placed on your ribcage will also affect the median nerve, so the less pressure here, the less you’ll notice the effects 
  • Wear hand splints whilst you sleep, to stop you from curling your hands up involuntarily during your slumber – your midwife or doctor should be able to help you with this  
  • If you notice the tingling and numbness, you cold compresses or ice cold water to relieve the pain  
  • Move your hands, wrists, and fingers around to keep circulation moving and to try and reduce stiffness 
  • Try cabbage leaves placed on your wrists. Strange but true! This may help to draw out the fluid and take the swelling down  

If the tingling turns to pain and you’re finding it hard to manage speak to your midwife or doctor for further help.

After you give birth, the symptoms are likely to disappear either straightaway, or very soon afterward.

Sources:

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19753825
  2. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/swollen-ankles-feet-pregnant/
  3. https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/anemia-in-pregnancy
  4. https://articles.mercola.com/sciatica/pregnancy.aspx
  5. https://www.thebump.com/a/numb-tingling-hands-feet-during-pregnancy
  6. https://www.livestrong.com/article/515658-pregnant-with-tingling-feet/
  7. https://www.sharecare.com/health/fertility-pregnancy-childbirth/tingling-hands-during-pregnancy

Related Posts

  • The Chinese Gender Prediction Calendar – A Guide
  • What Causes Painful Hands and Wrists in Pregnancy?
  • Is it Dangerous if Baby Has the Umbilical Cord Around Their Neck?
Trending Now
Negative Pregnancy Test but No Period? 10 Common Reasons Why

Negative Pregnancy Test but No Period? 10 Common Reasons Why

Your period’s late. You dig that pregnancy test out from the bottom of your drawer and pee on the stick, expecting to see a big

11 Gentle Ways to Start Labor Naturally

11 Gentle Ways to Start Labor Naturally

Picture the scene – you’re somewhere between 38 – 42 weeks pregnant and nothing seems to be happening. Not even getting any pre-labor symptoms. You’re

Read more...
What Are the Pros and Cons of Induction of Labor?

What Are the Pros and Cons of Induction of Labor?

Are you thinking about asking for an elective induction? Or has your healthcare provider suggested you have one? Either way it’s important to know the

Read more...
6 Ways to Have a Healthy Baby (During Pregnancy)

6 Ways to Have a Healthy Baby (During Pregnancy)

You’re pregnant — or you want to be. So even if you’re usually the most laid back human on the planet, you might be starting

Read more...
60 Really Weird Pregnancy Symptoms

60 Really Weird Pregnancy Symptoms

We all know that pregnancy comes with its own set of quirks that stem from changing hormones and the fact that you’re growing a brand

Read more...
5 Reasons NOT to Worry About Pooping During Labor & Delivery

5 Reasons NOT to Worry About Pooping During Labor & Delivery

Are you freaking out about the thought of pooping during labor and delivery? Have those articles telling you how NOT to poop made you think

Read more...
10 Ways to Make Sure You Have a Healthy Bond with Your Baby

10 Ways to Make Sure You Have a Healthy Bond with Your Baby

New parents, and new moms in particular, have a lot on their mind when it comes to “things you mustn’t get wrong with your newborn.”

Read more...
7 Questions About Ectopic Pregnancy Answered

7 Questions About Ectopic Pregnancy Answered

When you get pregnant the fertilized egg implants in the uterus which is where your baby can develop and grow. But in an ectopic pregnancy

Read more...
What Does Heartburn Feel Like When You’re Pregnant?

What Does Heartburn Feel Like When You’re Pregnant?

Pregnancy tends to throw up countless weird and wonderful symptoms for us to cope with. These symptoms aren’t just related to your stomach area. Oh

Read more...
How Long Does Induction of Labor Take From Start to Finish?

How Long Does Induction of Labor Take From Start to Finish?

For many first time moms, induction of labor is one of those mysterious possibilities which causes worry and anxiety. We wonder what induction really means;

Read more...
Strep B Infection in Pregnancy – Causes, Symptoms, Testing & Treatment

Strep B Infection in Pregnancy – Causes, Symptoms, Testing & Treatment

Strep B. Heard of it? Possibly not—until you’re pregnant. Here’s the lowdown on what Strep B is, why it’s important, and how it is treated.

Read more...
10 Ways Pregnancy Can Damage Your Body

10 Ways Pregnancy Can Damage Your Body

Pregnancy is a wonderful time, but during those magical nine months you may notice that you experience some rather odd symptoms. Fortunately, for the most

Read more...
The Chinese Gender Prediction Calendar – A Guide

The Chinese Gender Prediction Calendar – A Guide

One of the most common questions we have when we discover we’re pregnant is “will my baby be a boy or a girl?“. The Chinese

Read more...
10 Things Women Hate About Being Pregnant

10 Things Women Hate About Being Pregnant

Pregnancy is a wonderful and magical time. It’s also a time of feeling constantly irritated, annoyed and bloated. Life has ups and downs and so

Read more...
What Pregnancy Will Teach You About Yourself – 14 Moms Share Their Powerful Life Lessons

What Pregnancy Will Teach You About Yourself – 14 Moms Share Their Powerful Life Lessons

At its most basic level pregnancy is a physical process that we hope will bring us a healthy baby but pregnancy often gives us many

Read more...
Join the Pregged Community
Follow us
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
Disclosure

Some of the links on Pregged lead to sites we are affiliated with, such as Amazon, and we may earn revenue from them.

The material on this website is provided for educational purposes only and is not to be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, or in place of therapy or medical care. Use of this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Links
  • About
  • Contact
  • T & C’s
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2023 Pregged.com. All rights reserved