Caring for a baby or young child loads the thumbs and wrists hundreds of times a day, often in a hurry and in awkward positions. It is one of the most common reasons new parents and carers develop hand and wrist pain, and the most frequent diagnosis is de Quervain's tenosynovitis, sometimes called mummy's thumb. This pain is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of repetitive overload, and in the great majority of cases it responds well to non-operative hand therapy when it is addressed early.
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Mummy's thumb is the everyday name for de Quervain's tenosynovitis, an irritation of the two tendons that run along the thumb side of the wrist. It is common in new parents because lifting a baby under the arms, scooping with the thumbs spread wide and repetitive feeding positions all load these tendons. It affects parents of any sex and is not limited to mothers, despite the name.
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Wrist pain in the weeks and months after a baby arrives is usually caused by the sheer repetition of lifting, carrying and feeding, often with the wrist bent and the thumb taking the strain. Hormonal changes and fluid retention around pregnancy can also make the tendons and the carpal tunnel more sensitive. The pattern is overload of healthy tissue rather than damage, which is why it tends to respond well to a change in technique and targeted Hand Therapy.
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Scoop rather than pinch. Place your hands flat under your child's bottom or around their trunk instead of gripping under the armpits with your thumbs spread. The same technique can be adopted with adults who have care needs. Keep your wrists straight rather than bent back, hold the individual close to your body and lift with your legs. If you lift a child or adult twenty or more times a day, these small changes add up quickly and take a significant load off the thumb tendons.
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Scoop rather than pinch. Lift the child or adult with flat hands under the bottom or trunk and keep your wrists straight, instead of gripping under the armpits with your thumbs. Of all the adjustments, this one takes the most load off the thumb tendons.
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Mild cases can settle once the heaviest lifting eases and technique improves, but the demands of caring for a baby rarely reduce on their own. Therefore, the irritation often persists or returns. Early Hand Therapy, including activity modification, a supportive custom splint where appropriate and a graded programme shortens recovery plus reduces the chance of it becoming a long-standing problem.
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In almost all cases, yes. The aim is to reduce the load on the painful structures, not to stop caring for your child. Changing how you lift and carry, sharing the most provocative tasks where you can and using a supportive custom splint for short periods can let you keep going while the tendons settle. A Hand Therapist will help you find what works for your hands and your routine.
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Tingling, numbness and aching in the hands during pregnancy are common and are often linked to fluid retention placing pressure on the median nerve, a form of carpal tunnel syndrome. Symptoms frequently ease after birth as fluid levels settle, but they should not be ignored if they are disturbing your sleep or affecting your grip. Simple measures help and persistent symptoms are worth assessing.
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No. You do not need a GP or Consultant referral to see a private Hand Therapist. Ms Razo accepts self-referrals, so you can book directly. If your pain is limiting how you care for your child, an adult you care for or disturbing your sleep, early assessment is worthwhile rather than waiting to see if it settles.
Looking after a small child or adults with care needs is physically relentless. The thumbs and wrists do an enormous amount of repetitive work, usually at speed and often in positions that load the joints awkwardly. It is no surprise that hand and wrist pain is one of the most common problems I see in new parents and in carers of children or adults with additional needs. The reassuring part is that this pain is treatable, and the changes that ease it are practical rather than complicated.
Why parents and carers get hand and wrist pain
Most parenting and caring tasks are repetitive, rushed and done in less than ideal positions. The hands and wrists absorb the load. The patterns I see most often in clinic are:
- Thumb and wrist pain from lifting a child or adult under the arms with the thumbs spread wide
- Wrist strain from pushing prams or supporting a child’s weight during play
- Night tingling and numbness from sustained awkward positions, broken sleep or feeding at night
- Finger stiffness and clicking from constant gripping of bottles, toys, bags and car seats
- Forearm aching from carrying a child and a car seat at the same time
These are signs of overload, not weakness. The tissue is healthy, it is simply being asked to do too much, too often, in positions that concentrate the strain. That is also why they respond so well to changes in technique and targeted Hand Therapy.
The most common conditions: de Quervain’s or mummy’s thumb
The diagnosis I make most frequently in this group is de Quervain’s tenosynovitis. Two tendons that move the thumb run through a tight tunnel on the thumb side of the wrist. Repeated lifting with the thumb spread, combined with the fluid changes around pregnancy, irritates these tendons and the sheath around them. The result is pain at the base of the thumb and the side of the wrist, often sharp when you lift grip or pinch.
It is called mummy’s thumb because it peaks in the months after a baby arrives, but it is not confined to mothers. Fathers, grandparents and other carers develop it too. You can read more on our dedicated page on de Quervain’s tenosynovitis.
The other condition worth knowing about is carpal tunnel syndrome, which causes tingling and numbness in the hand, is common in pregnancy and the broken-sleep months that follow. Our guide to carpal tunnel syndrome explains the signs and what helps.
How to lift and carry without straining your thumbs
Small changes to how you lift make a large difference over a day of repetitions:
- Scoop, don’t pinch. Place flat hands under your child’s bottom or around the child or adult’s trunk rather than gripping under the armpits with your thumbs.
- Keep wrists straight. A bent or cocked wrist loads the tendons. Aim to keep the wrist in line with the forearm when you lift.
- Hold close and use your legs. Bring the person in towards your body and lift from your knees rather than hinging from your back and relying on your hands.
- Vary your feeding holds. Alternating between cradle, rugby and side-lying positions spreads the load and avoids the same sustained wrist position every time.
- Spread the load. A well-fitted sling or rucksack-style carrier shares weight across stronger joints rather than concentrating it in the hands.
If you lift your child or an adult with caring needs twenty or more times a day, even a small reduction in thumb load on each lift adds up to a large reduction over the day. Technique matters more here than strength.
Everyday adjustments that reduce the load
These small changes protect your hands during the tasks you cannot avoid:
| Task | What loads the hand | A kinder way |
|---|---|---|
| Car seats | Twisting the wrist while clicking the buckle | Use two hands and keep the wrist straight |
| Prams | Hunched shoulders and bent wrists at the wrong handle height | Raise the handle so shoulders stay relaxed |
| Bottles and cups | Pinching narrow handles repeatedly | Choose wider handles or add silicone grips |
| Nappy changes | Reaching and twisting in a fixed position | Bring the baby to you rather than leaning over |
| Carrying | Hooking a heavy car seat over the forearm | Hold it close to the body or use both hands |
Exercise prescription
You will notice this guide does not list a set of exercises to follow. That is deliberate. The right movement for thumb and wrist pain depends entirely on the diagnosis, the stage of the problem and how your hand is behaving on a given day. An exercise that helps one person can aggravate another. de Quervain’s in particular is easily made worse by the wrong loading. Rather than hand out a generic routine that may not suit you, I assess the hand first and then build a programme around what I find, your goals and your daily demands. That is what makes it both safe and effective.
Gentle, pain-free movement through the day is generally helpful. The lifting and carrying changes above take real load off the painful structures. If pain is persisting, a specialist Hand Therapy assessment lets me give you the right exercises for your hand rather than guessing.
Caring for a child or adult with additional needs
For parents and carers supporting a child or adult with additional needs, the physical load on the hands is often higher and continues for longer. More lifting, more personal care, more hands-on regulation and broken sleep all add up. The same principles apply. However, predictable routines, sensory-friendly equipment and pacing strategies become even more important in protecting your own hands. If a particular task is unavoidable and you know it is causing you pain, that is exactly the kind of problem worth working through together.
When to see a Hand Therapist
Some aching after a heavy day is normal. It is worth seeking assessment if you notice:
- Pain that lasts more than a couple of weeks
- Difficulty gripping, lifting or twisting
- Clicking, locking or swelling
- Numbness or tingling, particularly at night
- A specific task you cannot avoid that you know is causing pain
Early support shortens recovery and reduces the chance of a short-lived problem becoming a long-standing one. You do not need a referral to see a private Hand Therapist. If your hands are struggling with the work of parenting or caring, get in touch and we can work out a plan that fits your hands and your routine.