Numbness, tingling, pain and other unusual sensations in the fingers and toes during pregnancy are quite common. Termed paresthesias, these sensations are related to the pressure on local nerves from the growing uterus, fluid retention and/or your altered posture.
To Reduce the Frequency of Paresthesias in Pregnancy
Periodically check the way you are sitting and standing, making sure that you are erect, using your abdominal muscles instead of your back muscles. Keep your pelvis tilted forward so that your back is straight, not arched, and your shoulders relaxed down but not slumped.
Pay scrupulous attention to good body mechanics, meaning that you should use your arms, legs, and abdominal muscles to do your work, never your back. Get close to an object to move it rather than pull or pick it up towards you.
Exercise regularly at least 5 times per week for 30 minutes. Good options are:
Brisk walking
Cycling
Dancing
Swimming
Pilates
Low impact aerobics
Try a prenatal class in one of the above modalities to help you to work on correct posturing, flexibility and building of muscle strength. Exercise, stretch, elevate and massage the affected extremity as often as you can.
Avoid movements that are jerky or painful, and make sure you are also getting regular daily rest periods off your feet. Sometimes lying down, pelvic tilts on your hands and knees, or assuming a yin, gentle or restorative yoga posture may help.
Drink at least 64 ounces of filtered, spring or well water a day between meals, at least 20-30 minutes before or 2 hours after meals. This is especially important if your hands and feet are a bit swollen with fluid.
Make sure your diet is healthy and nourishing, and includes lots of:
Fresh organic fruits and vegetables
Whole grains
Nuts and nut butters
Beans
Seeds and seed products like tahini
Organic tofu and tempeh
Organic whole eggs
Chicken or turkey
Beef, lamb, and wild game
Wild Alaskan salmon
Organic fresh raw whole dairy foods—ideally goat or sheep
Organic cold expeller pressed extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil or goat butter
Use plenty of fresh ginger and tumeric in your cooking
Avoid highly processed white flour sugary foods, unhealthy refined vegetable oils and partially hydrogenated fats.
If the sensations are mainly in your hands, this is often termed carpal tunnel syndrome. Periodically elevate your arms, flex and extend your fingers and roll your shoulders to see if this brings relief. Try hanging your arms out of bed at night. Avoid or modify repetitive activities like typing. Try a special wrist brace to wear. Take 100-200 mg a day of Vitamin B6. Most of the supplements and herbal remedies I recommend are available on my customized online holistic apothecary. Find the best supplements that have gone through my thorough screening process there. Look in the category for carpel tunnel syndrome or search them individually. My online dispensary is a convenient way for you to purchase my hand-picked, professional-grade, whole food supplements and other natural health products. Ordering is simple, and the products will be shipped directly to your home or work within a few days.
Practice authentic yoga regularly, to ensure proper body alignment and full use of your lung capacity. Poor posture and shallow breathing have a ripple effect and negatively impact your health, even carpal tunnel syndrome.
Do the following wrist exercises several times per day. When home, get out your yoga mat and support your body with props like blankets, bolsters or blocks as needed.
Wrist Flexes
Sit or stand straight and hold your arms out in front of you with palms facing down. Flex one wrist so that your fingers point towards the floor, and use the other hand to increase the stretch. Hold for 20-30 seconds, then repeat on the other side. You can also hold your hands in namaste or prayer position, move each hand forward and backward using the other hand for resistance.
Then press the palms and fingers firmly together in front of your chest, and hold for a few minutes. Finally, reverse your hands so that the back of your hands are pressing together, fingers pointing down. Hold as is comfortable.
Hand Circles
Circle your fisted hands in each full circular direction, then shake them out for 15-30 seconds.
Wrist Stretch
Place a folded yoga blanket in the middle of your mat for extra knee padding. Get on your hands and knees, with your feet flexed, and your fingers facing backwards, towards your knees. Press down evenly on your hands as you move your hips back enough to feel the wrists stretch. Stretch for as as long as comfortable.
Then switch it up so the backs of your hands are on the floor, palms facing upward, with your fingers now facing forward. Lift up as you evenly press the backs of your hands into the floor, and move your body to feel the stretch in your wrists. Again, hold for as long as comfortable. You can also do this with your fingers pointing inwards, and again with your fingers pointing outwards, palms up and palms down.
For those with any sort of chronic symptoms, including carpal tunnel syndrome, in which serious causes have been ruled out and none of the natural or allopathic remedies help, consider Clarity Breathwork. Read the book The Mindbody Prescription By Dr John Sarno, MD. He is an amazing pioneering physician whose brilliant approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people without drugs, physical measure or surgery. Also check out Brandon Bays’ book The Journey, and her intensive workshops for extremely effective mindbody cutting edge methods that have also lead to transformational healing for thousands of people around the world.
Seek out a classical homeopath to find a remedy specific to your symptoms. A chiropractor, osteopath, acupuncturist, or massage therapist may also be helpful.
If you need more personal guidance, schedule a session with me.
If none of these suggestions work for you or your paresthesias become severe, persistent, or worrisome, or they are associated with other unusual symptoms, consult a specialist in orthopedics or neurology.
Battling with low back or pelvic discomfort? Having common pregnancy aches and pains and need some additional support?
Try Bellefit’s prenatal support wear. You can purchase here.
Want a comprehensive holistic guide to the journey of getting pregnant, being pregnant, birth, breastfeeding, postpartum and beyond? Check out the second edition of my international and national best selling book Natural Birth Secrets.
This course has 16 yoga classes plus bonus material:
Seven ~ 60-80 minute Prenatal Yoga classes
Seven ~ 60-80 minute Mindful Hatha Flow Yoga classes
A soothing Gentle Slow Flow Yoga class
A Restorative Yoga class for deep relaxation
Bonus videos of an hour Live more advanced Vinyasa Class, shorter breaks of yoga anywhere anytime, use of props - like the wall, a chair, yoga blocks, yoga belts, yoga blankets and bolsters to enhance your practice, and practicing with your baby or pet.
The prenatal yoga 7 class series will invite you to grow, strengthen, focus, train and enhance your mind, body, heart and spirit. Discover for yourself the calming, healing and transformative power of yoga - intentional meditative movement with breath. Classes begin with meditation made simple using breathwork, gradual warm up, increasing difficulty as well as yoga play, gentle cool down, and end with restorative practices in deep relaxation. They are slow flowing, with space to explore specific poses but are meant to challenge you. Classes are different each session, with classical fundamental alignment based asana fused with modern postures and their many modifications and varied creative transitions. The classes are taught with modifications for pregnancy, incorporate positions for positively influencing baby’s position and active birthing as well as those to relieve common discomforts in pregnancy. They also are fused with meditative, breathwork and visualization techniques and tools for coping with and easing sensations of labor and birth, which will transform your childbirth experience with regular practice.
The seven classes are there for you to practice a different class each day of the week or according to your own frequency, then start over again from the beginning of the series. Each class ranges from on average 60 minutes to 80 minutes, and they build on each other; following the sequence from class 1 onward is advised if it is your first time taking the series or are a beginning practitioner. Classes are mindful, at a slow safe pace, gentle but challenging, so that you build strength, flexibility & agility. They start with the basics but are for all levels, and beginners too are welcome! If you are not pregnant, you can use the prenatal classes as beginner classes, just modify as needed and use any mention of pregnancy and labor as it pertains to any labor of your own life. The need to relax into intensity and the multiple benefits of yoga practice pertain to everyone. Or simply take the general Mindful Hatha Flow Yoga Class Series online course.
Once you hone your skills, you can take the Mindful Hatha Flow 7 Class Series that follows, doing your own modifications as needed - for pregnancy or wherever you are on your yoga journey, or simply start them after you are recovered postpartum. They also build on one another and can be practiced successively until you are ready to mix and match and create your own classes and practice schedule.
Additional videos are included to enhance your practice with use of the various props, as well as a soothing gentle slow flow class and a restorative yoga class for deep relaxation (great for evening!), shorter breaks of doing it anywhere and anytime, and a live bonus video of a more advanced class.