This is general information, not a diagnosis — Hayley will always assess your wrist in person before recommending anything.
You're not imagining it
That ache along the thumb side of your wrist — the one that flares when you scoop your baby up, or twinges when you twist a jar lid — is a real, physical thing. It usually sits right where the tendons that move your thumb cross the wrist bone, and it can get sharp with the same small movements you make dozens of times a day.
It's often nicknamed "mummy wrist," or what a clinician might call De Quervain's tenosynovitis — irritation of those tendons and the sheath around them. It's common, it's not your fault, and it tends to respond well to a few gentle changes plus some time.
Why new parents get it
Most of it comes down to repetition. Lifting a baby with your thumbs spread wide under their armpits, holding a bottle or a breast at an angle for long stretches, supporting a heavy capsule with one hand — none of it is a huge load on its own, but done dozens of times a day, week after week, it adds up on a small set of tendons that were never built for that much repetition.
Pregnancy and the months after birth are also thought to make tendons and ligaments a little more lax and reactive to load, which is part of why this shows up so often in new parents specifically. It sits alongside the broader aches and strains we see in pain and inflammation support — a body adjusting to a very different, very repetitive few months.
Small changes that take the load off
Before anything else, it's worth looking at how the load is going onto your wrist in the first place. A few small adjustments make a real difference:
- Lift your baby with your whole hand and forearm under them, not a thumb-and-finger pinch.
- Swap the arm and hand you carry and feed on through the day, rather than always favouring one side.
- Use a feeding pillow or cushion to take baby's weight, so your wrist isn't holding it all.
- Try a soft wrist splint overnight, so the tendon gets a proper rest while you sleep.
- Take short breaks to gently stretch the wrist away from the thumb, a few times through the day.
These changes sit naturally alongside the rest of your postnatal recovery — most parents are juggling more than one thing healing at once, and wrist load is rarely the only one.
How supportive therapy may help
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and therapeutic ultrasound are thought to support the body's own process for calming irritated, inflamed tissue — often what's driving the pain around an overworked tendon. It's not a quick fix, but for some people it's thought to help ease things while the ergonomic changes do their work. You can read more about how LLLT works if you're curious about the mechanism.
Hayley will assess your wrist and thumb in person, ask how and when it flares, and give you an honest read on what's realistic — including if supportive therapy isn't the right fit and a hand therapist is the better next step.
When to see a GP or hand therapist
Most wrist and thumb pain like this settles with a bit of time and a few changes to how you're lifting and feeding. But it's worth seeing a GP, physiotherapist, or hand therapist if the pain is severe or getting worse, if you notice numbness, tingling, or weakness in your hand, if there's swelling that isn't settling, or if it's still holding you back several weeks in. If the pain is severe, came on suddenly, or comes with numbness, weakness or pins and needles, see a GP promptly. For general health advice, 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) is also there any time you want to talk something through.
You don't have to just push through it
A sore wrist doesn't have to be part of the deal with a new baby. If it's been nagging for a few weeks, it's worth getting a proper look — a bit of load management and some supportive therapy can go a long way.
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