Pins and Needles

[Serendypyty]

Hi everyone,

At night time (and sometimes during the day) I noticed that I'm getting pins and needles a lot! Sometimes my left arm just feels subtley numb, but a couple of times each week I wake up in the middle of the night and my arms are asleep!! Could just be the way I'm sleeping but I'm hoping it's nothing too serious.

I have had to start a list of questions for the doctor seeing I keep forgetting why I'm there to see him, so I'll run this past him as well, but just wondering if anyone else has had something similar or whether it's just a sign that I should be exercising!

[principessa76]

Hi Emma,

I've not heard of pins and needles as a symptom of pg but hey anything's possible I guess! It seems our bodies do some pretty whacky things.

As far as I know pins and needles are from pressure on a nerve so when you're sleeping if you stay in the one position for a long time and that happens to press on a nerve then when you finally do move the pressure is released on the nerve and you feel pins and needles.

Having said that I will occasionally wake in the night with a dead arm. Since I've been pg I've been EXTREMELY tired but not sleeping very well so when I finally do sleep I think its quite deep and I'm not rolling over as much as I normallly would.

I hope you get some answers from your OB.

[satya]

I've had pins and needles in one hand on and off whilst in bed (twice on waking). I'm sure it's pregnancy related as I don't normally get this. Having it (and numbness) in your hands and arms can be a sign of carpel tunnel syndrome so it's definately worth asking your doc about if it continues.

[sazzafrazz]

Hi there,
I have carpul tunnel normally but it definately gets worse with pregnancy.
I think it can be caused by the increased pressure on your upper back due to weight out the front with your belly and growing boobs too. This causes a muscle tension which sends a message into your arm and irritates the tendons which then in turn put pressure on the nerves in your hand causing the carpul tunnel. YKWIM??? I had a bit of massage and that seemed to help relieve the extra pressure on those bits. The same thing happens sometimes in the lower back and legs like sciatic nerve pain for the same reasons.
It is no fun is it? I found I am sleeping more heavily (when I am actually able to sleep) and that contributed too. not sure what to suggest there.

[Serendypyty]

Thanks for your responses I'll definitely address it with the doc, I have an appointment Wednesday so I'll be sure to ask!!

*runs off to do some reading about carpal tunnel*