02/25/2026
About 45% of pregnant or post-partum women suffers from hand on wrist pain. De Quervain's tenosynovitis, commonly known as Mommy's thumb, is one of the most common conditions affecting this population and can quickly become debilitating as the need to care for a baby is constant.
The pain is due to inflammation of 2 tendons responsible for thumb movement which are located on the thumb side of the wrist (APL and EPB). They are active when the thumb is out, away from the hand, which is a movement repetitively done to hold a baby, breastfeed, bottle feed and more.
New moms are too often told that symptoms will go away as the baby gets older and caring and carrying needs decrease and to just "wait it out". There is however a lot that a hand therapist can do to help minimize symptoms. From ergonomics, activity modification, splinting and targeted exercises, a hand therapist can develop a realistic and effective treatment plan to allow you to care for your baby with the least possible amount of discomfort.