Really stiff hands/joints after waking?

[tinselcat]

Hi,

Just wondered if anyone was suffering from really stiff hands, knees, feet, lower back in the morning since giving birth?

I'm having real trouble bending my fingers for the first 10 minutes after I wake up, particularly in the morning.

Am hoping this is just a side-effect of giving birth and not what google suggests it might be?

 

[J_Anne]

I think it's common after giving birth, I had it with my first, mainly in my ankles and didn't realise it was post pregnancy related until months after!! When you're pregnant your joints loosen to prepare for birth so I wonder if it's something to do with them tightening up again

 

[kitten2014]

tinselcat, did you have issues during pregnancy? I did and was prescribed magnesium supplements to assist with calcium absorption, still on them now and dont have any issues....J_anne makes a good point too, guess everything has to tighten again, at least thats what keep telling my knees and hips or could it be the lack of sleep and new seating positions for carrying baby (cant sit upright with her on my chest so end up sliding down lol sometimes can be sat like this for hours if she has wind/wants attention etc

 

[CARNAT22]

I had it with James and again this time TC. It's mainly wrists and ankles. It is indeed to do with your ligaments being loosened in pregnancy. I'll see if I can find a link.

I also have psoriasis too and that can be linked to joine pain.

Need to go back to GP actually.

I feel about 90 when I wake up. It does ease but I am in no way ready for exercising yet. Walking is my limit.

X

 

[flisstebbs]

Ah, yes, remember this well. I felt awful for up to 9 months after Jess with joint and ligament probs. I had to have a few steroid injections to my wrists in the end which fixed the wrists, but also had to have a long course of physio for my lower back.

I was fine in pregnancy. This is thanks mostly to progesterone, which is mildly anti-inflammatory, and then on top you have hormones like relaxin which keep everything "bouncy" and stretchy.

I've only felt better since getting pregnant again really lol! Dreading how it will feel in post-partum period again.

It is worth them running a blood test for inflammatory markers just to check there isn't a more sinister underlying cause like inflammatory arthritis, but you can feel pretty awful without it being anything awful iykwim?

It is worse when you've had hormone treatment such as IVF and progesterone support.

 

[tinselcat]

Thanks ladies, I appreciate you sharing your experiences, hope the stiffness doesn't last too long for those of you are still having it.

I did have extra hormones with the ivf so interesting to hear that might make a difference too.

Glad I'm not on the verge of rheumatoid arthritis!

 

[candymycandy]

I'm glad to have read this, I have been having similar issues and feel about 90 some days but hadn't even twigged it could be post partum related x