Cold Hands and Feet
QUESTION
Dear Midwife,
I just found out I was pregnant last Monday. I am just going in to my 5th week. Over the weekend my hands and feet feel like they have been immersed in ice and stay cold. On top of that first thing in the morning and when I am very tired I have a "pins and needles" sensation in my hands.
I have not experienced anything like this before and am a little concerned. This is not affecting me as far as day to day activities, its more annoying then anything.
ANSWER
Congratulations and welcome to pregnancy!
Your circulation will change during pregnancy, and I think you are just the lucky winner of the "circulation problem" prize.
You are right, what you describe is annoying but not dangerous. You can try lifting the affected limb higher than your heart for a few minutes and see if that helps. Otherwise, until your system sorts it all out, you may just have to deal with being annoyed, sorry :-(.
-- Cynthia, CNM. PhD.
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Cynthia Flynn
Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, teaches in the College of Nursing at Seattle University and is President of the American Association of Birth Centers. She also practices midwifery at Valley Medical Center where she cares for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.
Cynthia hosts a monthly "Ask the midwife" chat as well as answers questions via our expert section.
Listen to Cynthia live on Pregnancy.org Live: Before, During and After.
