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Have you suddenly experienced a tingly sensation in your hands? You're probably suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. Pregnant women are more susceptible to this condition because they retain fluid. The extra fluid is swelling the tissues in your wrists and hands – and that can cause pinched nerves, says Margaret Pfeifer, an obstetrician with the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The carpal tunnel is a relatively narrow bony canal formed by the wrist bones on three sides and a ligament that runs across the wrist on the other. When the tendons surrounding the nerve running through this inflexible space swell, the nerve gets pinched and the result is pain and numbness. Symptoms usually affect both hands and can appear at any time, but they're more likely to begin or worsen in the second half of pregnancy when women tend to retain more fluid. The symptoms usually go away gradually after you give birth, as the swelling from pregnancy subsides. If possible, avoid any activity that requires forceful, repetitive hand movements. Although these movements may not have caused your carpal tunnel syndrome, they can make your symptoms worse. If your job requires this kind of movement and you must continue it, consider wearing wrist or hand braces while you work. When working at a computer, adjust the height of your chair so your wrists aren't bent downward as you type. And remember to take breaks to stretch your hands. http://www.babycenter.com/my-pregnancy-today-app