Kaley Cuoco Shares New Parenting Injury: 'Mommy Wrist'
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Kaley Cuoco is officially getting christened into motherhood!
The actress shared a new health condition she has developed since giving birth to her first child—a baby girl named Matilda with partner Tom Pelphrey welcomed on March 30—taking to Instagram to document the injury.
"They call it 'mommy wrist,'" the Meet Cute star wrote over a photo, which showed her hand wrapped in a black Copper Compression support brace. She also added a GIF that read, "are you kidding me?" along with several question marks. Apparently, this is one of those unexpected parts of motherhood that nobody mentions until it happens to you... Surprise!
The condition, also known as "mommy thumb," "baby wrist," "cradle thumb," or, medically, de Quervain’s tendonitis, is a painful and wildly common ailment often found among new moms (thus the nickname). It can occur "when the tendons on the thumb side of your wrist become inflamed or swollen," according to Healthline, and is usually brought on by repetitive straining of the muscles in the hand.
"New parents with this hand condition typically get it about 4 to 6 weeks after giving birth. This might happen because changing hormones and swelling can pinch or put pressure on the tendons and muscles in the thumb," the medical website states, adding that "dads and other caregivers can also have mommy thumb, especially if they pick up a baby (or toddler) several times a day."
Related: Kaley Cuoco Recounts 'Horrible' Accident Where She Almost Lost a Leg
Cuoco seemingly didn't let the newfound injury get her down for too long, though, sharing a reposted family image that Pelphrey had uploaded on his own account on the very next slide.
In the sweet follow-up photo, the actress kissed her daughter on the cheek as the baby laid in between the new parents. Pelphrey also shot a wink at the camera. Cuoco’s dog Opal also appeared in the loving capture.
Cheers to all the surprises—the nice and the not-so-nice—of parenthood!
Next: Kaley Cuoco Recounts 'Horrible' Accident Where She Almost Lost a Leg
