Pregnancy Headaches

Shannan,

I avoided all drugs when I was pregnant (two boys, now healthy 18 and 16). I have been using aromatherapy - a very holistic way of keeping every family healthy - for headaches for many, many years. The essential oil of Lavender works wonders. I would be happy to share more information with you. I can be reached at ###-###-####.

I.

My first thought is you aren't drinking enough water. being dehydrated can cause headaches and I'd also like to 2nd the chiropracter , if it dosent' help it will at least make you more comfortable other wise.

I have had migraines for years and it sounds like that is what you are going through. I know pregnancy hormones made mine really bad, but it eased off after about 20 weeks. You have some pretty good advice here, but I would like to add that my chiropractor always says to use ice packs on the back of the neck(for 10-15 minutes) as soon as the symptoms start and it can help. Also check with your doctor to make sure your blood pressure is ok. I also wanted to mention that for me, caffeine is a huge trigger, but also can be a deterent. Weird, I know, but if I feel a headache coming on and have not had any caffeine(or any food with caffeine like chocolate) in a while, a coke or cup of coffee can help ease it off. However, if I go overboard with caffeine(I usually avoid it and do not drink it daily), it will trigger one. There are also several other food triggers and they can be different for eveyone, but nuts and fresh yeast are bad for me, too. I actually ask Subway for day old bread and couldn't eat pizza for years that came from anywhere that made their dough fresh daily. Hang in there and good luck.

During my first pregnancy I suffered from pain quite often, whether a head ache or back pain, which started at 7 weeks. My Mideive suggest a prenatal chiropractor and I saw during my entire pregnancy. It helped with everything from back pain, headaches, sinus issues, just overall health. With my second pregnancy I was proactie and started seeing him at 6 weeks, it was the best thing I ever did. I hope you are feeling better soon. By the way, the adjustments made my labors go much quicker and with less pain, and I continued to see him afterwards because of nursing-he was awesome!

A.

I would go to a chiropractor today. They help out a lot with headaches, including migraines. Our bodies do a lot of changing while pregnant and so our bodies need to helped sometimes. We have a chiropractor in our church and I didn't go to him at first until I found out how good he was, etc. All chiropractors aren't the same.

Let me give you a great example....funny you ask this though. A member in our church told me yesterday that after church on Sunday, in the parking lot, a friend of ours was in her car with her head covered and on the steering wheel. She was having a migraine. Dr. Brooks walked over there or was summoned, I suppose, and did something to her neck and she was totally fine after that. It's awesome what chiropractor can do. Btw, her husband is a nurse.

I don't say this to freak you out but you need to pay attention to your body. Terrible headaches are not to be taken lightly. This could be a sign of high blood pressure which is part of pre-eclampsia. Call your doctor right away. If they dismiss you on the phone (which I would hope they wouldn't) go to your nearest pharmacy and use their blood pressure machine just for peace of mind. I speak from experience. My daughter was born 13 weeks premature due to undiagnosed pre-eclampsia. The only symptom I had was a horrible headache. I sincerely hope your headache is completely mudane and nothing to worry about but it's better to be safe. God Bless!!
T. D

Chiropractic will help more than you could ever imagine! Not only will it solve your headache issue but help to build your immune system and make your body stronger. It will also make for a better delivery if you continue the care. You simply cant go wrong with this care! Be sure to get her daughter in too! It is so helpful for children, just as important as adults!

when i was pregnant i use to get in the bath with a towel rolled to support ly head this seemed to help.

i could have written your request about 12 weeks ago! i am 30 weeks and had headaches from about 12-20. they did go away, my dr. did say they were normal, but i was able to lessen them a bit by predicting them. mine typically began sometime mid-afternoon, so i started taking extra strength tylenol around 2pm. plus i upped my fluid intake as best i could, trying to get about 48 oz in before 2, then another approx. 16 oz after 2pm. but do keep your dr. informed of the headaches so he can know everything. best wishes!

Could it be caffeine withdrawal? I have never heard of food affecting your headache. But I would be sure to drink plenty of water. I found this link that talks about headaches during pregnancy as I have never had that problem.

http://www.pregnancy-info.net/headache_pregnancy.html

I have had plenty of other aches and pains, so I know it has to be awful to live with the headache pain. Hopefully that article can help you out some.

i work for ob/gyn. it is probably hormonal. they can prescribe firocet. it will help. go ask ur dr. u can't suffer with ha.

S.,
How is your blood pressure? Elevated blood pressure and even extreme blood sugar level changes have been known to cause headaches. Talk to your Dr. about these possibilities. Also, have you changed anything in your diet that may have triggered these headaches? I tried to stop my caffeine intake "cold turkey" which caused me to have massive headaches and severe mood-swings.
Good Luck!

I had them too - migraines - and yes, they eventually do go away. I also had a small child to care for and finally had to take medication every now and then for them when they got to be really bad. The medication has been around forever and if there were a problem associated with pregnancy it would have come up by now, so try not to worry about that and be sure to take of yourself.

Hey S.

When I was pregnant I had a terrible cold that turned into a flu reaction. I was told it was allergies...hmmm. But my point is that I also had awful headaches that would not let me open my eyes. For a few days this happened. Come to find out I was just dehydrated. I went to the ER because of the flu symptoms that had been going on for three days and they pumped me up with two huge bags of fluid. That cured the headaches!!!! Make sure you are drinking plenty of water!!! I had to learn the hard way.

Never tried the chiro though should have, sadly I never could find the time, I know thats pretty sad. anyway I had these with 2 pregnancies, the 1st time they were so bad I had to go to the hospital to make sure it wasnt b/p (I was later in pregnancy like 7 mo). My OB actually prescribed meds with barbituates in it or something that sounded way too drastic so I never took them. But I will defeinitely 2nd, quiet, dim, cold wet washcloth on back of neck and on forehead though I liked to do over the eyes too

Hi S.,

I'm going to ditto the: chiropractor, more hydration, checking your blood pressure, getting away from caffiene, also a urinalysis to determine if there are any signs of preeclampsia.

I'm also going to ditto Mimi that all Prenatal vitamins are not alike. Do some research because the lack of proper nutrition can cause monstrous headaches. The baby is literally sucking all the nutrition up and it sounds like you might not be getting enough.

Google the pharmaceutical company that manufactures yours. If you are not satisfied with what you find, let me know. I can help.

C.

There are two possible causes for your headaches; dehydration or hormones. I'm not sure why you are resistant to telling your Dr. because he/she knows more about the human body than you do. That does not mean your Dr. knows your body better but you do need to tell him/her about your symptoms. What if this is a signal that something is wrong? If I were you I would start drinking more fluids and call your Dr. Neither action is going to hurt you or the baby. Hope that helps!

I had terrible headaches with my last 2 pregnancies. The only natural thing to help them for me was chiropractic care and prenatal massages both of which were wonderful for many of the ailments, hips, shoulders etc. I'm enjoying my massages even more postpartum while my body adjusts to carrying the babe on the outside!

I had terrible headaches with my first pregnancy (but not with my second). My only advice is to eat as well as you can and try to make it through them. Rest when you can and try to get away from noise, TV, light, etc. if you can. Mine were especially bad at night. I'd sleep propped up in the recliner with pillows around me and it seemed to help somewhat. For some reason, lying down flat for a long time made them become very painful. I would definitely mention it to you doctor but it is most likely hormone related. I think mine tapered off toward the middle of my pregnancy. Hang in there!

Sounds like migranes, often can be pregnancy/hormone related. Drinking more water and taking acidophilus to detox your system will help. Definitely tell your dr. but it may indicate a beginning of pre-eclampsia so don't delay in calling the office. You may need to eat more carefully but don't stop eating protein, your baby needs it. Been down this road myself. Educate yourself on pre-eclampsia before you get hospitalized for it. Can pull through with focus on healthy eating! my baby is now 23 and 6'2" so you do make it through to the other side . . .
S.
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Hi S.,

I ditto everyone that suggested a chiropractor. Besides helping your headache, your immune system will work better AND that's better for the baby.

I do think your husband is somewhat right as well. It's not that you're not eating enough, but that you're not getting enough nutrition. Prenatals are not all the same. Some actually do more damage than good and doctors are not really in tune with that aspect. They just prescribe what they have been "told" works.

Let me know if you want more information. I believe I can help in a few other areas as well.

Regards,

M.

Try a chiropractor. I saw Colby Family Chiropractic on hwy 92 my entire pregnancy & had the best results! Ask for Dr. Colby or Dr. Wendland (Dr. Wendland just had a baby in August, she is also a personal trainer and has a degree in nutrition) I agree about not taking any meds, a nurse tried to give me a sleeping pill when i was hospitalized for dehydration!!! I have seen Colby Family for about 7 years now, I take both my kids & my nine year old has perfect attendance and has only had to take anitbiotics twice in her life, people can say chiro doesn't work but the child's immune system is amazing!!! Even my almost two year old lies down on the adjusting table and laughs through her adjustment.Feel free to ask me any questions...

S., Go to your doctor and tell him about your headaches. I retreat to a dark room with my migraines, I'm assuming that's what your headaches are. Try an icepack on your forehead the next time you lay down.

Let your doctor figure out why you are getting them. There are some medicines that are safe for you to take during certain trimesters of your pregnancy - no reason for you to suffer! Drugs are rated by category for pregnancy and list explainations of any possible side effects. There is no reason for you to suffer.

Hello...

Sorry to hear about your headaches but I think it's just part of being pregnant. I have a 18 month old and I had headaches for the first 6 months of my pregnancy with her and NOTHING worked. I also had a MRI done during the pregnancy and they found nothing. I am now 19 weeks pregnant with another and having the same problems and sometimes they are migraines just like before. Like everyone else said drink a lot of water and you might just have to wait until you get far enough along in your pregnancy for them to pass that's what I'm waiting on because I know the Dr's won't do anything and Tylenol don't help either.

Good luck with everything

Hi S.,
I too have been having bad headaches since I was 4 months, and currently still getting them at 6 months. My doctor informed me that because of the extra estrogen and hormones in our body, it was normal to get regular headaches. I found what really works is to take a tylenol, with a little bit of coke and it seems to clear it up. I hope this helps.

Hi S.,
I too am 17 weeks, today in fact, and have been suffering from mild daily headaches on and off for the past few months. My doctor recommended that I start taking daily Magnesium and B2 supplements to prevent them from ocurring at all. (By the way, Kroger does not carry B2.) So, while you might consider this "medication," at least it's not prescription strength. I too have a daughter, and sympathize - there's no time for a mom to be sick these days! Take care of yourself!

Jenn D

I had horrible horrible headaches with my second child. The only thing I can think of that may help outside of medicine is make sure you are drinking enough water. Your body needs double or triple the amount of water it normally does because of the extra blood in your body. Mine were so bad that this only helped a bit and I had to end up taking a RX. Hopefully yours will subside soon. Best Wishes!

Hi S., sorry about your migraines! Well atleast that's what they sound like to me... I read through a few of your responces and didn't see this, so I'll throw in my two cents... lay down and put an ice pack on your head. Also, in addition to stress and hormones, migraines can be triggered by many foods... a few off the top of my head are peanut butter and chocolate. If you google migraine food triggers, you should come up with a list of things to avoid. I hope this helps you, hopefully, they will be gone soon! Do be sure talk to your doctor though... rule out any complications! Good Luck!

I remember having headaches too. In the early stages of pregnancy your mucous membranes swell causing your sinus's to go all out of wack-that's what caused my headaches, but towards the end of my pregnancy it was elevated blood presure. So talk to your doc about it and make sure your blood pressure is normal, if it is sinus related run a humidifier at night it will loosen up the mucus. Even if your sinus passages are dry in your nose, mucus can still get all goopy in your sinus cavities in your head and behind the eyes.

Please tell your MD. It is probably from the pregnancy but let them decide. You are letting them take care of you and deliver your baby so trust them to try to fix it. I worked in the ER for a while and it could be a # of things from blood pressure to WAY more serious. (Not to scare you so I wont go into detail)
I would also try the Chiro as a lot of other moms have suggested. Take care of yourself now b/c you will be in worse shape after birth if you dont. Good luck and congrats!!

hey! i have three children. my youngest is 6 mo. old. with my second pregnancy i had terrible headaches. i talked to my dr. and he surprised me. he told me to drink a coke and see if it goes away before i take any tylenol. it worked for me! it was a lifesaver! hope you feel better:)

Headaches can be a normal part of a pregnancy, but it can also be a sign of something else. I know they recommend talking to your doctor if you are having bad headaches in the second or third trimester so they can rule of preeclampsia or any thing else that may be causing the headaches. After talking with your doctor and finding out the cause, make sure you are eating and drinking enough water, exercise, taking a hot shower may help as well as a massage. I'm not trying to scare you, but if your headaches are getting that severe especially in the last month, talk to your doctor.

That is a classic migraine headache. (I've had them for years.) It could be hormonal, or due to changes in your diet, stress level, or sleeping patterns.
Certain foods like chocolate, nuts, MSG, and caffeine can bring them on. (Alcohol and nicotine too, but I assume you're not drinking or smoking if you are pregnant.)
-Try streatching or yoga. It help regulate your circulation.
-Invest in a good pair of wide frame dark polarized sunglasses. They can help stave off a migraine in a pinch, especially when you're away from home. I have been known to wear mine when watching TV. I know it sounds silly, but it works.
-Avoid a lot of bright lights, especially TV, computer, and halogen lights. Also direct sunlight and overhead lights. Using lamps and recessed lighting has cut the frequency of my headaches from at least one a week to less than once a month.
-Try to stay away from strong odors and loud noises. You'd be surprised how well you can still hear the TV at half the volume you might normally have it set to. That especially applies to the reciever volume on phones. If you can still hear someone talking when you pull the reciever six inches from your ear, it's too loud.
-And weird but true (you probably won't find these on WebMD, but take it from a pro): avoid wearing hats, pulling your hair back tightly or having long heavy hair, and don't chew gum.
You can also apply cool (not cold) damp towels to the back of your neck, forehead, and wrists for relief once the headache has set in.
Hope some of that helps. Congrats on your newest addition!

I feel for you, I had headaches throughout my pregnancy. The only thing that worked for me was sleeping it off. I know it must be difficult with another child, but you need to take care of yourself, so that you can take care of your child. Give your husband a swift kick in the you know what and make him realize that he has no clue what it's like to have hormones completely screwing up your whole body. Just remind him of puberty, and how crazy hormones make you. Sleep is key, and plenty of water helps also. I'm sorry to say that that is the only thing I've found to work. I hope things work out.

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. At the beginning of my pregnancy I also had horrible headaches. About half way through I started drinking a ton of water and it helped. I don't know if I had just gotten far enough along in the pregnancy for them to go away or if the water really did help. Just give it a try... your body needs a lot more water when you are pregnant.