Pregnancy Headaches

I'm pregnant too & have some non-medicinal suggestions: Are you suffering from caffine withdrawl? I sometimes get a bad headache if I have no caffine at all. I know they say "no caffine once you're pregnant" - but a little bit won't hurt you or the baby. A little bit of chocolate or coffee will go a long way! Or drink some extra milk or take an extra calcium suppliment - calcium is recommended for muscle cramps. Or it maybe a cluster headache, commonly referred to as a migrane. I get them on occasion & they are horrible! I was getting them more often early on in my pregnancy too - probably the surge of hormones. What works for me is a heating pad. I put it on a med to low setting & wrap it over my head, like a weird bonnet. The warmth causes the muscles in my head to relax & the tension subsides & so does the pain. My friend who also suffers from cluster headaches says it is cold that works for her - she curls up with ice packs. So figure out which works for you & put a movie in for your son, dim the lights & curl up on the couch with him and relax for a bit! And remember to nap when he does!! Drink plenty of water! It will get better! Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I have cronic headaches and had a few while pregnant. You can try putting an ice pack on your head where it hurts and try to lay down and get some rest when they are really bad. Tylenol taken with some hot coffee or tea can be helpful. That little bit of caffine will deliver the tylenol into your system faster. Its probably just hormone related so all you can do is treat the symptoms.

Good Luck and feel better.

L. K.

1 mom found this helpful

A.,
I had a baby boy when I was pregnant with my daughter and I had awful headaches for about a month. Unfortunately the only thing you can do is lie down with a lavender eye mask and take it easy for about 15 to 20 minutes. Perhaps your son can watch Baby Einstein or something. Since you can't take anything but Tylenol (which does nothing), the only thing you can do is try to have a little bit of relaxation time. Stress only makes it worse.
Hopefully, they will go away soon, just as they did for me.

Regards,
N. S.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi A.,
I experienced awful headaches as well. They were by far the worst experience during the entire pregnancy and labor! The only thing that helped me was sleep which would be more difficult for you since you already have a toddler to care for. Tylenol never helped me either. I put ice packs on the back of my neck as well. Sometimes it would help, sometimes it didn't. They did end though, and not too much further after where you are. Definitely try the ice packs on your neck. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I experienced the same thing and my doctor recommended lots of water. The headaches can be a sign of dehydration. I consumed a ton of water each day and the headaches disappeared!

1 mom found this helpful

You may be dehydrated. I found that with my long history of migranes and headaches (pregnant or not), that it came down to me not drinking enough water. It really does ward them off!

1 mom found this helpful

I had terrible headaches too. I was told sometimes during pregnancy, your sinuses can cause you problems, which results in headaches. You can try cold compresses on your forehead, or an aromatherapy pillow that you can either freeze or put in the microwave. Foot massages also relieve headaches. Certain pressure points in the foot relieve headaches. I tried all these remedies and they helped.
Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I developed bad headaches that lasted from about 14-18 weeks. This is my first pregnancy and this has fortunately been the only symptom so far. My doctor also told me not to be afraid to take tylenol and he suggested coffee/caffeine too. I didn't find much helped either, but I was thankful that they only lasted a few weeks. I hope the same for you. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

A.,

You are at the classic week for headaches to begin. I had them earlier than that with my third who is 6 months old now but the doctors kept telling me the same thing until I got to where you are. Tylenol does nothing. I am with you! There is a prescription they can call in for you that is perfectly safe. It is kind of like aspirin free Excedrin. I only took them when I really needed to but they were a Godsend when I did. Ask your doctor and tell them you want the prescription! I had to ask 2 doctors before I finally got it and then I ended up switching practices. I ended up with a WONDERFUL doctor instead who always took very good care of me.

I am surprised at the responses that say there is nothing you can do! There is absolutely something you can do and too much caffeine and ANY aspirin are not good for the baby. Ask your doctor about the prescription and if they claim not to know of one, message me and I will get the name for you. It is widely prescribed as I found 4 other offices who all prescribe it and they are in two different states.

Hugs and hope you feel better,
L.

1 mom found this helpful

I had the same problem, and it was that I wasn't drinking enough water. I had to increase my intake to at least 80 ounces a day. It worked! My headaches went away. I hope it works for you too.

Also, in the beginning, I had bad headaches after giving up caffeine! Once it was out of my system, I was fine, unless I didn't drink enough water.

1 mom found this helpful

I had REALLY bad headaches as well. I was told my an acupressures specialist that there is a point on your thumb that you can massage that will take away the headaches... It is hard to describe in writing but look at your hand palm down. The outside part of your thumb, just below the nail is a bump that feels like a bone, this is where you will find the pressure point. Take the eraser on a pencil and rub along this spot until you feel the point of pain, and it will be pain. Apparently, with a headache comes pain in this pressure point. Massage this point with the eraser until the pain in your thumb is gone, with this pain gone usually is your headache. But with all Homeopathic medicine, you have to believe that it will be effective in order for you to really feel the effects. A lot of things are in your mental, and, relaxing and breathing you can make these things vanish.

1 mom found this helpful

I had them too. Usually from something smelly.
Have you tried a massage? I am a massage therapist trained & certified in pre/post natal massage and it can do a world of good. The tension from the added weight on your traps (from your breasts)can pull the muscles in the head and neck and cause excrutiating headaches that won't quit. I am in Newburgh, NY and would be happy to see you, but If that's too far you can go to AMTAmassage.org to find a therapist in your area who is trained. To be part of the organization they must have a license and continuing education credits. Good luck, I hope you feel better soon.
A. C

1 mom found this helpful

So sorry to hear about the headaches, they really suck! I suffered those in my second trimester with my daughter. Yeah, I was only allowed Extra Strength Tylenol which didin't really help. Well, besides staying REALLY hydrated (I'm sure your dr has said that enough)you can try some caffeinated beverages like a coke or cup of coffee. The caffeine dilates the vessels in your head causing the headaches and reieves the pain. Small doses like that are within safe levels for the baby so don't be scared. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I had terrible headaches around the same time with my last headache and they seemed to diminish greatly at @ 20 weeks - they are hormonal. Just try to drink a lot and l;ay down when your baby is napping even if it is only for 15 minutes. Good luck,
R.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi when I was pregnant with my son I use to get severe headaches I use to live on tylenol but it didnt work either. Try putting an ice patch on your forehead or see if your doctor will allow you to take exedrin. That is what I find works the best.

L.

1 mom found this helpful

hi..i have a 16 month old, and i am also 16 weeks along w/ my 2nd!! i've been getting the headaches too...what i find kinda helps is eating frequently, drinking a lot of water and trying as hard as i can to chill. i think they come from being so busy and tired! hang in there..good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I don't know if this would help you,but it did me. My doctor and make sure you ask your doctor first,told me to take a teaspoon of Milk of Magnesia (Phillips) and long beholed that did it for me. I only had the one pregnancy. Hopefully it will work for you!!

1 mom found this helpful

I used water, water, water, a little walking and stretching.

1 mom found this helpful

HI! I so sympathize with what you saying. I am at 14 wks with my second and had (another) horrible headache last night. I think the trick is catching them early. When I feel them coming on I take Tylenol, eat something substantive (for me that's some kind of starch), drink water and have about a little coffee (I usually have about 1/2 a cup). I also cut out things that strain my eyes like tv, computer, etc. This really helps curb it but you have to catch it early. Otherwise, I'm in bed and miserable until is goes away! Good luck -I know, it's horrible!

1 mom found this helpful

i had horrible headaches/migraines. it was all due to the hormones. i didn't want to take meds so i opted for alternative care. acupuncture, a friend recommended. wow what a difference. it took a few weeks and i got these little micro beads that have adhesive on them that i could massage in my ear should i get a headache. it is worth checking out!
good luck!
T.

1 mom found this helpful

Dear A.,

Ouch, I'm so sorry! Chances are it's just hormones and/or normal swelling, but just in case, *get your blood pressure checked.* Headaches can be an early warning system for elevated blood pressure, and it's great if you can catch it early enough to manage through safe, natural means.

Take care,

Mira

1 mom found this helpful

i too had horrible headaches (migraines and tension headaches) during my pregnancy. also tylonol NEVER did anything for me, other then taking care of fevers. the dr. had said to limit my caffeine intake, and i completely stopped (other then chocolate lol) so i had to assume (and i think the dr. too) that the headaches were mostly, not completely, caused by the lack of caffeine being that i used to drink tons of soda, and eat a bunch of chocolate. the dr. told me that if i had the headaches really bad, to try drinking a cup of soda WITH caffeine in it...but to try to not drink too much because it was still not that great for the baby, BUT that caffeine does wonders for headaches. she also told me that with most meds for migraines the active ingredient that actually helps get rid of (or sooth) the pains from the headaches is CAFFEINE. i would call up your dr. and ask if that could be a possibility of helping you. just mention that the tylonol doesn't work for you, and you don't want to take any meds that may hurt the baby. also, remember that each child is different, as well as each pregnancy. my friend is having her 3rd child, 2 boys, this one's a girl and she said that this pregnancy is HORRIBLE! cramping, spotting, pains EVERYWHERE yet the other 2 pregnancies (boys) were 'cake'. congrats, and good luck...hopefully a little bit of caffeine (or some of the other suggestions) will help!

1 mom found this helpful

I had terrible headaches as well, and Tylenol did not help either, though that was what the doctor suggested. I tried to nap a lot when I had the headaches, and ultimately, they did go away sometime during the second trimester. Sorry I don't have any specific advice—just letting you know I experienced the same....

1 mom found this helpful

I'm so sorry to hear of your headaches. I had headaches with my second as well (now 3 months old) and they really are debilitating. My final assessment of my headaches were 1) I'm exhausted! You're body is working over time and, unlike last time, you cannot rest when you want. 2) I miss my coffee! I do think some of my headaches were a result of caffeine withdrawal. 3) Hormones wrecking havoc! There are elements of our pregnancies beyond our control. Thankfully pregnancy is not permanent!
In short, my headaches usually subsided when I allowed myself to rest. I did whatever I needed to just to nap when I needed. The DVD player became my best friend. I would lay on the couch while my daughter watched her favorite movie (she was then 22 months) or called a friend to take her for a play date while I rested. I also forced myself to nap when she napped. Usually that was my "time to do my stuff" time; but, my body really needed the rest. I usually woke up with no headache. I would also allow myself to drink a small cup of coffee or diet coke at the onset of a headache. Sometimes this helped curb the headache. I wish you all the best and hope headaches are the worst memory of this pregnancy.

1 mom found this helpful

Hello, It's nice to hear I'm not alone. I am 18 weeks and this is my third pregnancy and I did not go through this with the first two. What I have done that seems to help is try to avoid fryed or salty foods and drink a lot of water. I also make sure that I eat all day. I was getting them everyday around 2 in the afternoon and they would last until I went to bed and nothing seemed to work once they came. Now I just pay attention to my body a little bit more. (I know it's hard with another child and I work full time!) I will eat a lot of fruit, yogurt and peanuts for snacks all day and not big meals. I drink a lot of water. I also notice that they are better if I turn the heat down. I think they are because of hormones so I'm not expecting them to go away, I just try to get them to be managable. Good Luck with the rest of your pregnancy, do you know what your having yet?

1 mom found this helpful

This might help and it might not, I also have a two year old at home and am 5 months prego, are you drinking enough water??? I'm bad about this, and with a two year old (and a eleven year old) it's easy to be distracted and busy not realizing you've only had one glass of water all day.... and being dehydrated will give you a wicked headache, the baby will draw all the hydration it needs reguardless of how much you've taken in. Food for thought. Congrats and
best wishes for a better pregnancy and great delivery.

1 mom found this helpful

Hello,
I am pregnant with my fourth and this is the second pregnancy I have had debilitating headaches for. With my last pregnancy, the headaches were in the third trimester and ended up being preeclampsia, so when my current pregnancy began with a bang (major headaches - I missed many days of work - I couldn't even get out of bed - not easy with 3 under 4 years old) I was terrified it was high blood pressure again. So I went to the doctor and after all the tests to check for preeclampsia and many, many doses of Tylenol, tons of water, some caffeine, my doctor eventually said Excedrin Migraine was OK. (it has tylenol, caffeine and aspirin in it) I was very leery of taking aspirin in pregnancy, but the doctor assured me it was OK at this point. I was taking it almost daily for about a month. The headaches finally lessened until over the holidays (probably stress there), but I did have one doctor tell me the Excedrin was OK once in a while then too(I suffered it out as I was beginning my last trimester and I had already taken so much), but I do know that small doses of aspirin are sometimes prescribed for women later in pregnancy with different conditions and their babies are fine. Discuss your options with your doctor. Having another child at home makes coping with a headache that much harder. I'm sure there are options that you and your doctor can come to agreement on. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

Do you have HIGH blood pressure?

this is what caused mine,

try some sugar, and vingar on a rag can help releive it aswell

M

1 mom found this helpful

Hi there
Boy do I know what you are going through. I thought that I was actually going to go insane. My family decided to do a 1 to 10, so that everyone was on board with how bad my head was. I woke up and went to bed with headaches for about 2 months. Finally I got a massage and went to the Chiropractor a couple of times. I had a ton of tension in my neck. It is hard to do all that we do while growing a little life in our bodies. My headaches just went away, but this week they came back to I went straight for a massage and tomorrow a chiro appointment. Meds didn't work for me either. I would go more holistic and tap into your body and where you might be holding energy. Good luck! S.

1 mom found this helpful

I had the same headaches and the same advice, "Tylenol and deal with the pain." I tried a lot of things like changing my diet and massage. The most effective remedies included: exercise (yoga and walking sped up the progress of the headache), more water and warm lemon water (just seemed to relax me, and reflexology and pressure points.

The last, reflexology and pressure points was something I got to when all else failed. I would use the pressure point between my thumb and index finger to do self pain alleviation. Finally I made an appointment with a reflexologist to work on my feet and teach me about how to get rid of the headaches early in the progress of the pain.

I can't promise that this will work for you, but I think it worked for me because I wanted the pain to stop and I kept looking for solutions. Best of luck to you and your pregnancy.

1 mom found this helpful

I had frequent headaches also and was popping tylenol (only thing we can take when expecting!) like crazy. The one thing helped me get through them was candy! I carried little pieces of candy with me everywhere....skittles, sour patch kids, m&m's, things like that. A little sugar always seemed to help. And drinking tons of water- couldn't get enough. Hope that helps! Congrats and good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I had a few doozies myself while pregnant. The tylenol didn't do much but dull the pain. So I also rubbed peppermint oil onto my temples or anywhere on my head that the pain was piercing. It might sound a little hippy-dippy, but there is plenty of research to back up the claim (google it and you'll be happy to read for yourself). And you can find peppermint oil at Whole Foods!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi A.,

I am a genetic counselor and used to counsel patients about medications and safety in pregnancy. There are some medications in pregnancy that are safe to take, especially since you are past your first trimester. You can talk to your doctor about these medications, such as fioricet. If she realizes how this is truly making you not be able to function, I'm sure she'll prescribe you some. My sister had the same problem in her pregnancy and had a history of migraines, and fioricet helped her. Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful

I have a history of migraines. They get so bad that I can't even move at all or I'm in serious pain. There are times they get so bad I'll throw up. Anyway, if it's migraines your having. Migraines are typically a headache in the same location (mine are behind my right eye) and it's a throbbing pain. Sometimes light or sound can make them worse. And sometimes your sense of smell increases making them worse (though for a pregnant woman you already have that problem). Movement will make them worse too. I know from experience that you can take Fericet (pronounced Fer, like pure, i, like it short i sound, cet, like set). It's a migraine med that is safe to take during pregnancy and nursing afterwards if you plan to do that. It is prescription only so you'd have to ask your doc for one.

1 mom found this helpful

Headaches are not uncommon in pregnancy as your homone levels increase and your blood supply doubles. Make sure you let you OB/GYN know about headaches as they can be a sign of blood pressure issues, gestation diabetis, irregular thyroid, anemia and more uncommon, stroke. Some woman who suffer from migraines find they are relieved during pregnancy and some experience them increased or for the first time. Keep a log of the frequency and duratin and keep the Dr. advised. If you think you are not getting adequate answers, make an appointment with a neurologist. Its always better to get it throughly checked out and at least give yourself peace of mind. Check your stress level too. Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful

You are probably dehydrated. Try drinking an 8 oz. glass of water ever hour. This really helped me with the headaches and morning sickness. Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful

My Sister has had terrible Headaches during preganancy. There was no solution except to take tylenol. Headache did not stop untill 3rd trimester. Also we found the Headache got triggered by some foods which caused allergy and headaches. She got allergic to Garlic during the preganancy. Many a times staying on the computer or watching TV or Noise also started the Headache and at the first sign of headache, made sure that she took rest.
To ease the headache, keep the house very quiet, try to have a helping hand so your son can be watched when you get the Headaches and monitor every food that you eat so you can identify what is causing the headaches.

Hope this helps.

1 mom found this helpful

I had horrible headaches during my second pregnancy - I'm not a person who ever got migraines, and I've never gotten one since - but I'm pretty sure they were migraines: accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light - sometimes they were so bad I couldn't do anything but lie down in a miserable heap, and like you I had another child to take care of, so it was scary. For me, it was mostly an early pregnancy thing, so thankfully I didn't have to dealwith them throughout the whole 9 (10) months, but the only thing I ever found to help was the Tylenol, and taking it at the very first sign of the headache. My only real tip is to get someone - babysitter, friend, parent - to come over to help on those days when your headaches are really debilitating... pretty obvious advice, I guess! If you do find the miracle cure - please post it!

1 mom found this helpful

My first instinct is that you need to drink more water. It doesn't take much to be dehydrated. And with your body working so hard to grow that beautiful baby, you need even more than you used to. I would recommend that you have a minimum of 10 glasses per day and see how that works. Also, be sure you are getting proper nutrition. I know how hard it it when you are tired and in pain and have another little one to take care of. Sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves. Make sure you are taking a good multivitamin and getting a high protein breakfast. Keep eating small meals throughout the day. Try to make sure they are low on the glycemic index and that you are having a bit of protein at every meal. Get your fresh fruits and veggies. Pregancy is a lot of work on your body. With your new nutrition and staying hydrated, you are sure to feel better. Try to avoid medication if at all possible. it probably won't help anyway and you never know what small amount may pass to the baby. Not to mention that your organs are working hard now and you don't want to put more work on them than you have to (by making them try to filter the drugs).
Believe me, I know it is easier to pop a few tylenol. But for the long term health of your baby and of yourself, try the natural methods.

1 mom found this helpful

You can try iron. I always got iron headaches when I was pregnant and nursing and they would go away very quickly when I would take extra iron. Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful

Wow, 64 responses, that's the most I've ever seen! I had terrible headaches, ends up they were sinus headaches caused by the increase in mucus you get when you're pregnant. The doctor prescribed Fiorecet along with Sudefed. The Fiorecet is safe for the baby and the only thing that would take away the pain. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I had really bad headaches when I was pregnant with my son in the winter. My Dr. said to try tylenol...which I did, of course it didn't even touch it. It got so bad, I called again. She said to try Sudafed (the real stuff you have to get from behind the counter, not the PE). Because of the pregnancy, everything swells, including your nasal passages, the pseudoephadrine helps. I took one (30mg) along with my usual dose of tylenol and my headache was gone within 30 min! I tried not to use it all the time, but when it was really bad, it worked! My son has no problems or after effects from the medicine either! Check with your Dr. first though!

1 mom found this helpful

Dear A.,
I can totally empathise with you, because I had the same experience. Also, although tylenol is "safe", it is a drug, and if taken often and regularly may cause problems (affects the liver.) Besides, you say it doesn't help; (it never helped me either.) Pain killer medications typically aim to control the symptoms and not the cause. Here's the skinny.... try to find the cause of your headaches.

Now, I appologize in advance for the "lecture", but I'd like to share my knowledge, and I hope it helps you. Chiropractic may be the answer for you. It is the largest, drugless, alternative health care method in the world. And it's highly effective, safe and often can get to the root of the problem. Like any profession; medical, dental, legal or other, find a practitioner with a good reputation. Chiropractors use a variety of methods to correct misalignments to the vertebrae in the spine. Many are knowledgeable in diet, nutrition and exercise as well. Misalignments to the vertebrae may cause nerve pressure, muscle tightness or tension, headaches, back pain and many other problems. There are different causes of headaches and you may need help identifying the cause of yours.Your headaches may be caused by the hormonal changes going on in your body which alters the tone of blood vessels (and consequently blood flow) so you may be experiencing migraines. Changes in muscle tone can lead to neck and shoulder pain and tightness which trigers headaches. When muscles tighten, they pull the vertebrae (bones in your spine) out of alignment and put pressure on nerves, and related soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments and blood vessels (again, may cause migraine, or even a tension, stress headache.)Once your body gets in that cycle of headache and neck tension, it is hard to get out of it. (A chiropractic adjustment can stop that cycle, and it's so wonderful to be pain free.)Also, be sure your blood pressure is under control,(another cause of headache). (Yes, there is medication for that too, but if your curious ... Google online ..."University of Chicago study of Chiropractic and Hypertension"....suprising results!) Pregnancy also alters the tone of ligaments, causing many women to experience sacro-iliac pain, groin pain, back pain (but those changes are usually seen later in the pregnancy, and also respond very well to chiropractic care.)In biology class we've learned "structure determines function". Chiropractic adheres to this belief. If the structure is altered, so too will be the function, (and symptoms, usually pain eventually appear.) Sorry to be so long winded, but it seems like a possible solution that most people know so little about. For more information, you might want to contact the American Chiropractic Association at: www.amerchiro.org/

I hope you give it a try. Good luck.
A. F

1 mom found this helpful

Congrats on #2, I received some pretty good headaches with my first and it was because I was anemic. I would ask your doctor if you are anemic and if you are you need to increase your Iron intake and take it with Vit-C (OJ) and no Calcium aroung that time. Vit-c will help the Iron absorb better and Calcium will prevent it, so no Milk or calcium fortified beverage when taking vitamins/Iron; however, CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR.

1 mom found this helpful

I'm all excited. This is my first time responding to someone, but I've been reading for a few weeks.

I don't know what kind of headaches you're having, but mine have been really bad sinus ones. (I'm at 15 weeks with 1st baby.)

Finally found relief with a combo of cold air humidifier (make sure you keep the filter clean) and neti pot (saline solution in one nostril and out the other). If it's bad in the morning, I toss an ice pack on my face for 5 minutes before my shower and I can function.

Hope you feel better.

1 mom found this helpful

I had those headaches for both of my pregnancies. My doctor gave me a prescription for something that had both acetomitophine (tylenol) and a little caffeine. They definitely helped. Tylenol does nothing for me either. Ask your doctor again...tell him/her how debilitating they are and that it is difficult to take care of your other one. Mine were much worse and much more frequent the second pregnancy too! Good luck...you'll make it through!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi,
I am so sorry you are dealing with headaches. They are terrible, I know. I have 3 children and had migraines with the 2nd and 3rd. How is your blood pressure? If it high(like mine was)that is probably a huge factor. Hormones don't help either. My midwife suggested that I try and lay off all caffeine and lower my sodium intake to see if that helped and it did a little. When you do get a headache though, try putting an ice pack on your head and laying down. Put a movie on or something so that your son will relax and you two can cuddle together. Perfect excuse to cuddle and get some rest :) Good luck and I hope they get better real soon.

K.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi - it's possibly the hormones causing it and also less rest/sleep since you already have a baby (I experienced it too for the same reasons). If the doctor can't give you more than Tylenol, try doing yoga or stretching to relieve stress and take the knots out, hot showers, aromatherapy, whatever you can do that is homeopathic...and also there is this AMAZING massager that I bought out of desperation from Sharper Image called the Thumper. It was like $75 but worth every penney, and still does amazing things for taking away headaches, etc. a year later. Good luck. Pregnancy is not for the faint of heart (or head).

1 mom found this helpful