Headaches During Pregnancy

The effect of headaches can be painful and demoralising at the best of times but when you are pregnant they can be all the more intense. Pregnancy headaches may seem like the end of the world and the last straw but they genuinely aren't as dangerous as they are frustrating and doctors commonly agree that headaches during pregnancy are not a cause for concern or a sign of a more serious underlying condition. However, this page is here to give you some hints and tips on how to deal with headaches during pregnancy.

The Pregnancy Headache - Basic information

Pregnancy headaches seem quite severe and occur in approximately 20% of pregnant women with more than half of them finding that these subside towards the final third of the pregnancy when the flood of hormones stabilizes and the body grows accustomed to its altered chemistry. They can however intensify during labour and become worse further still following delivery of the child. Please rest assured though that as much as your head may hurt your child is not subject to this pain as well as pregnant headaches are subjected solely on the mother. The reason that these headaches come about is due to hormones going crazy just as during the menopause, there is a strong link between the estrogen hormone and pregnancy headaches and migraines.

How common is it to experience headaches during pregnancy?

As we have mentioned above there is about a one in five chance in experiencing pregnancy headaches and when they occur it is most commonly in the first trimester.

The headaches that are most likely to be experienced are tension headaches which are the most common kind of headache. This can feel like a squeezing pain on your head or a steady dull ache on both sides of the head as well as the back of the neck. These can be intensified in people that already have a history of tension headaches

Reasons why you may experience headaches during pregnancy

The reason for headaches during pregnancy in some women and not others is unknown by physicians however studies continue to try and uncover their secrets.

There are some reasons that can be related though, and these reasons are:

Cutting down on caffeine and nicotine - When you find out that you are pregnant you may well decide to cut down on your caffeine and nicotine intake which can cause headaches all by themselves as the body's reaction to your withdrawal from these stimulants.
Fatigue - Being pregnant can make you more tired than usual and this factor is a very common cause of headaches during pregnancy.
Stress - It is often the case for women to get stressed out by worrying about their pregnancy and this can bring on regular headaches during pregnancy.

The best pain relief for pregnancy headaches

It is always better to be safe than sorry when pregnant so a trip to the doctor can do you no harm at all. However the likely scenario of doing this is being told that you will need to take a pain relief product that is deemed safe for pregnant women such as acetaminophen. Conventional pain killing relief drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin and prescription drugs are not recommended and may be deemed unsafe.

Please see our headache remedies page where we provide information on proven methods to relieve and cure headaches that do not involve taking any form of medication. These can be an excellent option for pregnancy headaches where the frustration can be immense without even being able to use regular medication as stated above.

Here is a list of ways to prevent and treat a pregnant headache:

Keep hydrated by drinking lots of water.
Don't stress yourself out by going to busy, noisy or crowded places as these can bring on pregnancy headaches very quickly.
Lay down in a dark silent room and rest.
Go out for a walk and take in some fresh air or sit outside in the garden for a while.
Lay down with a damp colt towel on your forehead or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel.

Avoid any rooms that you are going to be exposed to smoke or any potent smells.
If you know of any particular food or drink that you think may be responsible for bringing on pregnant headaches then avoid these.
Low blood sugar can be responsible for headaches during pregnancy and when you are eating irregularly as pregnant women often do this can often be a problem. Keep something sugary to hand if this is the case.
Try something new such as hypnosis, acupuncture or yoga to relax you. Hypnosis is a proven method of eradicating all sorts of headaches and can be a brilliant way to sooth and relax during your pregnancy.

Here is a link to one of many hypnosis downloads we recommend that can be used to provide you with comfort and relaxation during pregnancy:

www.hypnosisdownloads.com/pregnancy-childbirth/positive-pregnancy

We hope that this page has been useful in your attempts to find out how to deal with headaches during pregnancy. Please visit the rest of our site that provides further information on the different types of headaches that you can suffer from. Your pregnancy really needn't be ruined by a re-occurring pregnancy headache so please trust our advice on the hypnosis!