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The first three months of pregnancy (first trimester) During the first three months the symptoms of pregnancy can make your migraine worse. Morning sickness can mean that you feel like eating and drinking less which can cause low blood sugar and dehydration. If you are not careful this can make your migraines worse.
Migraine may worsen in the first few weeks of pregnancy but usually improves by 16 weeks. Paracetamol is considered safe throughout pregnancy. Aspirin and ibuprofen are generally safe before 30 weeks. Avoid aspirin when breastfeeding. Prochlorperazine has been used for pregnancy-related nausea for many years.
A migraine tends to be a very bad headache with a throbbing pain on 1 side of the head. You may get other symptoms just before a migraine, such as: feeling very tired and yawning a lot. craving certain foods or feeling thirsty. changes in your mood. a stiff neck. peeing more.
- 5 min
- 1
- Overview
- What causes migraine headaches during pregnancy?
- What are the symptoms of pregnancy migraine attacks?
- What are pregnancy-safe treatments for migraines?
- When should I worry?
- The takeaway
We’re gonna give it to you straight: Pregnancy can mess with your head. And we’re not just talking about brain fog and forgetfulness. We’re also talking about headaches — migraine attacks, in particular.
Migraine is a type of headache that can cause intense throbbing, usually on one side of the head. Imagine having a 3-year-old living behind your eye socket and relentlessly pounding a drum. Each beat sends waves of agony through your skull. The pain can make natural childbirth seem like a walk in the park.
Well, almost. Maybe we shouldn’t go that far — but migraine attacks can be very painful.
Migraine affects about 30 million Americans, 75 percent of whom are women. While many women (up to 80 percent) find that their migraine attacks improve with pregnancy, others struggle on.
In fact, about 15 to 20 percent of pregnant women experience migraine. Women who have migraine attacks with “aura” — a neurological event that accompanies or proceeds migraine and can manifest as flashing lights, wavy lines, vision loss, and tingling or numbness — generally don’t see their headaches improve during pregnancy, according to experts.
So what’s a mom-to-be to do when a migraine attack strikes? What’s safe to take and what’s not? Is migraine ever dangerous enough that you should seek emergency medical care?
Migraine headaches seem to have a genetic component, which means they tend to run in families. That said, there’s usually a triggering event that unleashes them. One of the most common triggers — at least for women — is fluctuating hormone levels, particularly the rise and fall of estrogen.
Moms-to-be who get migraine attacks tend to experience them most often in the first trimester of pregnancy, when hormone levels, including estrogen, haven’t yet stabilized. (In fact, headaches in general are an early pregnancy sign for a lot of women.)
An increase in blood volume, which is also common in the first trimester, can be an additional factor. As blood vessels in the brain expand to accommodate extra blood flow, they can press against sensitive nerve endings, causing pain.
Other common migraine triggers, whether you’re pregnant or not, include:
•Not getting enough sleep. The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends 8–10 hours per night when you’re pregnant. Sorry, Jimmy Fallon — we’ll catch you on the flip side.
•Stress.
A migraine attack while you’re pregnant will look a lot like a migraine attack when you’re not pregnant. You’re apt to experience:
•throbbing head pain; usually it’s one-sided — behind one eye, for example — but it can occur all over
•nausea
•sensitivity to light, smells, sounds, and movement
At-home remedies
These should be your first line of defense to avoid and treat migraine: •Know your triggers. Stay hydrated, get your sleep, eat at regular intervals, and steer clear of any foods you know bring on a migraine attack. •Hot/cold compresses. Figure out what eases migraine pain for you. A cold pack (wrapped in a towel) placed over your head can numb the pain; a heating pad around your neck can ease tension in tight muscles. •Stay in the dark. If you have the luxury, retreat to a dark, quiet room when a migraine attack hits. Light and noise can make your headache worse.
Medications
If you’re like a lot of pregnant women, you may loathe the idea of taking medication. Nevertheless, migraine attacks can be intense, and sometimes the only thing that’ll snuff out the pain is medication.
According to a 2019 study, pregnant women with migraine attacks have an increased risk of certain complications, including:
•having high blood pressure while pregnant, which may progress to preeclampsia
•delivering a low birth weight baby
•having a cesarean delivery
Older research shows that pregnant women with migraine have a higher risk of stroke. But — take a deep breath — experts say that the risk is still very low.
That’s the bad news — and it’s important to keep it in perspective. The fact of the matter is, most women with migraine headaches will sail through their pregnancies just fine. You can head off (pun intended) very serious problems when you know what to watch out for. Get immediate medical attention if:
Thanks to a more constant supply of hormones, most women get a break from migraine attacks during pregnancy. For an unlucky few, though, their migraine struggles continue. If you’re one of them, you’ll be more limited in what you can take and when you can take it, but treatment options are available.
Make a migraine management plan with your doctor early on in your pregnancy (and ideally, before), so you have tools at the ready.
Apr 2, 2024 · Headaches can be common in early pregnancy. They usually improve as your pregnancy goes on. They do not harm your baby, but they can be uncomfortable for you. A headache can sometimes be a symptom of pre-eclampsia, which can lead to serious complications if it's not monitored and treated. Pre-eclampsia usually starts after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Improvement of migraine in pregnancy. Migraine usually improves during pregnancy (in about 50-75% of women) during the second and third trimesters [Turanka, 2023]. The normal rise in pregnancy hormones can stabilise migraine without aura but has been associated with increased frequency of migraine with aura [Jarvis, 2018; SIGN, 2023; UKTIS, 2023].
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Jul 11, 2017 · Here’s what some experts recommend: Identify and avoid your triggers. Experiment by avoiding foods like chocolate, caffeine, and processed foods, to see if it affects your migraines. Make sleep a priority. Follow consistent sleep and wake times. Purchase and practice using earplugs and a sleep mask, if necessary. Use good sleep hygiene.
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