Headaches during pregnancy: what to do?

By: Julia Ebbens (Nutritionniste) — 11/03/2020

Why we are at increased risk during pregnancy
Treatment strategies
When in doubt, see your doctor!
Key takeaways

As if dealing with morning sickness wasn't enough, 39% of women also suffer from headaches during their pregnancy.

In most cases, these annoying but temporary episodes are a natural consequence of the body adapting to pregnancy, although they sometimes signal an underlying imbalance.

Let's discover how to safely and effectively manage pregnancy headaches!

Why we are at increased risk during pregnancy

We know that the body undergoes significant changes when it is nurturing a growing baby.

The effect of this development can manifest in various physical ways for the expectant mother. Just as the increase in HCG (the pregnancy hormone) explains early pregnancy nausea, hormonal upheavals also predispose us to headaches once pregnant.

In addition to hormonal fluctuations, an increase in blood volume occurs in pregnant women, which can sometimes trigger headaches. Furthermore, a series of factors that can further increase the risk of headaches add to these natural pregnancy changes.

These include poor quality sleep, high stress, the decision to give up caffeine, poor posture related to our changing body, and drops in blood sugar levels, potentially worsened by food aversion during periods of nausea.

Of course, headaches can also be caused by dehydration, as it can be easy to forget to drink plenty with everything going on, and the desire may be lacking when morning sickness strikes.

The factors above tend to produce "tension" headaches, a common but benign discomfort, generally treated with rest, relaxation, and healthy eating.

For some women, however, headaches can be more problematic. Those who suffered from periodic migraines before pregnancy may experience a worsening of symptoms such that they endure sudden flare-ups accompanied by unpleasant nausea and "aura" disturbances. However, although this is harder to manage than ordinary tension headaches, they pose no risk to the mother or baby.

Sometimes, headaches during pregnancy are a sign of a more concerning condition such as pre-eclampsia or hypertension, which we will discuss below.

Treatment strategies

Treatment really depends on the cause and type of headache involved.

For example, for the ordinary headache (called a "tension headache"), studies indicate that essential oils such as peppermint have a role to play (probably due to the menthol compound present in this cooling oil), applied topically among other methods to reduce pain sensitivity.

Similarly, massage, yoga, and sleep can relieve these tension-type pains (as well as migraines), as can a balanced diet and following the recommended caffeine intake levels during pregnancy (about 200 mg per day).

Applying cold/warm compresses can also soothe the area and promote blood circulation to reduce tension.

In early pregnancy, when migraine attacks are more likely to occur, it may be helpful to limit certain dietary triggers, including:

• Chocolate
• Peanuts
• Dairy products
• Canned meats

Conventional painkillers such as acetaminophen (paracetamol) are another option if the pain cannot be managed through natural methods of diet, sleep, and stress management.

However, please seek advice from your doctor or pharmacist during this time, as it is best to avoid certain medications, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

When in doubt, see your doctor!

Of course, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish what is a normal part of a healthy pregnancy from what should be a cause for concern. A headache that is stronger than usual, increasing in severity, or accompanied by other symptoms may require further investigation.

To avoid any unnecessary anxiety, you can easily rule out the more concerning causes of pre-eclampsia/hypertension by consulting your doctor. And don't be alarmed if these complications are responsible for your pregnancy headaches, as both are manageable conditions that are very well controlled with your doctor's supervision.

Key takeaways

• Headaches, a common consequence of pregnancy, are completely normal
• Headaches can be divided into tension headaches, migraines, and those caused by other conditions
• Holistic treatment through essential oils, rest, and stress management can relieve tension headaches, while additional dietary changes tend to reduce the occurrence of migraines
• When in doubt, get checked, as headaches during pregnancy sometimes result from pre-eclampsia or hypertension, which require medical management.