Can You Take Headache Relief When Pregnant?

Headache is common during pregnancy. It can be triggered by hormonal changes. There’s no cause for concern. Headache relief when pregnant is safe.

However, if your headache is more frequent in the later part of your pregnancy, then you should tell your doctor right away.

Is it safe to take it?

Can You Safely Take Headache Relief During Pregnancy? 

Some medicines are safe to be taken during pregnancy. For occasional headaches, acetaminophen is safe to use. However, you should consult with your physician so he can recommend other safe medications.

Before you take any headache relief medicine, make sure to talk to your healthcare provider.

What are the Causes of Headaches During Pregnancy? 

Many pregnant women experience headaches in the first and third trimesters. Around week 9 of your pregnancy, you may experience an increase in the number of migraines or headaches you have.

One of the causes is an increase in blood value your body produces. Other causes will include the following:

Insufficient Sleep 

Sleep regulates the body’s functions. It affects mood and our organs. Thus, when you are sleep deprived, you experience many mental and physical health issues.

If you have insufficient sleep, it can lead to a lot of cognitive issues. Research has established a link between sleeping problems and headache issues.

Insomnia during pregnancy can be the result of various factors, including hormonal changes. But the issue is more likely to arise if you have sleep problems before getting pregnant.

During the first trimester, your progesterone is high resulting in sleepiness during the day. Insomnia during pregnancy is also caused by nausea, anxiety, frequent bathroom trips, and restless leg syndrome.

To manage your insomnia during pregnancy, you need to practice better sleep hygiene. It is a habit that makes it easier to fall asleep.

Sleep hygiene means you need to sleep in the bed and not anywhere else. You should also wake up and go to bed at the same time every day.

To help, you sleep faster, make sure that your bedroom is dark and cool. You can block out all artificial lights by using this weighted eye mask. It has been proven to make the wearer fall asleep faster.

Caffeine 

Caffeine during pregnancy is safe. However, you must not drink too much as it affects your ability to sleep at night.

If you find it difficult to sleep even with just a cup of coffee in the morning, it is a sign that you need to withdraw from consuming caffeinated drinks.

In that case, you have to stop taking coffee, some tea, and cola drinks. There are herbal teas that can lull you to sleep while others contain a high amount of caffeine that disrupts your sleep.

Dehydration 

It is a huge challenge for pregnant women to maintain proper fluid balance. The reason is simple — hormonal changes. The changes increase the loss of water and electrolytes.

If you lose fluids too quickly, you become dehydrated. During pregnancy, your body’s water needs increase. But it is difficult to maintain fluid balance.

Morning sickness can also cause dehydration. It affects 50% of expecting mothers. But some suggest that it is as high as 70%.

The symptoms include vomiting, nausea, and increased sweating. Unfortunately, vomiting can speed up the loss of electrolytes and water, leading to dehydration.

And when you’re dehydrated, you are likely to experience migraines or headaches.

If you change your diet during pregnancy, diarrhea may also be expected. And diarrhea is known to cause dehydration, especially if you don’t replace the water and electrolytes you have lost.

Stress 

It is common during pregnancy because of the changes in your daily life. Some types of stress can cause serious health issues, including high blood pressure and premature birth. It can also cause headaches.

Pregnancy is a time when you experience many changes in your life, body, and emotions. Unfortunately, these changes can add stress to your life.

High levels of stress can go on for a long time causing more health problems.

To reduce stress, you need to stay healthy and fit. Make sure to eat healthy foods and get plenty of exercises. With these in mind, it will be easier for you to get some sleep.

And having enough sleep can alleviate your stress and relieve your headaches.

If your household chores are making you feel stressed, you may ask your partner to help.

You may also try relaxation activities, such as meditation and yoga. They are not only useful in reducing stress but they can also prevent or relieve headaches when pregnant without taking a pill.

Treating Your Headache When Pregnant

There are various natural ways to treat your headache while pregnant. You should talk to your doctor to know the safest way to relieve it.

For many pregnant women, migraine medicine may not be advised. You should treat your headache without the use of medicine.

Since insufficient sleep is one of the causes of headaches, you might want to get more sleep. As mentioned, you can use a weighted sleep mask to help you fall asleep faster.

Yoga and meditation may also help in quieting you down.

Eating regular meals is also highly recommended. Make sure to avoid food that can trigger allergies.

Otherwise, you will be experiencing allergy symptoms that can also activate your allergies.

You should avoid these things to prevent headaches

• Chocolate
• Sour cream
• Peanuts
• Strong smells
• MSG
• Computer screens
• Intense exercise
• Stress

If your headache persists without medicine, you should check with your doctor to know the right medicine for it. Paracetamol is safe for pregnant women. Don’t use aspirin or ibuprofen.

On the other hand, if your frequent headaches don’t resolve with paracetamol, it can be a sign of a more serious condition, like pre-eclampsia. It typically happens in the second half of your pregnancy.

Headache Relief for Pregnant Women 

You should determine what triggers your headache. Once you know the triggers, you manage the pain without taking medicine for headache relief.

If you want non-pharmacological headache relief, check out our migraine relief cap. Remember, we offer FREE shipping worldwide.