These headaches are killing me, and I'd REALLY prefer not to take any medicine. I'll do a Tylenol if it really gets bad, but wondering if anybody has suggestions for more natural headache remedies. Help!
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If it's due to sinus pressure laying down with a hot washcloth over your eyes & temples helps me some.
(((hugs))) I'm the same and it's frustrating!
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I use therapeutic essential oils on my temples.
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Did you give up caffeine?
If so a few sips would probably help along with a big glass of water!
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@locavore_mama: Thanks, lady! I will try that tonight.
@emg86: Which oils do you use?
@Mamaof2: I hadn't been doing caffeine for a while before this pregnancy, but I've been drinking some tea daily since the beginning of the second tri to help with the headaches. Thank you!!
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I had sinus headaches for a while in the beginning, I just had to lay down in the dark w/ a towel on my forehead and try to sleep it off!
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water, water, water. And a neti pot helped some too. Mine seemed to get better the further into 2nd trimester I go and now they aren't common.
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@psw27: Why is it so hard (and so necessary) to drink a ton of water while pregnant? It's so easy when I'm NOT pregnant. Geez! And thanks for saying it got better the further you got into the second tri. I'm 17+4 today and am waiting for that day!
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@snowjewelz: Thanks girl!
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@mfa_lady: It totally sucks.. Hang in there!!
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@mfa_lady: Ugh trust me I know! I am sitting here staring at my bottle of water almost gagging at the thought of drinking it. I am 34 w and struggling with it still... It just grosses me out and I never had this problem not pregnant (in fact all I drank was water 99% of the time!)
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Agreed with the suggestion of caffeine...for bad headaches I'd do a little bit of real Coke and it helped.
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@psw27: SAME HERE! Why is it suddenly so disgusting when you need it more than ever?! Geez. Thank you for the commiseration. Even that makes me feel better!
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@MrsA: Thank you!!
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I rubbed peppermint essential oil onto my temples and certain pressure points on my hands/wrists. This also helped when I felt nauseous!
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@mfa_lady: I've learned to not be so hard on myself. If all I want is cranberry juice or lemonade then it is what it is... hang in there!!
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@grizz: That sounds heavenly right now. I may have to try it out! Thank you!
@psw27: Thanks, friend! I'm working on that part.
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Temperature fluctuations really help. Soak your feet in a bucket of hot water while hunched over with a bag of frozen peas at the base of your skull. Do that until the water has cooled in the bucket. Take a hot shower, then blast yourself with cold water at the end, paying attention to spray your head and neck. Drink hot tea, then lay down in a cold, dark room with an icepack over your eyes and at your neck.
Also, something my doctor suggested that helped me get headaches less often is to have regular snacks that combine sugar, fat, and protein all in one. I started drinking smoothies with yogurt and coconut oil or nut butter and that really helped.
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lots of water (I find having a BIG water bottle with a straw helps to keep hydrating myself), and a massage never hurts either!
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Try pinching your nose bridge right at the top, kind of right between your eyebrows. There are two pressure points there and when you get them you'll feel it and your headache will go away (at least while you're pinching... and if you do it for a while it usually makes mine go away completely)
This really wroks for me, i get a ton of headaches and i'm not a big fan of meds (jokes on me... needed infertility drugs, haha!) so even before i was pregnant i never took headache meds
You pinch right at the top, kind of pushing "up" into your brows more than pinching "in"
I added a picture (stock photo from google plus some arrows)...
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I just had to rub some peppermint oil on my temples for nausea/beginning of a headache. And I'm with you on the water- I used to drink 120 oz. a day and now it's all I can do to drink a glass, and there has to be ice in it. Plain water is the worst!
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Relaxation was key for me. And it could in many forms: Staying OFF any screens for an extended period (laptop/phone/TV), laying in the dark perhaps listening to music or audiobook for distraction, long hot shower, massage a la DH, chocolate was a nice placebo as it made me happy, and lots of water. Underlying any remedy was taking it easy. And learning my triggers and avoiding them such as staying out in the sun too long, not getting enough water, over exerting myself, stress.
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I'm not pregnant but I do rub peppermint oil on my temples when I am getting ready for an IVF cycle and can't take Advil (Tylenol just doesn't work for me). The peppermint oil really does help me! I hope it works for you too!
I also drink a lot of water which seems to help as well. Hope you're feeling better soon!
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I got a couple of bad migraines in pregnancy and found that slamming a caffeinated soda and some Tylenol would really take the edge off so I could sleep it off. Hope this helps!
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Usually a Mexican Coke does it for me.
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@gingerbebe: @catomd00: @LaughLines: @LulaBee: @californiadreams: @Sunshine1810: @Mrs. Jacks: @Amurray: Thank you all so much for your ideas and encouragement--I really appreciate it!
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@Mrs. Jacks: I did this too.
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@Mrs. Jacks: @Amurray: Ice cold Mexican Coke was my fav pregnancy vice! It worked for nausea AND headaches!
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@grizz: for me it was Dr. Pepper but if I couldn't do that, Mexican coke would be good too
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@mfa_lady: Ugh drinking water is hard because my bladder gets full easily!
Thank you ladies for all of the amazing ideas! I have migraines almost daily and nothing has helped.
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I'm on the caffeine and tylenol plan as well. I get bad headaches that last 3-4 days and I've had to go easy on myself and take the tylenol as needed or I just can't function. I try to take it before it gets really bad or there's not much I can do to help.
with my first pregnancy it got worse near the end of 1st tri and got better further into 2nd tri. I'm hoping to get the same relief this time.
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@bhbee: Thanks, lady! I'm 17+4 today and REALLY hoping they lay off soon. It's impossible for me to get any work done during the day when a bad one strikes. I hope you feel better soon!!
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My favorite is peppermint oil, but I put it on my temples then all the way around my hairline. You can also mix some lavender in. I've heard that helps even more. Good luck! Pregnancy headaches are no fun.
For all you moms having a hard time drinking water, I recently found out Vitamin Water now makes an all natural liquid drop version that you can add to water at home! I just bought the lemon flavor and am super excited to try it. Best of luck!
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I think the key to trying to treat/avoid headaches is to try to understand the reason behind them. From there, there rare all kinds of treatment options other than medicine. For example, tiredness versus sinus pressure versus caffeine/sugar withdrawals.
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@mfa_lady: Oh yeah, I was getting wicked migraines around 19-22 weeks I think. One week I got them 3 times - it was unbearable. I went with Tylenol in addition to all the tips I posted before, but the fast release kind and took it with hot tea to get it to work ASAP. I also wanted to make sure no sinus issues were making it worse, so I slept with a humidifier cranked up and used a neti pot in the shower every night to clear everything out before going to sleep.
But I really did notice my headaches reduced in frequency once I added that fat/sugar/protein snack twice a day. Small smoothies, fruit/cheese/nuts, yogurt parfait, a PBJ with milk, etc. My favorite was smoothies but I think it was because I also enjoyed the cold factor.
I also have about 6 ice packs in the freezer - the reusable ones that have the gel filling. I kept one over my eyes and one at the base of my neck while I laid down in a cold dark room (after hot tea and Tylenol). That would usually help me fall asleep and I'd feel better after a nap.
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