26 percent of women experience migraines during the first trimester. Headaches are the body’s way of bringing attention to an issue. The system is aggravated until it’s forced to react, and the unfortunate result is pain.
Toxicity, restricted blood flow, and dehydration are 3 of the main reasons women suffer from headache during their pregnancy.
What Causes Headache During Pregnancy
Headaches are the most common form of pain during pregnancy. They can occur at any time, but are most likely during the first and third trimester.
I hate to have to say it, but pain is a good thing. It forces us to stop and look at what may be going wrong with our body.
Headaches are an excellent indicator that there’s an issue. It may be from stress, tension, or misalignment, but the 3 top causes during pregnancy are toxicity, dehydration, and restricted blood flow.
1. Toxicity
We live in a world where toxins overwhelm us from every direction. Coal tar based dyes in food, damaging fragrances in our beauty products, harmful chemicals in our cleaners, and contaminated tap water. These hazards accumulate and wreak havoc in our systems.
Toxicity is the main cause for headaches during pregnancy. The liver, spleen, and lymph may all be clogged and not able to filter properly.
During the first trimester there’s a huge increase in blood volume in order to produce amniotic fluid. This creates stress on the liver.
If the liver is already congested it can’t handle the intense load of extra fluid and filtering for the baby.
Another reason for toxins overwhelming the system is Leaky Gut. This issue allows undigested food to get into the body through the blood, and forces a reaction. For this reason, women may suffer constant headaches until the allergen is pinpointed.
Most people know about gluten intolerance. It now affects 1 out of 7 people. Due to generations of unhealthy eating, our systems have broken down and we get sick from foods our grandparents never thought twice about.
With the added stress and pressure from a child growing within, the nerve fibers in the intestinal tract become noticeably aggravated by a food allergy.
While gluten intolerance is widely accepted as a known allergen, a dairy and casein sensitivity is (for the most part) swept under the rub.
I definitely had no idea it was so common. When I first started having digestive issues, I thought they were related to certain foods. It took me going off dairy completely to realize that I was intolerant.
Some women with sensitive systems may also get headaches from ingesting caffeine.
A highly unpleasant prospect for die hard coffee lovers. I understand the agony of saying goodbye to this delightful beverage. During my first pregnancy, the simple smell of coffee would cause me to run from the room.
Removing food allergens is a great way to help the body begin to detoxify. Use a journal to discover what may be causing headaches. Every time an ache begins to form, write down what you ate and drank within the past hour or two. A pattern will emerge.
Other great ways to gently assist in cleaning out the system are a liver detox tea (Check to make sure it’s okay during pregnancy!), magnesium bath (foot or full) and vitamin B6 (found in chickpeas- also great for reducing nausea).
2. Dehydration
Another common reason for headache during pregnancy is dehydration. Our society runs on coffee, soda, and other highly acidic foods. They tend to exasperate a system already in need of water.
It’s also common that women simply don’t drink enough water to replenish the amount that they are losing. This may be because they are consuming too many of the beverages listed above, and don’t realize they may actually be thirsty.
For pregnant women especially, it’s important to stay hydrated. Their blood volume increases 50 to 60 percent throughout the pregnancy, and a major component of blood is water. In order to keep up with this new demand, it’s recommended that women drink 8 to 12 glasses of water.
3. Resticted Blood Flow
Headaches can be the result of restricted blood flow. During the third trimester, many women begin to slow down their physical activity. We sit to take pressure off our feet.
Without movement the blood becomes more stagnant. When blood isn’t able to flow properly it can result in headaches, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and other issues.
Natural Headache Relief
Women have begun to search for more natural methods to ease their headaches during pregnancy. The adverse side effects of over-the-counter pharmaceutical pain relievers are becoming more widely known.
Water
Water not only re-hydrates the body but washes out toxins as well. Using water to expel a headache works about 90 percent of the time.
The best practice is to drink an 8 ounce glass of water at room temperature. Wait 10 minutes to see if there’s any change. If not, repeat the process.
There are a few things you can add to your water to assist in relieving a headache.
- My favorite method is magnesium powder. Calm is delicious and always works in chasing away a dull ache.
- Adding 1/4 of a teaspoon of ginger has been known to knock out a migraine. (If that’s too much ginger for you to handle, cut it down to 1/8.)
- Trace Minerals PowerPak is great for re-hydrating the body. (I buy mine at Wegmans for less. There are also multiple flavors.) The minerals help with absorption of water. Also, with its high concentration of vitamin C, I use it anytime I need to boost my immune system.
Stretching and Moving
Stretching and moving is incredibly important during pregnancy. Especially during the third trimester. Many women sit at a desk all day. Often with poor posture, which leads to misalignment and tense muscles.
Moving encourages blood flow. Skin contact with the ground adds an excellent boost. Grounding, or earthing, is actually becoming a health trend. Scientific research suggests that mental and physical health benefits are linked to this practice.
Personally, I walk around barefoot. I’ve always loved the calming sensation of grass under my feet. And that was long before I knew there were benefits such as improved sleeping, reduced pain and inflammation, and less stress.
However, not everyone has the time, opportunity, or desire to do this. In that case, a grounding sheet for your bed would make an excellent substitute. (There are also mats and pillowcases.) They mimic the effects of the Earth by plugging into the “grounding” hole of an outlet.
Alkaline Diet
Migraine headaches can be caused by eating too many acidic foods. Counteract this by adding more greens, fruits, and vegetables to your diet.
Another way to offset acidity is to drink 1/2 teaspoon of food grade baking powder in your water. If desired, drink this mixture morning and night.
Note: It’s very important to get food grade baking soda
Magnesium Bath
Magnesium deficiency is the #1 deficiency in America. No wonder when stress depletes magnesium storage.
Magnesium relieves stress and aides in detoxification. It also opens the arteries which helps with blood flow. The best way to use magnesium is by putting the oil in a bath.
Epsom salts are one way to do this. However, I was told by my natural health practitioner that the best form to use is magnesium chloride. I used Health & Wisdom Magnesium Bath Salts.
Soaking in a warm bath for 20 minutes, inhaling the lovely scent of lavender and chamomile, was a great way to end long days. The regular baths also drastically helped reduce swelling in my hands, legs, and feet. Every pregnant woman should give it a try.
Pressure Points and Massage
Have you ever gotten a massage and felt all the stress melt from your body? Relaxation and kneading pressure points send the brain messages for relief.
Particular areas to focus on when a headache won’t go away, are the face, hands, and feet. Headaches behind the eyes and temples are referred to as biliary headaches. Bile is built up and the liver’s congested.
When my husband has biliary headaches and sinus congestion, I massaged his face with oils. This encourages movement in the lymphs, and sends relief through pressure points.
Grab jojaba oil and add three drops, each, of peppermint and lavender. (High quality essential oils are the best when used on the skin.) Dab a small amount under the nose to inhale while your face is massaged.
Women with sensitive skin may not be able to put essential oils on their face. Try inhaling near the mixture, or diffuse the two.
Next, use jojoba oil and light pressure while you rub circles on your temples. Run fingers along the top of the brow line.
Careful to avoid eye contact, use the ring finger to run from the temple, along the top of your cheek bone, into the bridge of your nose, and along the bottom of the brow.
You could also use a light and rhythmic tap from the temple, along the forehead, and across the top of the cheekbone.
A great addition to this massage is working the lymphs in your neck. Start at the groove between the bottom of the ear and the jaw. Use slight pressure to rub down to the collar bone.
It’s a truly phenomenal experience when you’re able to lay there as someone else gives the massage.
Foot and hand massages do wonders as well. The peppermint and lavender mix are great to use on these locations.
For the hand, gently put pressure on the skin between the pointer finger and thumb. For the foot, start with the big toe and work down the arch. These locations have liver pressure points.
A cayenne pepper muscle rub is excellent for opening up the arteries. In order to keep it away from the eyes, the best points to massage are the feet and occipital.
Add half a teaspoon to coconut oil. If you enjoy the hot and cool combination, add peppermint oil to the mix.
Chiropractic Care
One of the best ways to get relief from a headache is to go to the chiropractor. The benefits will be most notable during the third trimester.
An adjustment realigns the body and eases discomfort attained by extra weight and abnormal positions we tend to sit in.
Misalignment of the jaw can lead to headaches as well. Teeth grinding and clenching the jaw are two main reasons why this occurs.
Towards the end of my first pregnancy, my chiropractor showed me a trick to relieve tension and stress headaches with the occipital pressure point.
He placed his finger at the base of my skull, on either side of the spine, and gently pulled up. It helped stretch my muscles and felt amazing.
For the best results, ask a chiropractor to demonstrate the technique on you.
Dangers of Pharmaceuticals During Pregnancy
There are many women that have suffered from a debilitating migraine. Out of desperation to relieve the pain, pharmaceutical drugs were used. However, there are other options that would be better for the health of you and your baby.
Painkillers cause liver and blood toxicity. Pharmaceutical drugs are a petro chemical (coal tar based) that inhibit or block nerve receptors. They don’t cure the problem. Rather they simply shut off the pain.
Tylenol is the #1 pain relievers prescribed by prenatal doctors. Yet, they often fail to tell women about the possible side effects from the active ingredient, acetaminophen.
Side effects include:
- The most commonly reported adverse reaction to acetaminophen include vomiting, nausea, and constipation. (1)
- Taking acetaminophen during pregnancy may cause neurodevelopment harm to the unborn baby. (2)
- Using acetaminophen for 4 weeks or more can increase your unborn baby’s risk of autism and ADHD. (3)
- In the 3rd trimester, acetaminophen may cause prolonged gestation and labor, increased blood loss during delivery, and increased maternal mortality. (4)
It’s almost comical that minor side effects of pharmaceutical pain killers are similar to migraine symptoms.
The fact that there’s no information provided on acetaminophen causing autism, when approximately 1in 44 children in the United States are diagnosed with this disability, is beyond horrible.
(Check out my article on using Tylenol during pregnancy for more details.)
Think About It
With fast-paced lives, often at a desk, it takes conscience effort to achieve and maintain health.
To prevent future headaches, it’s important for pregnant women to eat a well-balanced diet, drink plenty of water, and do some form of light physical activity every day.