Headaches in Early pregnancy---Help Please!

I've gotten headaches with all of my pregnancies then they come back after delivery... ugh they suck!
I have taken fiorocet for them and that helps a lot! If I could tell that it wasn't going to be too bad of a headache I would just take excedrin tension headache but if I knew it was gonna be bad I'd go ahead and take the fiorocet.
I hope this goes away soon for you... I'm sorry you have to deal with such horrible headaches!

In addition to the other posters, I did get some relief by eliminating some things from my diet - dairy and chocolate specifically. I went back to being able to eat dairy after about the 2nd trimester, but have never been able to eat chocolate again. Still, so worth it to cut way back on migraines.

My only other suggestion is to spend a lot of time under hard running water in the shower (I then also felt better lying down naked after and cooling off, but maybe that's TMI).

Good luck.

Tylenol is perfectly safe in pregnancy. I am not sure why people feel the need to martyr themselves while pregnant. Drink some water and have a rest.

DRINK LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER! Chances are you are a bit dehydrated as well as going through major physical changes. Drink 72 oz of water every day and see what happens. If it doesn't help take tylenol or call your doctor.

Are you drinking lots of water? That might help a bit.

oh wow, i suffered with SEVERE migraines with all three of my pregnancies. i lost 30lbs due to a migraine in the late first/early second trimester of my first pregnancy, and i was only 114lbs to start with. yes, i was 84lbs at 17 weeks pregnant... anyhow, with severe pain, you really have to weigh your risks/benefits of medications. if tylenol will help you, by all means, TAKE IT! if that's all it takes, you are fortunate. yes, it's ideal to not take any meds, but pain is also stressful for your body and your baby. i was not fortunate enough for tylenol to do it for me, it took a while to find my magical elixir(turned out to be stadol by the way). but, we went into my subsequent pregnancies prepared. although it seems against all logic, hydrocodone is quite safe during pregnancy, and i kept a low-dose vicodin on hand, and would take half when i felt one coming on - to avoid the out of control spiral that occurred with my first child. i think later in the pregnancy, my OB-GYN preferred fioricet, and i also had a stadol nasal spray on hand in the event that nothing else could touch the pain(i think i only used that once each during my 2nd and 3rd pregnancies). my point is, and i HOPE you are not anything like me with the migraines, check with your OB-GYN, they need/want to know about this type of thing - they will want to see you most likely, check your blood pressure, rule out any other issues, and let you know how/when to do more than what you're doing. additionally, a nice cold can of coke is helpful for some(while caffeine is a trigger for others), i know one lady that swears by warm water mixed with lemon juice. a BIG factor in headaches is dehydration - so make sure you're getting plenty of water. i hope you are feeling better really soon, headaches are tough! also, if finances allow, look into a prenatal massage or accupuncture.

Ugh...I had the same thing! Mine did go away but then they came back full force after delivery. I don't have much advice, but sometimes ice packs worked for me. You could also stay away from caffeine, chocolate, and super sugary foods. It really is okay to take Tylenol every day and if it helps, you should do it. Hang in there!

I had the same thing with both pregnancies... my doctor (been caring for pregnant woman for 25+ years) suggested I have a soda or coffee during the day. Usually people tell you not to drink caffiene, but it's okay in moderation. For me, my headaches were caused by a sudden caffiene withdrawl (I was suprised since I only had maybe 1 soda a day, or every other day, before becoming pregnant). But it really helped me feel better! Tylenol did nothing for me.. and I didn't want to risk taking something stronger. My kids are healthy and happy lol - no side affects from my 1 soda a day during pregnancy. Maybe it will help you? Good luck!

Is there anyway you can lay down for 10 minutes? That always helped with mine --I had them with both kids! It's the body adjusting to the new blood flow requirements.

Hang in there, just a bit longer and they should go away.

Also, make sure you drink tons of water.

I had HUGE migraines and morning sickness with both my pregnancies.

The ONLY thing that helped me, and per my OB/GYN's suggestion, was Acupuncture.
Just one half-hour session, and it was gone, completely.
It is very relaxing and does not hurt.
I highly recommend it.

Just find an Acupuncturist that handles pregnant women.

all the best,
Susan

I have migraines and I had not had them in years. When I was pregnant I got one and my doctor told me he would write me a prescription for Vicodin. He said it is one medication that does not pass through the placenta. You should be able to google meds you can take. The safest one are category A and B. C starts not so safe. Any letter after C is very unsafe for the baby. See if your doctor recommends Vicodin for very bad headaches.

I know exactly how you feel. I had the same headaches with my 1st pregnancy, & I got them in the beginning of this pregnancy too. I believe it may have been the caffiene withdrawl. I started taking organic raw apple cider vinegar everyday. Sometimes taking a magnesium supplement helps also. Congrats to you!!

Sweetheart I have had two children and I have had the same problem that is tendon headache caused by stress. Every female who's pregnant gets stressed out. You may not feel stressed emotionally. Your body just does not take care of your nutritious needs but also takes care of your new child's. The best thing I could tell you is to lay down on your back and relax your muscles. I hope you fell better and have a healthy delivery.

Ouch! Two suggestions - one is caffeine, which I know you're supposed to limit in pregnancy and I don't usually do caffeine at all, but for pregnancy headaches sometimes I just had to do it, and most studies seem to show that it's ok in moderation. It can be a total lifesaver! Also, my husband is an acupuncturist (www.sassackacupuncture.com) and he was able to work wonders on my headaches! He treats lots of women during all stages of pregnancy - a well-trained acupuncturist can do it very safely during pregnancy. If you go that route, make sure the person you see went to a two to three year acupuncture program (and not just a weekend course as some MDs and chiros do - not to knock chiros, but chiropractic is totally different from acupuncture, though that might be another route to try out). Good luck!

I am a little late on this, but my headaches went on for months. I finally tried drinking more water (literally 10-12 glasses a day) and that helped. Also my doc said you are allowed to take tylenol pm,(the headaches were really affecting my sleep) and while I worried about it, I did, and have a really healthy baby boy. Good luck, my pregnancy seemed soooo long with the headaches.

I found that motion sickness bands really helped. They go around your wrists and hit a pressure point. You can find them at Walgreens by the other motion sickness products.

I'm 14 weeks and have been having horrible headaches for the past 4 weeks. After some research and asking around, here are a few things that I've found that work: Tylenol (like you, I don't like to take very often so I try to avoid when I can tolerate the pain or use something else to dull it), alternating warm and cold compresses, warm showers (let the water hit wherever your head hurts most), and, sadly, caffeine. I had given up caffeine prior to getting pregnant but when my headaches started raging I researched and researched and kept seeing that caffeine (in small amounts) would help. And it did. Up to 300 mg per day is safe and a can of pop has less than 50 mg. Since I couldn't stand having throbbing headaches every day, I went back to my one can a day habit and my headaches have been much more manageable. If you're nervous about that, try the other things first and talk to your OB about safe pain management. Good luck!

I had horrible headaches with my first two pregnancies and never took anything. I think it's also related to hypoglycemia. For me, it was a vicious cycle: hypoglycemic then nauseous, no appetite because of nausea, headache. I was always feeling so lousy that I couldn't even force myself to eat and almost wished I could vomit for some relief. I'm now pregnant with #3 and had headaches again in the first trimester. Before it would get too bad, I'd take 1 Tylenol (500mg). That was usually enough for me to at least be able to eat. I didn't do coffee because I could never tolerate the taste in my 1st trimester. If it gets bad and Tylenol works, don't be so worried about taking it. It's safe during pregnancy, assuming you stay under the daily limit. Also, you're trying not to rely on it every day. With another daughter to care for, you probably don't have the luxury of lying down or taking a break.

Of course check with your doc, but mine suggests a little caffeine (even just a half a cup/can) and two extra strength tylenol as soon as you start feeling like you're starting to have one. Often this is first thing in the morning for me! Don't wait until it's really bad, head it off as soon as you can. I know we're made to feel bad for taking anything or even drinking a little bit of caffeine, but personally I think it's better to do that than let your body and personal life suffer the stress of a headache or migraine.

As a family chiropractor with a pregnancy and pediatric specialty, I recommend getting checked by your family chiropractor. We have great success with headaches and chiropractic is a safe drug-free option for pregnant women.
Feel free to send me a message or go to www.icpa4kids.org to find a chiropractor near you with a pregnancy specialty.
Also-have you had your blood pressure checked recently?