Headaches During Pregnancy

Carrying extra weight of the developing fetus during pregnancy can bring a myriad of medications. Although these health issues are not serious, they are bothersome and can spoil the entire day's schedule. Generally, the intensity of headache varies from mild to moderate pain. The discomfort many times travels down to the shoulders and the neck. Headaches become really a 'headache', when they are diagnosed as migraines. Unlike normal headache, migraine pain is long-lasting and may even take more than 2 days to disappear.

Causes

Hormonal Imbalance
Hormone imbalance is common in the first trimester (first 12 weeks pregnancy) that can trigger headache. In fact, headache in the first trimester, usually mild pain, is the most common symptom of imbalance in hormone levels in the body.

Inadequate Sleep
Poor quality of sleep or one may say sleep deprivation, a common complaint among pregnant women can bring migraines. The developing baby in the womb can surely disturb a good night's sleep. The aches and pains during pregnancy can bring sleepiness, which may ultimately lead to headache. Sleep quality is at its worst when the woman is in her 9th month of pregnancy.

Insufficient Water Intake
Pregnant women, who do not consume adequate water daily are bound to suffer from dehydration. Now, dehydration not only brings headache and dizziness, and vertigo, but can also lead to loss of energy (extreme tiredness).

Poor Posture
Poor posture, especially improper sleeping position can cause tension headaches. Sleeping posture that triggers undue strain on the neck, can cause headache.

Stress
In the later stages of pregnancy, women unnecessarily worry about the baby's health. Although this cause of concern for the baby is understandable, worrying too much will bring mental stress, which may manifest in the form of headache.

Follow Proper Sleeping Habits
The adage, 'early to bed, early to rise keeps a man healthy and wise', if implemented in the daily routine can work wonders to stop episodes of headache during pregnancy. Stop watching those 11 pm TV serials and go to bed early. Also, sleeping in the proper way (lying sideways) can help to stop headache.

Home Remedies

Yoga and Meditation
Getting stressed up during pregnancy is normal, but an effective way to manage stress, would be to practice yoga and meditation. These techniques can help to cope up with stress effectively. Meditation is an ancient discipline that provide calming effects to the mind, thus helping to relieve stress and headache. Deep breathing exercises provide an easy way to relax the mind.

Heat Therapy or a Cold Compress
Application of warm or cold compress on the forehead is another effective solution to relieve stress. Application of ice packs or a hot towel on the forehead can bring a considerable amount of relief.

Eat the Right Food
Stay away from foods that cause headache. Pregnant women should avoid eating red meat, aged cheese, fast foods and fruits like avocados. Beverages like wine and beer can also trigger headache. Switch over to a healthy diet and prefer fresh food, instead of preserved ones.

Pregnant women may never experience mild to moderate or even severe headaches, if aforementioned lifestyle modifications are made in the day-to-day routine. Pregnancy can never be a headache for those who prefer to take appropriate precautions regarding eating and sleeping patterns.