Hello!

Hi I am wondering if any mums are migraine sufferers and have experienced a migraine during labor? or had to deal with migraines during pregnancy? Thank you, Sharna :)

Posted by Sharna 3.2.2013


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  • No not during labour. I made sure I was well hydrated and plenty of food and snacks leading up to delivery. Keeping a very calm environment!


  • Follow a set pattern of ur daily routine consume water alot and eat and sleep properly


  • Fortunately I didn’t get migraines.


  • Oh my god, that would be horrible. Childbirth is hard enough without having to deal with added pain from a migraine! It never happened to me and I empathise with anyone who would suffer both at once


  • No i did not but i have heard its normal!


  • No, I didn’t have this problem.


  • I hope everthing went well. I have never had a migraine so don’t know


  • I still suffer from severe headaches and migraines, but during pregnancy, there wasn’t much I could do than try and have a nap in a dark room with NO noise at all.


  • there wasnt much i could do i slept in a dark room and had a heat bag on my head.


  • I have never suffered with that but I hope it turns out okay.


  • I didn’t but hope you got the info you needed.


  • I think it would be especially awful having to deal with one during labour.


  • I am a migraine sufferer and normally get them about 1 every 1 to 2 months but during pregnancy I got them 4 to 5 times a week :(


  • I hope everything goes well for you


  • I suffered a lot of headaches and migraines during my pregnancies. I can’t remember if I had one during one of my labours, I think I may have. I found it best to lay in a dark room and take a nap if possible, I didn’t like to take painkillers at all.


  • Not during labour. That’s like double whammy


  • Regardless of being pregnant I suffer from migraines :(


  • Good luck hope that helps


  • What migraines during pregnancy are

    No, it’s not just in your head. Indeed, migraines aren’t your typical headache. These severe, throbbing headaches, which can affect one or both sides of your head, can last for hours or even days. Sometimes these pains in the head are preceded (or accompanied) by what doctors call auras — neurological symptoms that include blurred vision, flashes of light, and numbness or tingling in your arm or leg. To top it off, migraines (with or without auras) can make you feel nauseated (as if morning sickness didn’t cause enough queasiness!), fatigued (as if you weren’t tired already!), dizzy, and extremely sensitive to light and sound.

    What causes migraines during pregnancy

    As with other pregnancy headaches, you can blame those raging pregnancy hormones. But hormones aren’t the only culprits. Experts believe that migraines during pregnancy may be caused by changes in nerve pathways, an imbalance of brain chemicals (including serotonin, which helps regulate pain in your nervous system), and altered blood flow to the brain.

    Common triggers of a pregnancy migraine also include stress, fatigue, glaring lights, loud noises, excessive heat or cold, tobacco smoke, and certain foods such as chocolate, artificial sweeteners and nitrates in hot dogs and other processed meats (these last two are foods to avoid during pregnancy anyway).

    What you need to know about migraines during pregnancy

    Some women who have a history of migraines have them more often when they’re pregnant; others (luckily) experience fewer of them. Many women also have migraines for the first time during pregnancy.

    Because some research shows that women who suffer from pregnancy migraines may also be at increased risk for hypertension, preeclampsia, and other vascular disorders, check in with your doctor if you’re constantly suffering from a pregnancy migraine. You may want to be screened for these complications.

    What you can do about migraines during pregnancy

    Unfortunately, if you’re a regular migraine sufferer and you rely on strong migraine medications, you may have to table them until the baby arrives. But do ask your doctor whether he or she recommends any migraine meds during pregnancy (some may be safe to take). Both caffeine (try a shot of espresso) and acetaminophen can be helpful in mitigating a pregnancy migraine. (Just be careful not to consume more than 200 mg of caffeine. Also in some women, caffeine has the opposite effect — it actually triggers migraines, so you’ll want to get to know your triggers. See info on keeping a migraine journal below.)

    If caffeine and acetaminophen aren’t cutting it, or you’re looking for other ways to find relief, try the following methods to ease the pain of pregnancy migraines:
    Explore complementary and alternative medicine. Studies show that holistic therapies such as acupuncture, biofeedback, massage, meditation, and yoga can help alleviate migraine pain. These techniques can also help reduce stress, which is a migraine trigger.
    Keep a migraine journal. Write down what you ate, where you were, and what you were doing just before you experienced a migraine so that you can figure out what may be triggering your pregnancy migraines.
    Once you know your migraine triggers, avoid them. Yes, it’s obvious, but now you’ll have extra incentive to bypass that hot dog at the game, say, or tell your friend to ditch her cigarette (your baby will thank you). Also, don’t forget to get enough sleep. It can be hard to get adequate shut-eye during pregnancy (getting comfy in bed is no small feat when your belly is bulging, and waking up ten times a night to pee doesn’t help either), but since sleep disturbances and fatigue can trigger migraines, you’ll really want to make sleep a priority.
    Exercise during pregnancy. Doing aerobic exercise regularly (like walking, swimming, and bicycling) can reduce the frequency and severity of migraines during pregnancy. Fortunately, regular exercise during pregnancy is good for the rest of your body (and your baby) too! Once a migraine has hit, though, don’t whip out your sneakers and head for the gym, because exercise will only make your symptoms worse.
    Get some R & R (rest and relaxation). One of the easiest ways to alleviate migraine pain is to lie down in a quiet, dark room with a cold compress on your neck or forehead. With any luck, you’ll fall asleep and wake up migraine-free. Better still, if you suspect a migraine is coming on, it’s better to stop it in its tracks than wait for it to come barreling down on you full force. So, grab that cold compress and lie down earlier rather than later, and you might avoid that pregnancy migraine altogether.


  • I used peppermint for mine during pregnancy


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