10 Natural Remedies For Headaches During Pregnancy 2024

Pregnancy has its side effects, from fatigue and nausea to headaches and food aversions. Although no woman is the same, experiencing these symptoms isn’t fun, and it is only normal for women to look for ways to get rid of them. 

Pregnancy headaches occur in around 39% of both pregnant^[1] and postpartum women and even though they aren’t harmful, they can be debilitating and interfere with your day-to-day tasks. 

There are many types of pregnancy headaches throughout the first, second, and third trimesters. Sometimes^[2], these might even turn into pregnancy migraines. Keep reading to discover the top natural remedies for headaches during pregnancy.

10 Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Headache While Pregnant

During pregnancy, it’s advised to avoid drugs and painkillers as they can potentially harm the fetus. That’s why many women seek home remedies to get rid of this uncomfortable and sometimes unbearable symptom.

Cool Your Head And Neck With Ice Packs

Studies show that ice packs against the front and back of the neck can be of great help when it comes to headaches and migraines. Some studies even went as far as to use cryotherapy sessions to help relieve pain and reduce the intensity of headaches.

Cold therapy reduces the pain because it causes your blood vessels to narrow, lowering the painful effects of vascular swelling. It also adds another sensation that competes with the nerve transmission of pain. Use an ice pack and try to find the area that works best for you.

Massage Your Neck And Scalp

There’s no surprise that massage therapy helps. It is one of the most used treatments for body pains and aches. With pregnancy headaches, especially in the case of tension headaches and migraines, studies show^[3] that neck and scalp massage can be quite effective in reducing pain.

Even the American Massage Therapy Association reports that scalp massages can work wonders in reducing the duration, intensity, and frequency of tension headaches.

Rest In A Dark Room

Light can make the headache pain much worse and even trigger it in the first place because it can affect the optic nerve and cause inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain. 

That’s why lying down and resting in a completely dark room can help reduce headache pain and even prevent the intensity from rocketing. If you’re unable to completely darken your room, even with good blackout curtains, get an eye mask and put it over your eyes before lying down.

Avoid Headache Triggers

There are some triggers^[4] that may be a part of your usual diet or lifestyle that trigger headaches and worsen them over time. These include allergens, inflammatory foods, caffeine, smoking or alcohol, which you shouldn’t use during pregnancy anyway, strong cheeses, and monosodium glutamate (MSG). 

Sometimes you might even have certain triggers you aren’t aware of. Keep a daily journal and note when a headache occurs. Write down what you ate, drank, how you slept, and what you did or used around the time the headache started. You might discover triggers that fall out of the regular scope. This way, you can prevent headaches and control their intensity.

Drink Plenty Of Water And Stay Hydrated

Dehydration^[5] is one of the main causes of headaches. During pregnancy, as your blood volume increases, so does your need for fluids, and the best way to stay hydrated is by sipping on water throughout the day.

There are even brands that design special pregnancy water bottles with markers so you can keeptrack how much water you’ve drank throughout the day. It is a fantastic way to prevent dehydration and an easy strategy to reduce intensity.

Eat Smaller Meals But Do So More Frequently

Don’t skip^[6] meals! And instead of having three large meals per day, opt for five or six, easy-to-digest smaller meals. This will help you feel fuller throughout the day, reduce the pressure on your digestive system, and help prevent low blood sugar levels and high blood pressure.

Dividing your daily intake can help reduce the intensity of pregnancy migraines and headaches and prevent them from occurring in the first place.

Take A Warm Shower Or Bath

A warm shower or bath can relieve the intensity of pregnancy headaches. It also lets your muscles unwind and reduce any tension. However, during pregnancy, very hot baths should be avoided^[7] as heat can affect the fetus. Be sure to consult your healthcare provider before getting into a warm tub by yourself.

Try Stress-Alleviating Techniques

Stress is known to be harmful^[8] to your well-being, regardless of whether you’re pregnant, and stress-alleviating techniques can be extremely helpful in the long run.

Try journaling, meditation, breathing techniques, or other feel-good activities that allow your mind and body to relax, helping you shift from fight-or-flight mode.

The nerves and anxiety associated with pregnancy can cause your stress to become chronic, When this happens, your headaches will surely be further aggravated.

Get More Sleep

Although it’s easier said than done, try to focus on getting enough sleep. Why? Well, sleep deprivation^[9] can be one of the main reasons for pregnancy headaches.

Try to make your bed as comfortable as possible, get a massage from your partner, use calming essential oils approved by your doctor, and darken the room. Also, go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.

Getting a good night’s sleep during pregnancy can be tricky, but it’s an effective way to lower your stress levels and the intensity of your headaches.

Move Your Body

Exercise is one thing and during pregnancy, some women might not be able to participate in it. That’s why it is more important to simply move your body^[10], get the blood flowing, and reduce inflammation in every area.

If your doctor gives you the green light and you feel good during your pregnancy, mild to moderate exercise is definitely beneficial on all fronts, but always proceed with caution and stop as soon as you feel dizzy, nauseous, or like your heart rate is too high. Pain should also prompt you to stop any exercise.

Causes

Since there are many types of pregnancy headaches, there are many causes as well. And even though experts can’t agree on why headaches begin, they do know a few common causes.

In early pregnancy, the usual causes of headaches are changes in hormone levels and increased blood volume which increases your blood pressure. Then there’s the stress, fatigue, and overall strain that can all cause dull headache pain.

Sinus headaches usually occur due to nasal congestion^[11] which is common in the first trimester.   When a woman suddenly stops drinking coffee or caffeinated sodas, withdrawal can trigger headaches. Frequent vomiting can cause dehydration which can lead to headaches; also, the heaving involved can increase intracranial pressure.

On the other hand, migraines are caused^[12] by the swelling of the blood vessels in the brain and the hormonal changes, usually forming on one side of the head and getting worse with light, nausea, and vomiting.

When To See Your Doctor

If the headaches become frequent, the intensity gets too hard to handle, and none of the natural remedies seem to help, you will start to think about what can pregnant women take for headaches? In this case, it is best to go to your doctor and have them run tests to ensure the headaches aren’t there because of an underlying health problem.

Medication during pregnancy is tricky, but since headaches can sometimes be linked to severely high blood pressure, it might be necessary to prevent more serious health complications like strokes by using them.

The Bottom Line

Headaches are one of the most common pregnancy symptoms and since the most pain-relieving medication is not allowed, almost every woman will ask “What can I take for a headache while pregnant?” 

Try these at-home remedies and see if the intensity reduces. If not, talk to your healthcare provider and get to the root cause of your headaches as well as find solutions on how to find relief.