10 Natural Remedies For Headaches During Pregnancy 2024

Pregnancy comes with its own set of side effects, from nausea and fatigue to food aversions and headaches. And even though every woman is different, experiencing these symptoms isn’t fun, easy, or comfortable, and it’s only normal for women to look for supplements or remedies 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 make it hard for you to do your usual daily tasks. 

There is more than one type of pregnancy headache, from the one you experience early on during the first trimester to a variety of different types during your second and third trimesters. And sometimes^[2] they might turn into pregnancy migraines.

Read on to find the best natural remedies to address headaches during pregnancy.

10 Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Headache While Pregnant

During pregnancy, it’s advised^[3] to stay away from a variety of drugs and painkillers since they can potentially be harmful to the fetus and interfere with his or her development. That’s why many women search for home remedies they can try, instead, to get rid of this uncomfortable and sometimes unbearable pregnancy symptom. 

Head And Neck Cooling With Ice Packs

Studies^[4] show great improvement in mitigating headaches as well as migraines when using ice packs on the front and then back of the neck. Some studies^[5] even went as far as to use cryotherapy sessions to help relieve the 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:  instead of feeling pain, you now feel cold. Use an ice pack on your neck and head and try finding an area that will work best for you.

Neck And Scalp Massage

There’s no surprise that massage therapy helps improve your blood flow and reduce feelings of pain. It’s one of the most used treatments for body pains and aches. When it comes to headaches while pregnant, especially in the case of tension headaches and migraines, studies show^[6] how effective neck and scalp massage can be for reducing headache pain.

Even the American Massage Therapy Association reports that scalp massages can be extremely effective in reducing the duration, intensity, and even 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, and it’s due to the way it can affect the optic nerve and cause inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain. That’s why laying down and resting in a completely dark room can help reduce headache pain and even prevent the intensity from climbing to unbearable levels.

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 laying down.

Avoid Headache Triggers

There are some triggers^[7] that may be a part of your usual diet or lifestyle that can not only trigger headaches but also worsen them over time. These include allergens, inflammatory foods, caffeine, smoking or alcohol (which you shouldn’t^[8] 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 every time a headache occurs. Write down what you ate, drank, how you slept, and what did you do or used around the time the headache started. 

You might discover some triggers that fall out of the regular scope, which might not be harmful to others but are to you. This way, you might be able to prevent headaches and control their intensity.

Drink Plenty Of Water And Stay Hydrated

Dehydration^[9] is one of the main causes of headaches and during pregnancy, your need for fluids increases. 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 designed special pregnancy water bottles with markers so you can track how much water you’ve taken throughout the day. It’s a great way to prevent dehydration and an easy natural remedy to reduce headache intensity.

Eat Smaller, But More Frequent Meals

Don’t skip^[10] meals, and rather than having three large meals per day, divide your daily intake into 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.

This diet regimen is just as important for reducing the intensity of pregnancy migraines and headaches as it is for preventing them in the first place.

Take A Warm Bath Or Shower

Getting into a warm tub can be relaxing and help reduce the intensity of pregnancy headaches. It’s also a great way to relax your muscles and relieve any tension.

Still, it’s important to note that hot tubs and very hot baths should be avoided^[11] during pregnancy as they can be harmful to the fetus. It’s also important to talk to your healthcare provider before simply jumping into a warm bath on your own.

Implement Stress-Reducing Techniques

Stress is a big factor in pregnancy headaches and migraines and it’s often associated with tension headaches. During pregnancy, it’s important to keep your stress levels to a minimum so you can reduce the overall inflammation and pain in your body.

Stress is known to be harmful^[12] to your health whether you’re pregnant or not and implementing stress-reducing techniques can be extremely beneficial in the long run.

Try a variety of breathing techniques, meditation, journaling, or any other feel-good activity that relaxes your mind and body, helping you get from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest mode.

Pregnancy is not an easy state and coupled with nerves and anxiety, your stress can easily become chronic, worsening your symptoms, inducing high blood pressure, and increasing the intensity of your headaches.

Focus On Sleep

Even though it’s easier said than done, try to focus on getting adequate amounts of sleep as sleep deprivation^[13] 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 that are approved by your doctor, and darken the room.

Getting a good night’s sleep during pregnancy can be really tricky, but it’s definitely a great way to lower your stress levels as well as the intensity of your headaches. One of the best ways to combat sleep deprivation and improve sleep quality is to refers to go to bed at the same time every evening and rise at the same time every morning.

Move Your Body

Exercise is one thing and during pregnancy, some women might not be able to participate in it. That’s why it’s more important to simply move your body^[14], 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^[15] 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.

Migraines, on the other hand, are caused^[16] by the swelling of the blood vessels in the brain and the change in hormones, usually forming on one side of the head and getting worse with light, nausea, and vomiting.

When To See Your Doctor

If you start experiencing frequent headaches, none of the natural remedies seem to help, the intensity gets hard to handle, or you start experiencing dizziness and blurred vision, the question of what can pregnant women take for headaches comes to mind.

With these troubling symptoms, It’s always best to go to your doctor and have them perform some tests to ensure the headaches aren’t here 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.