Migraines during pregnancy

[jaerostep@yahoo.comStudent]

Does anyone know anything about migraines during pregnancy? My daughter is having a hard time with them. I am thinking it is due to the hormones in pregnancy since she got them in her last pregnancy and doesn’t have problems when she isn’t pregnant.

The only things I can think of off the top of my head is upping her water. She isn’t out of all day “morning sickness” yet. We talked about magnesium and then more cruciferous vegetables to regulate her estrogen however she can while pregnant.

I understand migraines can come from many sources so we are trying to eliminate everything we can. She is seeing a NUCCA chiropractor to make sure no nerves are pinched.

Any other ideas would be appreiated. I do worry about herbs during pregnancy. Though I appreciate the list Dr Jones wife made. I have it out constantly since all my kids are all baby making years.

Thank you

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

Sometimes lemon balm is really great for migraines and it’s safe for pregnancy.

I’d also make sure her water intake and calorie intake (small, frequent snacks/meals..like every 2 hours) is consistent. Those two things are almost always the root of early pregnancy headaches. Have her aim for 100 g of protein a day too…so that’s going to be 5, 20-gram protein meals/snacks a day.

Also make sure she’s on a good prenatal vitamin (Garden of life).

The Rezzimax Tuner is also amazing for headaches. It’s OK on the head for pregnant ladies, just keep it off the belly.

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

3 users thanked author for this post.

Hayley David, Shannon Rey, gennysgarden

[jaerostep@yahoo.comStudentTopic Author]

Thank you Dr. Jones. We found out it was ham that we were having at Thanksgiving and all the family functions that month. I am not sure if ham has msg but I remember your stories of your wife and her headaches if she ate msg. I try never to eat it but didn’t think about ham because I only buy it at Thanksgiving.

Thanks again

Jacque

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

Hams are often full of MSG.

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

1 user thanked author for this post.

jaerostep@yahoo.com

[gennysgardenStudent]

I started struggling with migraines as a college freshman. Though my headaches have improved greatly since I made some major dietary and lifestyle changes 17 years ago, I noticed that I am still prone to getting them more often while pregnant. I worked with a nutritionist during one of my pregnancies and discovered that I was very deficient in magnesium, even though I ate plenty of magnesium-rich foods and took a high-quality prenatal vitamin faithfully. Supplementing my diet with 210 mg of magnesium lactate daily helped tremendously. I had previously tried supplementing with magnesium citrate, but had no results. Something about the magnesium lactate was specifically what I needed. I hope this information can benefit other expectant moms who are suffering with migraines. 🙂

[Brooke SarazynStudent]

I was just recently pregnant with my 3rd child and having some issues with migraines that turned out to be rooted in dehydration. I tried so many different electrolyte solutions, etc without success. What worked for me better than anything else was to have a glass of unsweetened apple juice ( the most real looking , whole food juice you can find) a tiny pinch of mineral salts ( it has to be real salt not table salt) first thing in the morning. The apple juice has naturally occurring electrolytes and sugars that in combination with the mineral salts which provide essential minerals is able to aid in dehydration and in turn relieve associated headaches. I learned this from my chiropractor after months of nothing working for me and having to receive IV fluids. In pregnancy we need more water than normal bc we are creating amniotic fluid and potentially throwing up a lot. I’m not sure if this will help your daughter but I thought I would share in case she resonates with it and would like to try relieving the migraines by using food as medicine. My one word of caution is to be careful how much salt you put in the cup and not to use it more than once a day bc if too much salt is used it can potentially raise blood pressure. The smallest pinch is more than enough to get started off on the right foot in the morning.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Elizabeth Savelli

[Elizabeth SavelliStudent]

Thank you for an actionable, useful suggestion. So simple yet the potential to be incredibly helpful

[Candace JacksonStudent]

I experienced major headaches  in my first 4 months. I found using Chamomile tea was very beneficial and helped a lot.

[Kelly ClemmerStudent]

Adding my experience! I’m 15 weeks with my 5th pregnancy and the headaches have been bad.  I try to stay hydrated, use mineral salt on everything, eat frequent snacks…I found that cramp bark and lemon balm really helped my headaches! I’ll get headaches for a few days in a row, take those herbs 1-3xpd, experience decent relief, and then I’ll be good for days.

I also have LOW blood pressure, which I’m trying to manage with hydration, nutrition, and rest.  It makes everything difficult as I get dizzy and blackout or nearly blackout regularly.  I know the cramp bark and lemon balm can have a BP lowering effect, but I haven’t noticed that it gets any worse when I take them.

Also, the salt in water helps with the BP, maybe the headaches too, but too much will make you go #2 very urgently (only AFTER it happened to me I remembered that that is a common “cleanse” method!)

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