Safe Tips to Treat Headaches During Pregnancy

Why Does My Head Hurt?

Women often experience tension headaches during the first trimester. "It's most likely because of fluctuations in hormones," says Sheena Aurora, MD, director of the Swedish Headache Center, in Seattle. "By the second trimester," she says, the pain subsides because "the hormones are steadily high."

Of course, there are many other possible reasons for your throbbing head. "Ask yourself, 'Are my headaches being stimulated by something in my diet?'" says Lillian Schapiro, MD, an ob-gyn in Atlanta. "'What medications am I taking? What time of day are they happening? Is there anything [I'm doing that] I can change?'"

In the third trimester, when you're carrying a lot of additional weight, consider whether poor posture might be a factor in your headaches. The strain on your neck and shoulders could lead to muscle spasms, which can irritate nerves in the back of your head. Or you might develop muscle tightening and spasms from sleeping with your head in an unnatural position.