Pregnancy can be a pain — quite literally. While some parents find chronic headaches ease with pregnancy, many others find their head pounds harder and more often than ever. And just as headaches begin to ramp up, the usual treatment options — including most over-the-counter and prescription medications — are best avoided.

That doesn't mean you should ignore your aching head, especially if you have regular tension headaches or migraines, or if the pain interferes with your sleep or appetite. Diet tweaks, stress management, and other strategies may offer much-needed relief from the throbbing.

Here's a look at the different types of pregnancy headaches you might be experiencing and safe ways to treat them.

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Key Takeaways
  • Pregnancy headaches are real. Hormones, stress, and even missing a snack can leave your head throbbing while you're growing a baby.
  • Good news: Relief is possible. From cold compresses to prenatal yoga (or just a quiet nap), there are plenty of safe ways to soothe an aching head.
  • Know when to call the doctor. Most pregnancy headaches are harmless, but if they're severe, constant, or paired with other symptoms, it's best to check in with your provider.

What are the different types of headaches?

Headaches that hit during pregnancy are just like the ones you can get at any other point in your life. Here's a short primer on some of the most common types to help you narrow down the kind of headaches that plague you:

  • Tension headaches: If you feel a tightness or pressure on your forehead or the back and sides of your head causing a mild-to-moderate dull ache, you could have a tension headache. One of the most common varieties of head pain, tension headaches may also cause discomfort in the neck or shoulders and are often brought on by stress or hunger.
  • Migraines: Migraines cause moderate to debilitating throbbing pain that can last for hours or even days. Some women with migraines also experience blurred vision, light flashes, numbness, nausea, and vomiting.
  • Sinus headaches: A stuffy nose plus pressure around your eyes, cheeks, and forehead may signal a sinus headache. These typically occur due to a sinus infection and are commonly confused with a migraine. In both cases, the pain can get worse when you bend forward or lie down.
  • Cluster headaches: These severe headaches start quickly, with searing pain that usually centers on one eye or affects one side of the head. They tend to occur in clusters, lasting for days or longer. The good news: Cluster headaches are rare, especially in women compared to men.
  • Chronic headaches: If you're getting headaches on more than half of the days in any given month, they could be considered chronic. Migraines can be chronic, as well as other headache types — "chronic" just refers to how frequently they happen.

What are symptoms of headaches during pregnancy?

You probably already know what a bad headache feels like. Common symptoms of headaches during pregnancy include:

  • A dull aching sensation
  • Occasional throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head

Migraines can come with much more pronounced and potentially debilitating symptoms, such as:

  • More severe pain
  • Intense pounding, usually on one side of the head
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Flashing lights or other visual disturbances (known as aura)

Some women with migraines also experience light and sound sensitivity and find that pain worsens if they move or change positions. Many people feel drained for up to a day after the headache recedes.

What causes headaches during pregnancy?

As with so many fun pregnancy symptoms, you can thank your hormones — though there are many other causes during every stage of pregnancy.

"I got intermittent migraines that disturbed my vision with my first. I had dizziness with that pregnancy and this one as well, but no migraines this time around," says What to Expect Community member AMDarling1. "My midwife said they were likely hormonal migraines, like some women get during their periods."

Headache can have lots of triggers, which means it can come on at any time. Some common causes:

  • Hormones: Headaches are often an early sign of pregnancy. They tend to begin during the first trimester, when your hormone levels surge and blood volume increases.
  • Trigger foods: Certain foods — like cheese, chocolate, dairy, and processed meats like bacon — can trigger a headache in any trimester. Cutting back on caffeine in pregnancy may also result in withdrawal headaches.
  • Sinus congestion: If you're suffering from sinus congestion, a runny nose, or allergies, a headache may accompany your symptoms.
  • Dehydration: Nausea and vomiting can deplete your body of water, which can cause your head to throb.
  • High blood pressure: After week 20 in pregnancy, severe headaches may be related to preeclampsia, or sudden high blood pressure that occurs during pregnancy. The condition may raise your risk of a number of pregnancy complications, including premature delivery, so it's critical to give your doctor a heads up if headaches suddenly come on in the second half of pregnancy. Additional signs of preeclampsia include sudden severe swelling in the hands and face, vision changes, nausea, and vomiting.

Other causes can include:

Track your headaches (and what might be causing them) in the My Journal tool in the What to Expect app — so you and your provider can spot patterns fast.

On the bright side, for those already prone to migraines: Surging hormones during pregnancy sometimes (but not always) make those less-than-pleasant headaches less frequent.

When pregnancy headaches will end depends on what's causing them in the first place. If the signs and symptoms of pregnancy itself — stress, fatigue, surging hormones, congestion — are a major cause, you'll likely feel fast relief after delivery. But if you find that headaches continue well beyond pregnancy, make an appointment with your doctor to discuss treatment options.

What is the best treatment for headaches while pregnant?

Plenty of pregnancy-safe steps you can stop (and maybe prevent) your headache symptoms naturally. Here are a few tips by common headache types:

  • For tension headaches and migraines: Lie in a dark, quiet room for a few minutes. (If you're at work, close your eyes and put your feet up. Your boss should understand!) While you relax, try placing an ice pack or cold compress on the back of your neck for 20 minutes. Deep breathing and meditation can also channel calming vibes.
  • For sinus headaches: A stuffy nose is very common in pregnancy and can lead to sinus headaches, so try steam inhalation to relieve congestion and a humidifier to add moisture to the air. Apply hot and cold compresses to the achy spot, alternating 30 seconds of each for a total of 10 minutes, four times a day. Drinking lots of fluids, especially herbal tea or broth, can help clear stuffiness. And check in with your doctor if you think you have a sinus infection — if so, ask whether there's a safe nasal decongestant you can use.
  • For all headaches: While you shouldn't take ibuprofen or Aleve when you're pregnant, acetaminophen (Tylenol) can bring relief. Professional organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, stress that occasional use is considered safe to treat pain and fever during pregnancy. Always check with your practitioner for the right dosage and never take any medication, including over-the-counter drugs and herbal supplements, without getting your doctor's okay first.

Can you prevent pregnancy headaches?

Some headaches are unavoidable, but there are a few steps you can take to reduce your risk. Check out these tips to stop an oncoming headache before it happens:

  • Eat regularly. Skipping meals (and the crash-and-burn that comes after eating a lot of sweets) results in low blood sugar, which can bring on a headache. The fix: keep healthy snacks handy. Stash whole grain crackers, trail mix, or a nutritious granola bar in your bag, desk, or car.
  • Sleep well. Getting enough rest is especially important in the first and third trimesters, when you likely feel pooped. But don't overdo it, as too much sleep can actually make your head hurt too. If aches and pains are ruining your sleep, a pregnancy pillow may offer some relief.
  • Keep a food diary. Chocolate, cheese, dairy, and processed meats, among other foods, can trigger headaches. So keep track of what you eat and note links to your pain patterns, then cut any likely culprits from your diet.
  • Ease off of coffee. Cutting back on caffeine during pregnancy too quickly can lead to withdrawal headaches. Even if you're just a one-cup-a-day gal, wean yourself to half the serving size — or switch to tea — first before nixing caffeine entirely.
  • Get some air. Avoid hot, stuffy spaces — you're likely more sensitive to the heat than ever. Dress in layers so you can start peeling them off before you overheat. Stuck inside? Get some fresh air a couple of times a day, or at least open a window.
  • Switch lighting. Fluorescent lighting and windowless work spaces can trigger headaches, so take whatever steps you can to control your environment — or at least take regular breaks.
  • Seek peace and quiet. Noise can bring on a headache, so if you're extra sensitive to loud noises try to steer clear of places (like concerts) where you're sure to encounter it. If your job is noisy, ask your manager if there are ways you can reduce the din, or request a move to a quieter spot.
  • Watch your posture. Try not to slouch, slump, or bend over while you do close work (knitting tiny booties, crafting your baby's scrapbook) for long stretches of time.
  • Take care of yourself. To prevent stress from building into a headache, take a prenatal yoga class, meditate, or do some breathing exercises — anything that'll help you relax. Or try alternative medical treatments including acupuncture, acupressure, water therapy, or prenatal massage.

What to Expect Community member nikkibee1904 experienced headaches every day starting at the end of her first trimester. Her midwife suggested eating regularly and drinking lots of water, "and this does seem to help. Regular breaks at work, if you're looking at a screen, also help. And I've found that stress makes it worse, so try to keep calm!"

When to call the doctor about headaches during pregnancy

Many women, even those who have never experienced regular headaches, find their heads throb throughout pregnancy. The vast majority of pregnancy headaches are "primary" — meaning your head hurts, but there's nothing serious or anything to worry about.

But if your headaches persist for more than two or three hours or you have other symptoms (fever, visual disturbances, sudden dramatic weight gain, or puffiness in your face or hands), let your practitioner know right away.

In rare cases, so-called "secondary headaches" signal something else going on in your body, such as preeclampsia, and you'll want to make sure you get both the headaches and the underlying condition taken care of ASAP.

Managing headaches during pregnancy can take some time and patience. But once you know the cause(s) and how to head off common triggers, you'll likely be able to keep them more or less under wraps until delivery — when they should hopefully ease on their own.