Migraines. Oh migraines. They are horrible. Unfortunately migraines are hereditary – my mother gets chronic migraines, her father had them & both of her siblings suffer with them too. So luckily I have someone who knows a lot of migraine tricks.
Before pregnancy my migraines were manageable. I would maybe get a bad migraine a couple of times a year, you know the ones where your whole day is wasted in bed, and my other migraines would go away if I took an Advil & rested.
Now that I’m pregnant I’ve had about, oh gosh I don’t even know, maybe 15 migraines, 8 of them being really bad. I was around 7 weeks when I had my first bad one. It was also around the time I experienced alllll of my pregnancy symptoms (nausea, food aversion, morning sickness…). And then at around 21 weeks I didn’t get one for a whole month! But then one came back with a vengeance, a 3 day migraine. It was BAD!
As a first time mama I’m anxious to take any type of medication. I would take a Tylenol here or there and feel so guilty about it. After talking to my midwife, whom I love SO much, she reassured me (over and over again) that it’s perfectly fine taking the prescribed dosage of Tylenol when I’m feeling a migraine coming on. Angelo also made a good point that the stress my body is feeling while suffering through a migraine isn’t good either. I agree with that.
Sharing a few things I do before I take Tylenol when I feel a migraine coming on.
Before I take a Tylenol I do the following;
-Drink a big glass of water
-Have Angelo rub my shoulders, neck & back
-Stretch
-Eat something with protein, usually an egg on toast.
-Drink electrolytes
-Lay down & rest
If it doesn’t go away within an hour or so I take 1 or 2 tylenol depending on the strength of the headache.
And below are the things I’ve been practicing daily to prevent migraines from coming on
–Drinking a lot of water – I fill up 3-4 large mason glass jars a day which is about 72 ounces. I always have it by my side! Luckily I really enjoy drinking water. Every sip tastes like I just hiked a mountain. So refreshing!
-Eating regularly throughout the day I find on the days I eat balanced meals (esp with protein) I feel my best. I mean duh! But it’s not always the easiest to do. Here’s an example of what I eat in a day. Toast with OJ in the morning with a lot of grass fed butter, coffee & water, whole fat yogurt parfait bowl, egg sandwich with cheese or avocado, leftovers for lunch or a sandwich, and dinner. A favorite dinner I’ve been enjoying lately is steak with roasted veggies, a salad & toasted sourdough bread. And for snacks I love Larabars, fruit, spoonfuls of nut butter, cereal, muffins, hummus & veggies, fancy toast such as avocado toast.
-Electrolytes this has been a lifesaver. My friend Dr. Ronak Patel, who is an ND, suggested I try electrolytes. He recommends Jigsaw which is a healthier alternative to Gatorade. It tastes the best with iced cold water. Sometimes I put it in a fancy glass and pretend it’s a cocktail. A girl can dream. I don’t drink it everyday – I drink it maybe 3 times a week OR most definitely on days where I feel like I didn’t drink enough water like days I have photoshoots. I would have to say that electrolytes are my favorite supplement.
-Neck, shoulder & back rubs – I carry a lot of tension in my shoulders & neck. There’s a muscle that Angelo squeezes (that my mom showed us) that helps relieve the headache tension instantly. Having a tight neck for sure triggers my migraines. So a couple times a week Angelo & I do a spa night and give each other back rubs. It’s the best!
-Prenatal massage- a few weeks ago I had my first prenatal massage and it was heaven. A friend suggested that I do something special for myself monthly throughout my pregnancy & I decided that a prenatal massage is that! I scheduled one in desperation in the middle of my 3 day migraine. My gosh! It was amazing! I told her all about my migraines and the next day I was migraine free & haven’t had one since (knock on wood). I see Dr. Sarah Schindler at Connecticut Natural Medicine.
-Magnesium gel/lotion- Sarah recommended that I lather on magnesium gel to help ease the tension in my muscles. I apply it all over my legs (hello leg cramps) neck, back & shoulders. I maybe do this once a week. I do it when my muscles feel tight or after a long day of being on my feet. This gel does tingle! Especially on your legs (do not put it on after shaving!!!). I put a pea sized amount on my neck & shoulders. If my legs are feeling crampy I wipe it off with a warm wash cloth after 30 minutes of applying it.
-Warm soak in the tub with epsom salt- I love a good bath moment. I can write a whole blog post on how to have the best bath experience, ever. Haha! So a warm soak comes very easily to me! I love to meditate & connect with the baby during this time too. It’s our own special time together. Also please note that I said warm. My bath water is about 99 degrees which is safe for pregnancy. My midwife encourages baths because of my migraines. Please consult your doctor! I’m not a doctor just simply doing what is safe for me and my baby after talking to my midwife about it.
-Keeping a light schedule- this is SO important for me to do. I still am a bit bitter that I can’t handle “a lot” & that I need to live a pretty slow paced life but hey! It’s what I have to do for my health.
And that’s about it I believe. If you’re reading this it probably means you suffer with migraines, too. I’m so sorry mama! They are the WORST! I hope something here helps relieve your pain.
Sending my love & good healing vibes mama.
xo, V
