It turns out that women who are planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding a child need to treat migraines in a special way. What are these approaches?

Today, there are many effective ways to deal with migraines. Why aren’t they planning for children?

Migraine control during pregnancy and breastfeeding is difficult because drug options are limited.

Many drugs to reduce the number of seizures can not be taken. And most others are undesirable.

Women with migraines are advised to cancel all medications at least two weeks before conception. But in order not to suffer from severe attacks at this time, you need to prepare in advance. Ideally, this stage of preparation takes from 6 to 12 months.

What exactly needs to be done during this period?

First, you must learn how to quickly relieve an attack at the very beginning of its development. It is important. After all, if for many years you suffer severe pain for 2-3 days several times a month, migraine will gradually become more frequent.

Secondly, you need to clearly control the effect of migraine provocateurs. External provocateurs may include food, medicine, smells, weather, noise, flickering light, lack or excess of sleep.

Internal provocateurs are stress, including “positive excitement”, a drop in blood sugar due to large interruptions in nutrition, a deficiency of magnesium and iron, and neck pain.

The third task is to make seizures more rare. To do this, you need to contact a specialist and choose one or another prophylactic for migraine.

Medicines are selected strictly individually. And they must be taken for several months.

In addition to drugs, non-drug methods deserve much attention. If you often have discomfort or pain in the neck and shoulders, mild manual therapy may help. Metered exercise is also beneficial. For example, aerobic classes for 40 minutes 2-3 times a week. But in no case do not wear classes.

Fourth, you should start taking folic acid in a dose of at least 400 mcg per day.

And what if the woman does not have these 6-12 months to prepare? And is pregnancy planned in the near future?

Then it is wise to give Botox anti-migraine injections.

Injections are performed according to a special protocol at 31 points on the head, neck and shoulders.

Two weeks after the introduction of Botox, migraines disappear or become more rare. Moreover, their effect lasts at least three to four months. Thus, you will minimize the frequency and severity of seizures in the most important first trimester.

But if pregnancy has already begun, Botox injections should be abandoned.

In the period of preparation for pregnancy, it is useful to master the biofeedback technique, or biofeedback therapy.

Relaxation and stress management techniques will also be helpful. After all, stress is one of the main provocateurs of migraine.

Well, we met with the preparatory methods. The next stage has come – the pregnancy itself. What happens to migraines at this time? Do they become more frequent or disappear?

In most women, migraine can stop. But only during the second and third trimesters.

In the first trimester, a headache, as a rule, remains. And it can even become more frequent and difficult.

Therefore, it is so important to plan ahead what you will do during attacks for at least 14 weeks.

Many expectant mothers are afraid of drugs and are preparing to endure headaches.

It is reasonable if migraines are mild, not severe. In this case, you should try to control the migraine provocateurs as much as possible so as not to cause unnecessary attacks.

For mild headaches, coffee, cola, or strong sweet tea can help. But only if your pressure does not increase. A walk in the fresh air is also beneficial.

For many, pain stops during sleep. So if you can, try taking a nap.

You can use some distracting methods. For example, smear forehead and whiskey. Do acupressure or gently massage your head and neck. Apply a warm heating pad or, conversely, ice.

Migraine attacks are often accompanied by nausea. How to deal with it?

Drink more fluids – water, diluted juice, or ginger tea. Nausea can also decrease if you eat dry cookies, banana, or applesauce.

Avoid strong, pungent odors. Take vitamin B6 at a dose of 30 mg per day.

Unfortunately, the headache is not always able to endure or remove distracting procedures. What painkillers are still allowed for pregnant women?

During the entire waiting period for the baby, you can take paracetamol in a dose of 325-500 mg up to 4 times a day.

Caffeine is also allowed. Of course, these painkillers are not very strong. But during pregnancy they can be drunk absolutely fearlessly.

More effective on migraine are aspirin. But they can be drunk without fear only during the first and second trimesters. When planning a pregnancy, they are undesirable. And in the third trimester are generally prohibited.

Are these recommendations for nursing mothers? And how do migraines behave after childbirth?

After the birth of a child, a serious hormonal change occurs in the female body. This circumstance, together with stress and lack of sleep, serves as a provocateur of migraines. Therefore, after childbirth, seizures can become more frequent.

Breastfeeding, on the other hand, can help delay the return of migraines for several months. So breastfeeding can be very beneficial for health.

But with severe attacks, in no case do not suffer pain. Take the medicine.

All ergotamine preparations are prohibited. Antiemetic drugs cerucal and raglan are also not recommended for feeding.

And remember: if you still have to drink prohibited painkillers, then you need to store supplies of milk.

Save milk from the day you did not take the medicine. And use it on the day you take unwanted drugs. In particular, this applies to anti-migraine painkillers triptans. Also try not to drink them more than twice a week.