Managing Migraine After Having a Baby and While Breastfeeding
Reviewed by: HU Medical Review Board | Last reviewed: May 2022 | Last updated: June 2023
Having a baby can change your migraine symptoms in unexpected ways. Pregnancy may mean relief from the condition. But symptoms may come back after delivery. One study found that nearly 27 percent of women had a headache attack within 3 days of delivery.1
When you give birth, estrogen levels suddenly drop, setting off migraine. Estrogen is a hormone your body makes. It plays a role in reproduction. Other factors can also lead to the return of migraine after delivery, including changes to:2,3
- Serotonin levels
- Oxytocin levels
- Stress
- Sleeping and eating patterns
If you plan to breastfeed after delivery, you will need to consider which type of migraine medicine you take. Some can cause side effects for your baby.
What can a postpartum treatment plan include?
You and your doctor will work together to manage migraine symptoms after you give birth. A treatment plan will likely include a combination of medicine and lifestyle changes.3
Which non-drug options can be used?
Here is a look at some non-medicine options and alternative treatments to help ease migraine symptoms:2,4,5
- Sleep: Quality sleep, especially in the early weeks after delivery, is crucial in controlling migraine. And it is one of the best things you can do for your overall health. Try your best to sleep when your baby sleeps.
- Nutrition: A healthy diet will also help to manage migraine. Avoid alcohol, and be sure to drink 8 glasses of water a day.
- Breastfeeding: There is evidence that breastfeeding can ease migraine, but more research is needed. The good news is breastfeeding does not seem to make migraine worse.
- Ice: Try wrapping an ice pack with a towel. Or, simply use a cold cloth and place it on your head.
- Relaxation exercises: Use relaxation exercises like deep breathing and meditation for stress relief.
- Biofeedback: This is another technique to reduce stress where you manage your body’s functions, like your heart rate.
- Acupuncture: To ease migraine, a practitioner inserts thin needles into different pressure points on your skin.
Which prescription and over-the-counter options can be used?
Several prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) options are available to treat migraine. Which one you take depends on:6
- How often you get headaches
- How they impact your life
- Whether you have any other health conditions
Your doctor may suggest you take:6
- Pain relievers: OTC pain medicines include ibuprofen (Advil®, Aleve®, Motrin® IB) and aspirin.
- Triptans: This class of drugs blocks pain signals in the brain. Triptans come in the form of pills, injections, or nasal sprays.
