Postpartum headaches are common but may cause concern if you’re breastfeeding.
They tend to be more painful and last longer than ordinary headaches.
Likely, this is due to fluctuating hormones after birth.
Verywell / Cindy Chung
Women who breastfeed had a 43% risk.
Treating Headaches While Breastfeeding
you’re able to treat differenttypes of headacheswhile safely breastfeeding your baby.
Some headaches, such as those associated with lack of sleep, may be managed with lifestyle changes.
Others such as tension headaches and migraines may require medication to manage.
Hale’s Lactation Risk Categories is a standard guide used to assess which medications are safe during lactation.
This can help you and your healthcare provider determine which medication will work best for you.
If that isn’t effective, talk to your healthcare provider about increasing the dosage.
Discuss options with your healthcare provider.
Alternative Treatments
you might treat headaches and migraines while you’re breastfeeding without medication.
Theselifestyle changes and at-home treatmentscan bring relief:
Summary
Headaches are common after you give birth.
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doi:10.1002/jcph.1113
Association of Migraine Disorders.Breastfeeding and Migraine.
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U.S. National Library of Medicine.Nortriptyline.
2013;53(4):614-27. doi:10.1111/head.12064
Burch R.Headache in pregnancy and the puerperium.Neurologic Clinics.
2017;18(1):106. doi:10.1186/s10194-017-0816-0
