[mini mac]

Had DS2 about 13 weeks ago now and have pretty much had a constant headache since then. Occassionally it goes away briefly but comes back to some extent everyday. It's not always bad but every now and then it feels like a migraine coming on. I used to get headaches quite a bit as a kid but it was usually related to heat, sport and not enough fluids (self explanatory) and they would go away with rest and fluids, sometimes needing paracetamol.

I remember with my firstborn having a headaches but they went away after a few weeks. Pretty sure it was to do with me not compensating extra fluids and he was sucking me dry through breastfeeding and not realising. Definitely not this bad or for so long.

I've been drinking extra water (I already easily drink 2.5-3L a day so guessing I'd have upped to about 3.5L a day). I eat well generally with a few sweet things now and then. I do drink around 2 cups of coffee a day but have done for years. Not particularly stressed, although we are busy gearing up to move house in a few weeks and have just done the whole home open/cleaning all the time saga. Possibly thinking too much about planning the house move between continuuing with the usual daily activities with the kids and normal weekly outings. And it's nearly Christmas of course (again, tho, I'm not particularly stressed about that). The last week or so baby has started to sleep through but my toddler has been quite unsettled with his sleep for a few weeks with teething and earaches.

Could I be getting headaches from a lack of decent sleep since DS2 arrived??

So I'm curious, has anyone else had lots of headaches post birth of their baby and was there an explanation?

[CherryAmes]

I've heard about post-epidural headaches - did you have an epidural/spinal?

I'd get it checked out, though, sounds awful.

[Chelara]

I had a headache pretty much the whole time in hospital after ds. Tiredness and posture while feeding were the culprits. A midwife was worried it was a spinal headache but it definitely wasn't ( didn't respond to panadol but wasn't constant). I'd get it checked out if you did have an epi or spinal but there certainly can be other causes. 6 months on I'm still getting visual disturbances and headaches due to lack of sleep.

[futureself]

My Lactation consultant told me that headaches due to oxytocin surges and the low oestrogen levels because of breastfeeding weren't uncommon. I had terrible ones for the first few weeks of DS's life and it took a while for my body to adjust to the hormone levels and for them to go away.

[mini mac]

My Lactation consultant told me that headaches due to oxytocin surges and the low oestrogen levels because of breastfeeding weren't uncommon. I had terrible ones for the first few weeks of DS's life and it took a while for my body to adjust to the hormone levels and for them to go away.

Sounds like a reasonable explanation... 13 weeks later though I hope my hormones sort themselves out bloody soon!


I'm hoping when DS1 returns to his usual good sleeping habits and DS2 is consistently sleeping through I'll get a reprieve and the headaches will bugger off!

And no I didn't have any drugs during labour so nothing to check up on there.

I guess my spine & hips could still be misaligned from the labour in general??

[Mumof1OneontheWa...]

I would go and get checked by a chiropractor - there may be something out of alignment from the birth or breastfeeding that is causing them

[KHK]

Your post reads exactly like me at the moment. 13 week baby who has started to sleep through, a toddler unsettled and constant headaches.
I did have an epi but they feel like hormone headaches to me. I am also on the mini pill and the Dr said that headaches can be a common side effect of this so I put it down to that?