Chorevia

Day 55 of 280 · 7 weeks + 6 days

Headaches

Last reviewed · 3 min read · 7 sources · Plain-text version

Headaches are common this week. A two-minute diary finds your triggers, and here is what to ask before you take anything for one.

Size this week
about the size of a grape
Length this week
around 10 mm from head to bottom
A white woman with her hair tied back resting her forehead on one hand at a kitchen counter, a tall glass of water and a pen beside her, morning light.

Seven weeks and six days, the last day of week 7. Today is the headache: what to write down when one starts, and what to ask before you reach for anything.

Your baby

A single green grape on a plain pale wooden table, close up, soft window light.

Around 10mm from head to bottom, about the size of a grape (NHS). The NHS's line for this week: "The arm buds are getting longer, and the flattened ends will soon become tiny hands" (NHS). The brain and face are developing alongside them (NHS).

Your body

Headaches and cramping are both on the NHS's list of symptoms for this week (NHS). MedlinePlus says headaches are common in pregnancy, that relaxation techniques may help, and that you should ask your provider whether a medicine is safe before taking it (MedlinePlus).

That last line matters more than it used to. Some studies have linked acetaminophen use in pregnancy, especially chronic use throughout pregnancy, to autism and ADHD; a direct causal relationship has not been established, and the CDC's position is that pregnant women should consider avoiding acetaminophen as a precaution and talk to their providers before starting or stopping any medicine (CDC). Motrin, Advil, Aleve and other NSAIDs are a plain no while pregnant (MedlinePlus). Fluids are the other half: blood volume rises by up to 50% during pregnancy, which can make you thirsty, and the NHS suggests about eight medium glasses a day (NHS).

Try today

  1. The headache diary

    Time: 2 minutes per headache, for a week

    1. When one starts, write the time and what you'd had to drink since waking.

    2. Add last night's sleep, your screen time, and when you last ate.

    3. Write what you tried and whether it eased: rest, water, a quiet room. Relaxation techniques may help (MedlinePlus).

    4. Take the page to your first visit and ask which medicine, if any, is right for you (MedlinePlus).

    Make it work:

    If the drinks column is short, start there; the NHS's target is about eight medium glasses a day (NHS).

Watch for

  • Normal

    a headache that eases with rest and fluids; headaches are common in pregnancy (MedlinePlus).

    Call your provider

    for a headache that won't go away or gets worse over time; it's on the CDC's urgent list (CDC).

  • Normal

    a headache the diary explains, after a skipped meal or a short night.

    Call your provider

    for any change in your vision, or a headache that comes with blurred vision or dizziness (CDC).

  • Normal

    reaching for the usual bottle out of habit.

    Call your provider

    before you take anything for a headache, including acetaminophen, which the CDC says to consider avoiding as a precaution (CDC); and skip Motrin, Advil, Aleve and other NSAIDs altogether (MedlinePlus).

  • Normal

    feeling tired on your feet by evening (NHS).

    Call your provider

    right away for dizziness or fainting; the CDC says to seek medical care immediately for any sign on its list (CDC).

For you

If you stopped coffee cold the day the test turned positive, you don't have to live at zero. MedlinePlus says that during pregnancy it is fine to have 1 or 2 small cups (240 to 480 milliliters) of caffeinated coffee or tea a day, keeping intake under 200 mg; a 6-ounce cup of coffee has 75 to 100 mg (MedlinePlus). The Office on Women's Health puts moderate intake at under 200 mg a day, about the amount in 12 ounces of coffee, and says to ask your doctor (OWH). The NHS's word for this week is to cut back, not to quit (NHS).

If you're the partner: a glass of water put within reach does more than asking how her head is.

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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