Ughhh

Ughhh do any of you other preggies have hormonal headaches? I have them everyday! It is frustrating to have a headache all the time (that is why I haven't made it to a playdate) and I have ACNE like I have never had before. Any suggestions on the headaches and the pimples?? I haven't changed anything so I don't really know why I am breaking out so bad! HELP!!!!!!

Thanks for letting me getting that out!! :cry

I had the pregnancy breakouts too and it just made me depressed every day to look in the mirror. But, I finally went to a dermatologist who gave me a cream I could put on to help. It worked okay, but they can't give you anything stronger like pills, which I didn't want anyway cause I knew it would clear up as soon as the baby came. I hope the headaches go away too. Wish I had better advice to give than just taking these little nuisances as they come.... :hug

I'm with you on the zit thing. I feel like I'm 15 again, only worse. It's all over my forehead, nose, chin, chest, back of the neck, and I even found a couple on my lower back and shoulders last night! Ack! I've got oily skin anyway, so mine's mostly from beau coup amounts of "extra" oil. Lovely. If I'm good about washing my face twice a day and using the Neutrogena Clear Pore nighttime clear gel, the face bit gets a lot better. I'm sure if I showered twice a day and exfoliated my neck and chest that would get better, too, but the rest of me would shrivel up like a prune, so I mostly just worry about my face. My hair gets really oily, too, which is a big pain. Blech.

Of course, none of this dampens the amour of my dh--though I feel particularly hideous! :rolleyes

Tea Tree Oil is wonderful for zits. Just the smallest dab goes a long way! I swear by the stuff. It's also great for cuts and scrapes. It's a natural anticeptic.

As far as headaches, make sure to drink plenty of water (sometimes they're caused by dehydration). Also, there's a accupressure point between your thumb and forefinger. About an inch in. Squeeze gently - if you're at the right spot, it'll hurt if you press to hard. Gently squeeze/rub for a minute or two. It usually helps my headaches.

Also, sometimes a little caffeine will help a headache. I know caffeine isn't recommended for us preggies, but a cup of tea can sometimes do the trick. Just don't overdo it or that baby will be hoppin'!

Hope you feel better!

Cori
Where do you get the Tea Tree Oil?? ANd is it expensive (having to watch my spending this month!!)

Any of the health food store will have it. Whole foods, etc. I've also seen it at vitamin stores. Any place that sells essential oils. Make sure to get 100% pure - it will say on the label. It's about $10 a bottle, and it lasts forever!

I had horrbile hormone headaches when I was pregnant with my sons (who said you were having a boy?). I was told by my OB to have a cup of tea or coffee and take Tylenol. Something about the caffeine helps. Most migraine drugs contain caffeine. It didn't really help me all that much, but trying can't hurt.

When I was pregnant with Virginia, my first 18 weeks I was having 3 to 5 days a week, EVERY week, when I had debilitating migraines. Interestingly, it would be either on the left side from the base of my skull/neck to my temple, or the right side... never across my forehead or generalized all over my head. And it went back and forth... never only one side. Good thing or I might have thought I had a brain tumor or something, it hurt so bad.

I am a mother of 3 (so then I was a mother of 2 and pregnant) and I couldn't just lay motionless in a darkened room... nor would I take anything other than Tylenol (which did nothing so I gave up taking it). I was DESPERATE.

Finally I got up my nerve and went to Bunzo Takamatsu at the Preston Royal Clinic for acupuncture. It took about 4 times in two weeks, to totally turn the situation around, but from the very first treatment, I felt better- the migraines weren't as severe, didn't last as long, and weren't as often (i.e. it was a 3 day a week, week, instead of 5). After two weeks and four treatments, I went to once a week for a month, and then once every other week for the rest of my pregnancy plus the first month postpartum. I only missed twice, and yep, the headaches came right back. But if I went every other week without fail, I had maybe 1 headache a MONTH instead of several days per week.

I am a natural childbirth woman , I hate needles of any kind, so I was NOT the first person you would ever think would get acupuncture, not at ALL. But for pregnant and nursing women, I think it is WAY better than pharmaceutical solutions, and it worked for me.

As a sideline, Virginia is 6 months old now and after the first month (when I went to acupuncture) I quit going... and didn't have any headaches, until about a month ago. Now I have started having them again, so I think I'm going to make an appointment. It's a pain now that the baby is here, though, because I don't have a sitter. (I'm a SAHM.)

Anyway, good luck! It is just so miserable to have headaches, and if you're still in the morning sick stage too, it's even worse! <HUG>

Delilah
Mom of Vanessa (7 years), Isaac (3.5 years), and Virginia (6 months)

I'm so glad you asked for suggestions on headaches. I haven't gotten migraines since high school, and ever since I became pregnant I will get terrible ones!! I haven't figured out what to do about them either, except if they really get bad I will take a tylenol (which I don't like doing).