Bad headache after birth: what to know

Caring for a newborn can mean broken sleep, missed meals, muscle tension, and too little fluid. COVID-19, Common Cold, Allergic Rhinitis, and Chronic Sinusitis may cause headache with fever, congestion, or facial pressure. Dehydration is more likely if you are breastfeeding, sweating, vomiting, or struggling to drink.

If you had an epidural or spinal anaesthetic, a post-dural puncture headache may become worse when sitting or standing and improve when lying down. High blood pressure and postpartum pre-eclampsia can also develop after delivery, even if pregnancy blood pressure was normal. The pattern and associated symptoms guide the assessment.

Ask someone to help with the baby while you rest, eat, and drink regularly. Write down when the headache began, whether posture changes it, your blood pressure if you have a monitor, and any medicines taken. Contact your maternity unit or clinician for a severe, ongoing, or posture-related headache rather than managing it alone.

Check every pain medicine with a clinician or pharmacist, particularly while breastfeeding or taking blood-pressure medicines, anticoagulants, or other treatments. Keep your follow-up appointments and mention swelling, bleeding, fever, or breast symptoms.

Get urgent help for sudden extreme pain, vision change, confusion, fainting, seizure, new weakness or numbness, trouble speaking, severe breathlessness, chest pain, fever with a stiff neck, or a headache with very high blood pressure. Seek prompt review for a headache that is worse upright after an epidural or spinal procedure, especially with neck pain, nausea, or hearing changes.

Could this be related to my anaesthetic or blood pressure? Is my medicine compatible with breastfeeding? Do I need a blood-pressure check, urine test, or further examination?