I have apparently had two migraines in the last week. The first was a really bad bad headache (and I have a high threshold for pain) and I could not think straight. Noises bothered me some but they always have with headaches, even minor ones. (Or without, I do not handle sounds well.) This one yesterday just about left me incapacitated with pain and fatigue and light and noise irritation.

What can I do naturally? I am still nursing but I do not believe she is getting any milk. I can't hand express even a drop. Plus, she will be 4 in two weeks.

hot foot baths can help, some rosemary oil in the water.
feverfew can help some people too. good luck

I'm right there with you. I try to nurse right before I take Imitrex (he only nurses a few times a day and now I'm to the point of being able to talk him out of midday nursings. my baby - he's going to be 3!).

Massage, massage, massage! It really does seem to help. It also helps to be in a darkened quiet (ha!) room.

After reviewing my diet and lifestyle the last two weeks, I have been under a little more stress. We have had a client's sister that has been a real b**ch to me. Also, I have done more soda in the last three weeks than I have done in the last 4 years. And, it replaced my water. I know I am at least partially dehydrated. I am working on drinking as much water as I can handle right now. I have also had, on top of the soda, more sugar than usual. It has just been a crazy few weeks. So, I am readjusting my diet, trying to get back to a regular schedule with my yoga, and enjoying life more (as much as I can, my head is still fuzzy 2 days later).

Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal has some herbal infusions for headaches. I am looking into those.

Thanks.

I do not know about nursing, as my girls are bigger, but feverfew brings me great relief, as well as maintenance chiropractic care. The bottle of feverfew says 1 is the dosage, but I will take up to four at a time for a nasty headache.

After multiple neck injuries, I learned early on the power of being on pain killers. Basically:
1)the rebound headache - have a headache, take meds whose side effect gives you a headache, especially w/caffiene products, but others too, so you take more and the cycle never starts.

2) the fact that a headache means that something is wrong, yet we take something to numb it and then go about overexerting ourselves, thus making the situation worse. It is best to just stop what you are doing and lay down.

Some headaches are due to muscle tension (like from carrying kids around), sometimes wine and alcohol can help. I realize that this doesn't help while nursing and some people have convictions or history's that will not allow this, but I can speak from experience that even a few sips of wine do wonders for relaxing neck and back tension.

But if the headaches are persitant I really feel strongly for chiropractic care, as well as eating right and exercising to build the muscles in your neck and back.

HTH's. :D

I use cold compresses on the back of the neck and a warm-hot bath sometimes at the same time. I also like Excedrin.

I used to get migraines really really bad when I was younger - hospitilazation bad. But by controlling stress and eating well I am in control. I still get them rarely - last one I had was the week the baby was born. The cold pack, hot bath, dark bathroom, and excedrin did the trick, but it took a while.

Sorry to hear you are in pain.

I get occasional migranes and have tried just about everything. I try to limit the irritations by going somewhere quiet and dark and trying to relax. I pop a couple aspirins and drink something with caffeine. The aspirin/caffeine thing really works. Excedrin is a miracle drug. The last two times I got the visual aura I get befrore the onset of my migranes, a girl at work has given me a couple of her excedrins. I swear to you when I took the medicine during the aura and before the pain, the pain part never came. All these years I have been waiting until I was in excruciating pain before taking something. All those headaches I might have missed. I know this isn't the most natural solution, but none of the natural, homeopathic stuff has ever helped with a migrane.

edited to clarify, in my last sentence I meant me. Homeopathic or other natural remedies have never helped with my migranes.

If you were wanting to go totally natural though, how about a cup of tea and then an oil (olive or almond or whatever) with a couple drops of White willow Bark EO and some of the other oils that might help rubbed into your shoulders and temples? Anyone know if that would be safe? Or some white willow bark capsuls and some tea (I'm trying to think of natural ways of getting caffeine and ASA)

Eat small regular meals (don't skip a meal!)
There are a lot of trigger foods BUT I have found that to avoid them is to have a very boring diet........

Also, I carry my dark grey lensed Ray Bans EVERYWHERE with me and wear them at the slightest glare or quirky lights somewhere (flourescent lighting is a big trigger for me)

HTH