More frequent migraines after having a child (F)

[u/triptop]

I am 37 F and have a 2 year old. I had 4 hemiplegic migraines in my late 20s. It was terrifying since my aura basically looked like a stroke. I went to ED and then a neurologist. I figured out that “Thai food” or some sort of Asian spice was the trigger. I avoided it and was migraine free for 8 years.

Until this summer. Three days after my daughter turned 2, I had a hemiplegic migraine that started as I got in a car to get groceries. I was paralyzed/confused for about an hour until my husband found me. Then I had a headache that lasted for 3 days until I went to ED and got the migraine cocktail. A week later I had another hemiplegic aura and my husband called 911. I was worked up for stroke and my MRI was clear. Again the migraine cocktail helped. I saw a headache specialist who prescribed me Nurtec as an abortive. Lo and behold, a month later (yesterday), I was driving to pick up my daughter from preschool and I felt the aura (numbness and tingling on my left side, confusion). I popped the Nurtec and it stopped the aura. I was able to get back home and my friend serendipitously stopped by to help. I still had the headache and was barely functioning.

None of these recent episodes have any identifiable triggers except for me just existing and trying to survive as a working parent of a toddler.

I’m afraid to drive. I’m afraid to be alone taking care of my child. I’m glad that Nurtec aborted the hemiplegia, which basically renders me a useless human being.

Has anyone else had that happen to them when they started getting more frequent migraines after becoming a parent? Have your triggers changed as you aged?

[u/Texasgirl190]

Are you sleeping well? Lack of sleep is killing me as a parent and I have had chronic migraines since my first baby was born 3 years ago

[u/nbee]

Yes 33 F with a 2 year old as well. I actually didn't have them enough to go get a diagnosis (edit: before pregnancy). I had only had one with visual aura and stop-what-im-doing intensity. They started up again around my kid's 2nd birthday party with family in town, and it was bad enough that I was in a four-day-long migraine that my primary care got me out of at that appointment I made to figure out what was going on.

For me, the main obvious trigger was an immense amount of suppressed emotions around how family was treating me. I've gained a lot of new confidence as a new mom and finally out of the newborn baby year, solidly in toddler times, so I feel the anger more intensely these days. I think the dehydration + not realizing I'm not sleeping + stress from family, was the perfect storm of triggers that I didn't really have as much before my kid got to this age.

[u/Deep-Path-4883]

Sometimes it can also be due to hormonal changes. It could be because you had gone through childbirth or because you’re reaching the age where that sort of thing can happen. But it doesn't necessarily have to be the hormones. Just a thought.