I didn't get 'that glow' but I did get migraines.

A reminder to rest and some tips for those enduring.

Living in this dress. Price per wear is currently 0.05c.

It has been just under a month since I popped into your inbox, and it has been seven long weeks since I have done much at all. Except lying in bed or dreaming of lying in bed, getting up only to pee, vomit, and accomplishing the bare minimum at work and home. I am pregnant (sorry, hard launch) and have been suffering from recurring migraines that linger for 3 or 4 days at a time. Migraines that leave my mind murky, eyes blurry and filled with tears, my emotional state questionable and my body bedridden. The few days in between, I found myself dreading the next episode. When will it hit? Will the two Paracetamols (the only painkiller safe in pregnancy) actually work this time to simmer down the intensity? No – but they will make you regurgitate whatever you have consumed. Along with the fear of another attack, on these few good days, I have been frantically catching up on work, life admin (trust my Driver's License to expire when I feel as though death is knocking down my door) and trying to somehow erase the screen time from my son's brain with a melange of activities, babycino dates and my undivided attention when constructing villages made of Lego. The guilt that had been eating away at me as I babysit my son, I do say babysit as I have been letting YouTube Kids do the heavy lifting while I lay on the couch with an ice pack pressed against the pulsating vein from my right temple, paralysed with pain and nausea.

But there is an unquestionable comfort in knowing this is my normal. That this will pass (and hopefully just has) and that it is my hormonal response to growing a child. I did find myself riddled with worry. Worry that I am doing a disservice to our four-year-old son by only barely going through the motions while simultaneously letting down the 6cm cherub in my womb, which has been surviving off infinitesimal nutrients. But like my first trimester migraines, those feelings too shall pass, and yesterday, as I held my breath as the sonographer squirted the cold gel onto my stomach and ploughed around my uterus, I became reassured that he is not only identical to his big brother but perfectly healthy. It is truly a miracle and a mystery how our bodies can grow a tiny human on the consumption of water and dry toast alone, but it does, and for that, I am thankful.

There is, unfortunately, no elixir or cureall for pregnancy migraines, and I am only writing this to explain, not apologise for my absence, as it has been impossible for me to do the most mundane tasks, let alone write anything of substance to you all. So perhaps this is for those who, yes, are suffering from migraines but for all of us as a reminder that it is okay to unapologetically prioritise rest above all. 

Apart from medication if you are not pregnant, rest and support (yes, lean heavily on your partner, your family, your friends, neighbours etc!), for those who, like me, are in pregnancy migraine hell or migraines in general, here are a few things that helped – 

Calm App - Headache and Migraine Release.

Now, this is not a miracle meditation, but when I was really just not coping with the cycle of hell, listening to this series helped. I especially found the episode titled Tune Out Headache Tension to relieve some of the throbbing pain.  

Ice-pack or cold eye mask.

This is self-explanatory, but I found cold helped more than heat. 

Hydramama sachets.

Made by a woman who suffered from HG during both of her pregnancies, and I just can not even comprehend how she and others endured the entire 9 months. I bought these because I was served a shitload of ads ha but also because I was desperate for something, anything to help. They taste delicious (I bought the watermelon + lime and the orange + passionfruit) and quickly rehydrated me after days of sickness. I still put one in my water bottle daily to stay hydrated in this never-ending Sydney heat. 

In Bed By Joan Didion.

I came across this essay in Joan's book, The White Album, but I was reminded of it by Amanda Montei. It gave me comfort in knowing I'm not alone. Like Joan, I have had hereditary migraines for many years, but pregnancy has just exacerbated them. 

Comment below and let me know if you have any tips for migraines.

Jade x

P.s. I’m just using the one streamlined Instagram account now (hallelujah) so follow along @jaderachelefox. Same community. Same memes. Just more of me.