Headache after birth: get assessed first
A headache after birth needs to be assessed, not self-diagnosed. It can relate to high blood pressure, an epidural (sometimes treated with a blood patch), or other causes.
Most important
Severe or lasting headache
A headache that won't go away or gets worse, especially with vision changes, needs care right away.
Important to know
- CDC lists a headache that won't go away or gets worse over time as an urgent maternal warning sign.
What may happen
- Blood-pressure checks.
- Assessment by anesthesia staff if you had an epidural or spinal.
Why
Different causes need different treatment, and some are urgent.
What varies
A blood patch is one treatment for a specific type of headache after an epidural. Only a clinician can decide if it fits.
Questions to ask
- What could be causing my headache?
- What is a blood patch, and do I need one?
Prototype draft. Not yet clinically reviewed. Your own care team's instructions come first. About this app
Sources
Summaries are drafted from these public sources. No hospital has endorsed this app.
University of Michigan Health · Ann Arbor, general anesthesiology
Epidural Blood Patch(opens in a new tab)- Published
- Date not stated
- Checked
- 2026-10-24
- Access
- Search index copy only; link unavailable
Applies to: Published by one health system. Procedures at your hospital may differ.
Limitations: General procedural handout; postpartum headache needs assessment, not self-diagnosis. Resolve current URL.
CDC · National authoritative supplement
Urgent Maternal Warning Signs and Symptoms(opens in a new tab)- Published
- 2024-05-15
- Checked
- 2026-10-24
- Access
- Page read in full
Applies to: National or state guidance, not a hospital procedure.
Limitations: Not a diagnosis tool; hospital-specific escalation wording needs clinical review.