Heartburn during pregnancy

By Raymond Harper

Heartburn during pregnancy

 Many women tend to experience heartburn symptoms when they are still carrying their babies. Heartburn during pregnancy happens for several reasons.

 One of these is that the placenta produces the hormone progesterone which relaxes the muscles of the valve which separates the stomach from the esophagus. This valve is called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and normally stays firmly closed only allowing food to pass while you are eating. When the LES relaxes it allows stomach acid and food to reflux back to the esophagus and throat causing heartburn the acid reflux symptom.

 One more reason of experiencing heartburn during pregnancy is because of changes in the body and the development of the baby creates more pressure in the women’s stomach. This also allows stomach acid and contents to be forced passed the LES, and into the esophagus.

Lifestyle changes

 However, there are several lifestyle changes that a pregnant woman can do to lessen the discomfort and alleviate the heartburn symptoms. The following are good tips which help when treating acid reflux disease, and can be used when pregnant although they may not remove the heartburn totally:

 •           Avoid the food that triggers heartburn. Examples of this are chocolates, spicy foods, citrus fruits and juices, mustard, tomatoes and tomato based products, fatty foods, fried foods, and highly seasoned dishes. Try to refer to medical specialists to know the complete list of foods to avoid Acid Reflux. Also your medical specialist can give you a list of foods that you may take which contains little danger of causing heartburn.

 •           Stop taking drinks that aggravate acid reflux symptoms such as tea, coffee, and soda. The caffeine in these drinks can inflame the stomach lining and too much can also cause the LES to relax and let the acid reflux back into the esophagus.

 •           Stay away from alcohol beverages. This, like caffeine tends to relax the LES thus, creating the same effect—triggering heartburn.

 •           Change to an acid reflux diet. Avoid eating large meals. Acid reflux is worse after meals because it distends the stomach and is harder to digest. It is suggested that taking numerous small meals throughout the day will be better.

•           Avoid eating your meals in a hurry. Chewing food thoroughly will really help in avoidance of heartburn, so better take your time in eating.

 •           Do not lie down after eating. And also do not go to bed at night within two hours of eating your last meal. This allows your food to digest and stop acid reflux when you lie down

 •           A pregnant woman is advised to take more glasses of water a day, at least 8 to 10 glasses, between meals and try not to drink during meals. Drinking between meals helps dilute stomach acid but drinking with meals makes the stomach expand, and then the LES will be under more pressure so increasing the symptoms of acid reflux. Hence, it is really recommended to drink more water and other fluids in between meals.

 •           Another acid reflux treatment is when sleeping elevate the head of the bed at least six to eight inches. Try to sleep with an elevated head and shoulders using a wedge pillow. This elevation lets gravity work naturally to keep the acids in your stomach and not refluxing into the esophagus. Try to consult physicians to gain additional knowledge on how to relieve nighttime heartburn.

 •           Don’t wear tight fitting clothes. Tightness around the waist and stomach will trigger heartburn as it causes uneasiness.

 •           When bending, do it at the knees, not at the waist. Bending puts pressure on the stomach pushing gastric acid up and into the esophagus especially when you are pregnant.

 •           Don’t slouch; rather sit erect in a relaxing chair.

 •           Maintain a sensible weight if possible. Being overweight puts extra stress on your stomach. As a result, this will force stomach contents throughout the LES and to the esophagus. Loosing weight is one way of managing acid reflux disease

 •           Avoid smoking. Doctors state that smoking has various bad effects on a pregnant woman, and is thought to be an added possibility of increased heartburn.

Heartburn during pregnancy is not uncommon and should get better after the birth.