How to Alleviate and Avoid Heartburn During Pregnancy

Being pregnant has it's ups and downs, and most women would consider heartburn during pregnancy a down. There are several ways that a pregnant woman can attempt to avoid heartburn all together. Although, it seems that pregnancy has so much to remember already, and so much that she must consider about everything she does while she is pregnant, avoiding heartburn may make a woman's pregnancy a bit more cheerful. Many women get very severe heartburn for many different reasons while they are pregnant.

The official medical names for Heartburn are Acid Indigestion or Pyrosis. Heartburn is a condition that makes many pregnant women uncomfortable. What causes the burning sensation and other uncomfortable symptoms of Heartburn? The burning sensation in the throat and/or chest is caused by stomach acid backing up into the esophagus. (The esophagus is the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.) Having Heartburn on a regular basis (more than twice per week) can lead to more serious conditions, such as GERD (GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease), or Esophageal Erosion, (ulcers or sores begin to develop in the esophagus because of the acid being in the esophagus, where it does not belong). There are two main reasons that pregnant women are more likely to get Heartburn. First, because of increased hormone levels which can increase the amount of stomach acid in the stomach. The other main reason for an increased probability of a pregnant woman getting Heartburn is because especially, later in the pregnancy, when the fetus is larger because the stomach is forced upward and crowded to accommodate the growing fetus. This means that the stomach does not have the same amount of room for the normal amount of acid in the stomach.

There are many things that can cause Heartburn in anyone, not just someone who is pregnant, theses are some of the things that can trigger Heartburn in anyone: some medications for other conditions can cause Heartburn, alcohol consumption, caffeine, spicy or fatty foods, foods containing tomatoes, fatty dairy products, chocolate, oranges, orange juice or other citrus fruits and beverages, peppermint and spearmint. Over eating can also cause Heartburn. Eating before bed, and stress can also cause Heartburn.

There are many things that a pregnant woman can do to avoid Heartburn. These are a few of the things that a pregnant woman can change or do to avoid Heartburn.

Diet- Things and foods that should be avoided are:

Fatty foods

Spicy foods

Chocolate

Citrus Fruits and juices

Tomatoes and foods containing tomatoes

Alcohol, (Pregnant women should avoid this in any amount-except by the advice of her doctor.)

Fatty dairy foods

Caffeine

Peppermint or Spearmint or other types of mints

Carbonated beverages of all types.

Lifestyle modifications- Changes that a pregnant woman can make to her life to help avoid Heartburn.

Change of diet to eliminate the foods in the above list that cause her Heartburn.

Avoid eating before bed. (2-3 hours before bedtime)

Eat more often, but smaller meals (for example have 6 smaller meals instead of 3 larger ones)

Avoid bending over or exercising after eating.

Avoid overeating and becoming over full.

Lose weight if you are overweight (In pregnancy this should be done Only with a doctors approval and guidance.)

Quit smoking (smoking by pregnant women can cause complications)

Avoid tight fitting clothes, (this should be done while pregnant)

Reduce stress (Taking up yoga or meditation may help.)

Sleep with head elevated (use pillows to elevate the head while asleep)

If a pregnant woman does get Heartburn while she is pregnant, there are things that a pregnant woman can do to try to eliminate it. Taking some over the counter medications is fine while pregnant, but others are not good to take while pregnant. Taking too much of ANY medication is not good and especially not while pregnant. Before taking ANY medication, get the doctors guidance. A doctor or midwife can direct a pregnant woman as to which ones she can take safely, how often and how much she should take.