Heartburn during pregnancy
Mar 11, 2012
Heartburn does not only affect those who are high stressed or like their spicy foods. Pregnant women go through acid reflux too. You will find as your pregnancy progresses that antacids tend to become your best companion. Heartburn is not related to your heart.
It is when the acid inside the belly leaks up to your esophagus. Heartburn is quite common when pregnant. In fact a quarter of females suffer with heartburn in their pregnancy generally during the third trimester. The reason is that your baby has grown a tremendous amount and also your uterus has moved up and is now putting stress on your belly. This crowds the digestive tract and allows acids to travel back within the esophagus. There is a classic wives tale that if you have bad acid reflux, your baby will have a lot of hair. Needless to say there is no proof in this but it is a fun thing to believe in.
There are methods you can get heartburn relief when pregnant. You can start by taking your time when you eat. You will not only enjoy your food better your stomach will not have to work as hard to digest your food. You should also try eating early and eat at least couple of hours before you head to bed that night so your body has plenty of time to digest your food.
Keep foods small. Get on with eating six small portions through out the day. Large meals tend to stuff up your stomach which is already extra compressed because of your uterus. A stuffed tummy makes it in ways that some of the food along with gastric acid will escape back up the esophagus. Lifestyle changes can be one of the best remedies.
Also, make sure you maintain your fluids and solids separate. Too much fluid combined with too much food can swell the stomach which can aggravate heartburn. You also want to eat sitting upright. Do not eat while resting, and if you are having a bed time snack be sure you are propped up by memory foam pillows.
Weight plays a part in how much heartburn you may suffer with. The heavier you are, a more pressure you are placing on your esophageal sphincter. This is one other reason why you must not gain more than the recommended amount.
Determine what foods cause your acid reflux. When you figure out what foods cause acid reflux, you can reduce them out of your diet. Some foods you might want to stay away of are highly seasoned spicy foods, soda, tomatoes sauce, chocolate, and some citrus. Greasy foods are also a big factor to acid reflux. Cutting out greasy, fried food will be able to assist in your heartburn reduction.