5 Proven Ways to Soothe Heartburn in Pregnant Women

A research study conducted by Kathleen Costigan from the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at John Hopkins showed that 78% of pregnant women experience heartburn.

This clearly indicates that you are more than likely to have heartburn during pregnancy. Many view heartburn during pregnancy as harmless, but it can be quite uncomfortable. Heartburn is medically known as acid reflux or acid indigestion. It causes a burning sensation that normally runs from the lower throat to the bottom of the breastbone. Since it can be caused by physical or hormonal changes in the body, mums-to-be are among the most vulnerable people to experience heartburn during pregnancy.

How are these burning sensations caused? First, the placenta produces a hormone called progesterone. Progesterone often relaxes the smooth uterus muscles and allows the esophageal sphincter linking the esophagus and stomach to relax. The relaxing of this valve that sets the stomach and the esophagus apart allows the gastric acids to seep up, thus causing the heartburn during pregnancy.

Here are 5 proven ways to bring about pregnancy heartburn relief:

1. Eat Smaller Meals and Beware of Trigger Foods

Pregnancy is a blessing, but it also comes with its own demands. If you are having heartburn during pregnancy, the last thing you want to do is eat too much no matter how roaring your appetite is. Eating small meals prevents your stomach from producing excess acids that may contribute to heartburn. In fact, constipation is a notorious cause of heartburn. Instead of taking 3 heavy meals in a day, try 5-7 smaller ones. Eat slowly as well. Also, try not to drink a lot of fluids while eating. Rather than gulping a glass of juice, you are better off sipping it during meals. Foods that trigger heartburn should also be avoided. They included chocolate, carbonated liquids, fatty foods, caffeine, spicy, alcohol and greasy foods. Remember pregnancy heartburn relief depends, to a large extent, how you take your meals, as well as what you take.

2. Keep your posture in mind

Don’t lie down or bend immediately after meals. Try to stay upright for at least 30 minutes so that you can stave off heartburn during pregnancy. Remaining upright after a meal works by preventing the stomach acid from coming up the esophagus. When trying to sleep at night, the lowered, horizontal position of your body can be conducive to increased heartburn, so ensure that you use pillows to prop yourself into a slightly elevated position and this will help relieve the pain of heartburn. Raising your chest above a horizontal level when sleeping will greatly improve your ability to sleep well at night. Maintaining the right posture is a hassle free pregnancy heartburn relief habit anyone can learn to adopt.

3. Do Not Gain Excess Weight

Gaining weight is going to encourage heartburn during pregnancy. This is due to the fact that excess weight often puts extra pressure on the abdomen, which greatly enhances chances of getting heartburn. However, don’t try to lose too much weight as that will jeopardize the health of your unborn child. In short, don’t try to be on a diet specifically to get pregnancy heartburn relief. Please contact your healthcare provider to give you the guidelines of appropriate weight to maintain during pregnancy, and stay within those guidelines.

4. Clothing

This is quite obvious. Wear loose or stretchy clothing during pregnancy. Wearing tight-fitting clothing is definitely going to increase pressure on your abdomen and stomach which may drive acids up the esophagus and cause heartburn during pregnancy.

5. Cut out Cigarettes

Smoking causes a host of health problems and these problems can be more severe to pregnant mothers. Research shows that smoking boosts acidity in the stomach which in turn increases the risk of heartburn during pregnancy. If you are a chain smoker you can enroll in smoking cessation programs because there are no two ways to it – you simply have to reduce or stop smoking during pregnancy particularly if you hope to achieve some pregnancy heartburn relief.

Of course the above list is not exhaustive. Nonetheless, these are the most common pregnancy heartburn relief methods. Should the heartburn persist despite applying the above preventive measures, you can talk to your doctor for recommended medication. Before taking any form of medication, especially the over-the-counter medications such as Maalox and Tums, ask your doctor for a professional opinion.