Heartburn is annoying even if you are not pregnant, let alone during the period of expecting a baby. This health condition affects 17-45% of expecting mothers. The growing gestational term is proven to increase the risk of heartburn. While in the first trimester, it may bother around 22% of pregnant individuals, in the second trimester this figure grows to 39%. The risks peak in the final months, reaching 60 – 72%.
How to know you deal with heartburn, what causes it and how to reduce it? We’ll try to give answers to all the questions you may have.
How Does Heartburn Feel?
You have heartburn if there’s a burning feeling in your chest. The name of the condition presupposes that it is somehow connected with the heart. But in fact, it’s just acid reflux, which throws the stomach acid into your esophagus, resulting in a burning sensation. Aside from your chest, you can also feel it at the bottom of your throat if the amount of the acid is high. Among other symptoms of acid reflux there are:
– bloating;
– feeling full;
– having sour, hot, or salty-tasting fluid in the back of your throat;
– belching/burping;
– feeling nauseous (don’t mix it up with morning sickness).
The causes of this condition in expecting mothers are primarily related to the changes taking place in the female body.
The skyrocketing levels of progesterone are often responsible for acid reflux in pregnant individuals. This pregnancy hormone causes muscle relaxation and can, therefore, influence the esophageal sphincter – the muscle band that creates a barrier between our stomach and esophagus so that the stomach content doesn’t go up. Once the sphincter gets weaker, the possibility of the stomach acid getting to the esophagus grows.
As your baby increases in size so does your womb. The growing uterus pressure on the stomach crowds it so much that it cannot keep its content inside, leading to reflux and heartburn.
It’s also worth noting that women who have suffered esophageal reflux before pregnancy are more likely to develop this condition while expecting a baby.
How to Deal with Heartburn?
Whenever you think you have heartburn, talk to your doctor about the possible treatment options. Basically, there are three ways you can deal with heartburn during pregnancy:
- lifestyle changes;
- changing your eating habits;
- getting treatment.
Though many would like to solve the problem by taking a pill, it is highly recommended that you start with changing your lifestyle and eating habits. This will minimize any risks for the baby, which are always present with any medicinal treatment.Let’s take a closer look at each option.
Lifestyle changes
Our lifestyle choices often add to the risks of acid reflux. To prevent heartburn during pregnancy, you should better minimize caffeinated beverages. Alcohol and smoking cigarettes are also among the risk factors for acid reflux. What’s more, they can do significant harm to the developing fetus, leading to inborn abnormalities.
If you have a burning sensation in the lying position, try to arrange your pillows so that your head and chest are higher than your stomach. This might be helpful in many cases.
Changing Your Eating Habits
While heartburn is a gastrointestinal problem, you should pay more attention to your diet. We’ve collected some most effective pieces of advice that may come in handy for preventing heartburn:
- Choose 4 – 5 small meals per day instead of 2 – 3 large ones.
- Limit the consumption of fatty foods, spicy meals, and fried foods.
- Split eating and drinking. Drinking water, juice, or any other fluid while having a meal is a bad idea for a person with acid reflux.
- Eat slowly and chew your meals carefully.
- Eating citrus fruits and drinking juices of any kind will increase your chances of heartburn.
Getting Treatment
If none of the changes you bring into your lifestyle and eating habits works, it’s time to think about ways you can not only prevent stomach acids from getting into the esophagus but also treat heartburn.
The American Pregnancy Association recommends mixing a tablespoon of honey with a glass of milk to soothe the symptoms of acid reflux in pregnant women. If you are not a fan of such treatments and prefer taking medicines, ask your doctor about the possibility of taking over-the-counter antacids or h2 blockers for treating heartburn. They are considered safe in pregnancy and provide fast relief.
Heartburn during Pregnancy – Bottom Line
Heartburn is one of the numerous challenges you may face during pregnancy. However, you can effectively prevent and treat this problem without any risks of harming your baby.