Heartburn In Pregnancy – Helpful Tips

Heartburn in pregnancy is caused by a muscular weakness. The muscle involved is the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a ring of muscle between your stomach and esophagus. The LES is designed to relax when you swallow food so that the food can enter the stomach. Once the food is in the stomach, the LES is to tighten, keeping food and stomach acids from flowing back into your esophagus. If the LES always worked properly, no one would ever suffer heartburn in pregnancy.

Like many other parts of the body, however, the LES is affected by pregnancy. Heartburn in pregnancy is a frequent complaint.

Common Question about Heartburn in Pregnancy

When does heartburn start in pregnancy? How soon in pregnancy do you get heartburn? When should I expect heartburn in pregnancy? The question varies, but the answer is always the same. Heartburn in pregnancy usually begins around the fifth month. From that point forward, it may come and go until you give birth.

How do you treat heartburn in pregnancy?

Pregnancy Heartburn Treatment

Pregnancy heartburn treatment begins with an understanding of the relationship between heartburn and pregnancy. Why is it that at this time when you are so happy to be expecting, you suddenly have heartburn?

With pregnancy, the placenta produces progesterone, a hormone that relaxes the uterus’ smooth muscles. It relaxes some other muscles, too, one of which can be the LES separating the esophagus and stomach. As progesterone relaxes the LES, it fails to close and/or remain tightly closed. This allows acids to flow back into the esophagus, causing heartburn. Progesterone also affects the contractions of the esophagus, slowing the wavelike action. This, too, contributes to heartburn in pregnancy.

As your pregnancy progresses and your baby grows, your abdominal cavity will become crowded. The limited space will be taken up increasingly by the growing, moving infant. This puts pressure on the stomach, which in turn pressures the LES to open. Heartburn can quickly result as stomach acids are pushed into the esophagus.

Steps of Pregnancy Heartburn Treatment

Your healthcare provider will warn you not to take medications that might harm the baby. There are steps you can take, however, to treat heartburn in pregnancy.

1. Watch your weight gain. Ask your physician how much you should reasonably gain, and be careful to keep your weight to that limit. Excess weight will place more pressure on the LES and increase heartburn.

2. Avoid tight clothing, especially around your waist and abdomen. Tight clothing also contributes to pressure on the LES muscle ring.

3. When bending, bend at the knees rather than at the waist. Bending at the waist is a common cause of heartburn in pregnancy.

4. Eat several small meals during the day in place of three larger meals. Eat slowly and chew your food well.

5. Have your last meal or snack at least two to three hours before bedtime. Allowing food to digest before you lie down can reduce heartburn.

6. Although you will want to drink eight to ten glasses of water daily, you should Avoid drinking large amounts of liquid during meals. Try to remember that a distended stomach will pressure the LES and cause heartburn.

7. Ward off potential heartburn by chewing gum after eating. The chewing action can help release air bubbles that contribute to heartburn and the gum stimulates the production of saliva, which can help neutralize acid.

CAUTION: The author is not a professional physician, and offers this information about heartburn in pregnancy for educational purposes only. Please seek advice from your health care provider.

Heartburn Remedies During Pregnancy That Can Help Relieve Your Pregnancy Heartburn Misery!

Heartburn relief during pregnancy is a common concern many pregnant women have. Read on to see what you what heartburn remedies during pregnancy are available.

What causes early pregnancy heartburn?

Heartburn in early pregnancy is a common complaint. The hormone progesterone is released as soon a woman becomes pregnant and can cause many early pregnancy symptoms which include pregnancy heartburn. Progesterone causes relaxation of the cardiac sphincter of the stomach which is the muscle between the stomach and the esophagus (food pipe). Relaxation of this muscle allows for some gastric acid and food to flow backwards and re-enter the esophagus (food pipe). Gastric acid irritates the lining of the esophagus causing a burning sensation in the center of the chest called pregnancy heartburn.

As your baby grows bigger and takes up more room in the abdominal area, the stomach itself is displaced and squashed. The growing uterus can permanently press on the cardiac sphincter of the stomach and allow gastric juices and food to constantly leak back into the esophagus (wind pipe) which may cause severe heartburn during pregnancy.

Heartburn remedies during pregnancy

Heartburn relief during pregnancy can be achieved by eating yogurt or drinking a glass of milk.

Try a tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm milk for pregnancy heartburn relief.

Eat smaller more frequent meals throughout the day rather than three large meals.

Avoid spicy, greasy, fatty foods, peppers and tomatoes produce extra gastric acid causing pregnancy heartburn.

Avoid foods that relax the cardiac sphincter of the stomach such as alcohol, peppermint, garlic, and chocolate.

Avoid eating for at least two hours before going to bed.

Do not lie down after eating to prevent the food from the stomach flowing back into your esophagus causing pregnancy heartburn.

Mild over-the-counter antacids such as Mylanta or Tums may prove helpful in relieving heartburn pregnancy symptom.

If your heartburn symptoms are severe or accompanied by headache or swelling (especially if you are later on in pregnancy) consult with your health care provider immediately as you may have pre-eclampsia of pregnancy.

Sleeping with extra pillows under your head to keep your stomach lower than your esophagus (food pipe) works very well to give you a better start to the day and a better nights sleep.

One of the most effective heartburn remedies during pregnancy is to try to prevent heartburn developing in the first place. The healthier you are prior pregnancy and the healthier you eat during pregnancy can have a direct correlation to the amount of pregnancy symptoms you have. I would like to invite you to supplement with a high quality Mangosteen and mineral product that many of my pregnant clients use to correct misalignments within the body and encourage the stomach to produce the right amount of gastric acid that you body needs for digestion. Visit http://www.VemmaMidwife.com

You may also be very interested in an amazing message that was telepathically dictated to me for humanity from my son when he was seven-weeks old. Yes you read correctly! I have the ability to communicate with baby’s emotions from inside and outside the womb. Down load this AMAZING MESSAGE FREE at http://www.PregnancySuccessCoach.com/Message_For_Humanity.html

If you wish to ask me a personal question about your pregnancy or an issue in your life then visit http://www.PregnancySuccessCoach.com/Ask_Hannah_Section.html

Hannah Bajor. C.N.M.,M.S.N.

Certified Nurse Midwife.

Pregnancy Success Coach 

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To avoid heartburn while pregnant, avoid eating foods that cause heartburn, eat several small meals a day instead of three large meals and take antacids to relieve the symptoms. Avoid heartburn during pregnancy with tips from a gynecologist and obstetrician in this free video on pregnancy. Expert: Dr. Jill Hechtman MD OB/GYN Contact: www.ob-gyn.com Bio: Dr. Jill Hechtman, MD is an Ob/Gyn and vice president of Tampa Obstetrics. Filmmaker: Christopher Rokosz