Pregnancy is a much awaited part of
a woman’s life. However, this moment may present with a lot of discomforts like
early morning sickness, loss of appetite, episodes of nausea and vomiting, and
most of all heartburn during pregnancy. Heartburn in Pregnancy is a
common occurrence during gestation. It most often presents during the later
trimester when the baby’s size starts to put pressure in the mother’s abdominal
organs especially the stomach. Now keep in mind that you should never risk
complicating pregnancy in any way and that absolutely includes acid reflux.
Being relieved from the pain and
discomfort that this condition causes to the mother will be helpful in
promoting comfort and alleviating stress to both the woman and the growing
child. Here are a few tips that may be done to prevent Heartburn in
Pregnancy:
Avoid late night snacks and meals
before going to bed. The stomach needs to be empty before retiring to bed as a
full stomach may cause a back-flow of the contents into the esophagus thereby
causing heartburn during pregnancy.
Eating spicy and hot foods,
peppermint, chocolate, carbonated drinks and citrus containing juices can
trigger the occurrence of heartburn. Try to get used to bland foods as these
will not irritate your gastrointestinal system. You can also try drinking fresh
ginger mixed with water during meal time. Ginger water has worked great for me
recently and it actually tastes pretty good. Also next time you are at the
supermarket I suggest you pick up some apple cider vinegar, apple cider vinegar
tastes great and will help reduce the symptoms of heartburn as soon as they
start. If you are really in a bind and don’t have any of the materials listed
above you can go back to old faithful which is baking soda. Mixing baking soda
with water has been working to fight heartburn for ages and still works great,
keep in mind that it doesn’t taste all that great but adding honey can help and
this is a great remedy for heartburn during pregnancy.
Avoid using tobacco and alcohol
while pregnant, as well as during breastfeeding. Alcohol can cross the
placental barrier and can also affect the child. Remember that what you eat will also be taken in by your child passively. Apart from the pregnancy related
dangers of alcohol and smoking, this may also lead to health hazards in the
long run. Heartburn during pregnancy is not to be taken lightly. Even if you’re
not pregnant, smoking cigarettes has been proven to cause heartburn more in
smokers then in nonsmokers, so if you needed one more reason to quit then there
you go.
Wear loose clothes instead of tight
fitting garments. This promotes comfort as well as prevents unwanted pressure
into your abdomen Remember that the growing uterus is already enough pressure
that causes heartburn so do not attempt to add more pressure to your digestive
organs.
Before sleeping, also make sure that
you ambulate for about an hour or two to make sure your stomach has already
emptied. A lying position makes it easier for stomach contents to flush
backwards so make sure you elevate your head using pillows and make sure your
head is higher than your entire trunk and feet. This positions your body in
such a way that gastric content will not backwash to the esophagus. Preventing
content from “backwashing” will be extremely beneficial in preventing heartburn during pregnancy, so keep those feet elevated!
Heartburn In Pregnancy should be managed easily by diet modification and lifestyle
changes. Otherwise, if doing these prevention techniques will not relieve you
from the discomforts of heartburn, seek for medical help and have yourself
checked. Your OB Gyne might prescribe some drugs for you and make sure that
these drugs are safe to be taken during pregnancy. The number one goal in an
expecting mother’s life is to limit all possible complications and we hope to
have helped you achieve that a little more with our heartburn during pregnancy article. Good luck!
