Preventing Hearburn During Pregnancy
Posted on October 5th, 2007 by Beth Goodwill under Heartburn and Acid RefluxUnfortunately for would-be mums, heartburn during pregnancy is one of the many symptoms a woman has to face before bringing a child into the world. Sometimes heartburn can be a sign of pregnancy. Some women experience severe heartburn during pregnancy whilst others only have heartburn in early pregnancy or first trimester.
Once the dimensions of the uterus have reached a certain level, it will start to press on the stomach, pushing it upwards. Consequently, acid reflux in the esophagus is nothing uncommon particularly during the last trimester of pregnancy. However, there are several things to be taken into consideration when experiencing heartburn when pregnant. The situation is more complicated than in the case of heartburn in non pregnant people because pregnant women are generally advised not to use any medication as there can be potential to harm to the baby.
If medication is not allowed, then there are other natural remedies to help you deal with heartburn during pregnancy and actually eliminate any possible discomfort. Carefully choose the food: warm milk with honey for instance has a great soothing effect, and it does a lot of good to your baby too. Then, avoid any products that contain chemical additives that usually contribute to an increased level of acid in the stomach. Pregnancy heartburn and indigestion can be alleviated by drinking tea made of a combination of herbs such as chamomile, slippery elm and marshmallow. You can either find them in plant combinations or as such.
Besides the stomach pressure, heartburn and indigestion in pregnant women is also caused by the rising level of hormones which trigger a weakening of the ring muscle that is responsible for blocking the way of the acid back in the esophagus. Since there is nothing you can do about hormones, the only way to improve the condition is by preventing heartburn.
Never lie down right after having eaten, as you allow all the muscle to relax additionally. Furthermore, the normal dimension of the stomach is smaller than usual because of the internal pressure. Therefore you should have frequent but small meals, thus meeting the new conditions in the digestive system.
Another way of reducing the discomfort of heartburn during pregnancy is by having at least half a glass of water before a meal. This will dilute the acid in the stomach and will help eliminate the toxins. Curd and yogurt could also prove useful since such dairy products have a great soothing effect on the digestive tract, protecting the natural flora of the membranes.
Doctors also point out to the importance of reducing tension not just at meals, but throughout the day. This will very likely contribute to an improvement of a pregnant woman’s health condition. Under such circumstances, heartburn while pregnant should no longer be a problem.

October 31st, 2007 at 5:22 am
Excellent article. Heartburn is one of the most displeasing but rarely spoken about aspects of pregnancy and women should do all they can to minimize it.
July 30th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Great! I have been having heartburn since last night and was wondering what to do until I see my doctor. This article really helps settle any fears that I had especially in regard to taking medicines, which I avoid like a plaque. My heartburn is so bad I thought I had developed ulcers! Cant wait to try the home remedies recommended. Our little guy comes home in November , though people think he is coming tomorrow due to the size of my bump! Thanks for the peace of mind.