“Do you know of any heartburn remedies during pregnancy?”
This question is commonly posted in Baby and Mom forums because for some women, the first time they experience heartburn is during pregnancy, especially during the second trimester and sometimes even the third trimester. Heartburn is uncomfortable and painful in and by itself, imagine being pregnant, too, when usually it’s nausea and dizziness that rule the day!
First, heartburn mainly occurs when digested food, which of course, contains acid, travels up the esophagus. This then causes a burning and hot sensation, and there’s an intense feeling that the heart is being squeezed. Some women think that it’s a heart attack and they start to panic. Stress just makes it worse!
Dealing with heartburn, especially during pregnancy, means being more vigilant with the foods we eat. It also means that some of the foods we were enjoying before pregnancy that did not cause us any heartburn may be the culprits this time around. This is because hormones can change a lot of things in a pregnant woman’s body! There are heartburn remedies during pregnancy, so don’t despair!
Dealing with heartburn and knowing heartburn remedies during pregnancy mean knowing also about hormones and how they affect the body. Because at no other time does this happen! During pregnancy women’s hormones relax the muscles in the digestive tract, and the very important valve in the esophagus. This means that stomach acids can travel upward more easily! And heartburn at night happens because you’re lying down.
Another reason why pregnant women suffer from chronic heartburn during pregnancy is because the uterus presses down on the stomach, thus pushing the food up the esophagus. Also, during pregnancy, digestion slows down because of hormones. This is one of the main reasons why pregnant women suffer chronic indigestion, too, during the duration of the pregnancy!
Heartburn Remedies During Pregnancy Include the Following:
- Smaller meals are a must. Since digestion is slowed down by pregnancy hormones, digestion takes longer. Help this out by eating small meals, even if more frequently.
- Drink plenty of water during meals. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, and in between meals, but not while eating meals because again, this will fill your stomach rapidly.
- Do not eat certain foods that are known to cause heartburn. These include spicy foods, greasy foods and fatty foods. Also to avoid are chocolates and anything carbonated or loaded with caffeine.
- Avoid certain meats like ground beef, sirloin that’s marbled with fat, chicken buffalo style wings.
- Avoid snacks such as potato chips, butter cookies that are high in fat and butter content, salad dressings, both oily and creamy, and fried foods.
- Avoid certain pasta dishes like macaroni and cheese or spaghetti with tomato sauce.
By following these heartburn remedies during pregnancy, you’ll experience less discomfort and avoid dealing with heartburn at night. Heartburn is annoying and irritating. But do not minimize it, especially when you’re pregnant. Go and consult with your doctor right away if the pain persists or does not go away even with medication. Because there’s GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease that you have to worry about, too.
Be aggressive about your health. Protect yourself and your baby. There is nothing better than knowing that you and your baby are in good health. Look forward to the day when your announcement to friends is, “Both mother and child are doing well!” Heartburn during pregnancy should not ruin this moment!
Tags: pregnancy heartburn remedies, heartburn cures during pregnancy, heartburn medicines while pregnant, Pregnancy and heartburn, heart burn specially during pregnancy