How To Ease Heartburn During Pregnancy

Heartburn Symptoms And Pre

If your heartburn symptoms don’t go away with medicine, it’s important to see your doctor as it may be a sign of something more serious, such as pre-eclampsia. A pregnant woman with pre-eclampsia usually has high blood pressure and problems with her kidneys. Pre-eclampsia could also seriously affect a woman’s liver, blood and brain. Any pregnant woman can experience pre-eclampsia â almost 1 in 20 Australian women will develop it.

Because pre-eclampsia is dangerous for both you and your baby, you should let your doctor know if your heartburn medicine is not working. This is especially important if you’re also feeling very unwell or you have:

• sudden swelling of your hands, feet or face
• a headache that doesn’t go away with simple painkillers
• problems with your eyesight such as blurring or seeing flashing lights or dots
• a strong pain below your ribs

Find out more about how pre-eclampsia is treated here.

Foods You Can Have To Soothe Pregnancy Heartburn

If your heartburn and indigestion is not so severe, and you feel that you can relieve it by all going natural, here are few effective natural and safe remedies. Include these food items in your diet. It is healthy and its your third trimester both you and your baby will benefit from it!

If one remedy work effectively for a person, it doesnt mean it will work out for everyone. So, if one particular home remedy not giving you any relief try the other options.

#1. Apples An apple a day keeps your heartburn away!

The excess acidic environment created in your stomach can be neutralized by the natural enzymes present in apples.

Consume cold sweet red apples to get quick relief, if you suffer from heartburn. You can also drink fresh apple juice with honey before going to bed.

#2. Almonds

This is one of the good natural remedy for heartburn during pregnancy.

Try two or three organic almonds after a meal. Dont over eat this nuts.

#3. Avocado

Include avocados in your pregnancy diet to balance the acid in your body.

#4. Banana

Natural antacids are present abundantly in bananas that can neutralize the acidity in stomach. Consume well ripened bananas one daily after lunch.

#5. Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are one of the highly alkalizing veggie. It helps to restore the pH in the stomach. Include this in your diet.

#6. Leafy vegetables

Leafy vegetables are also alkaline in nature and help to neutralize acids. Include leafy vegetables daily in your diet.

#7. Yellow Mustard

Learn What Causes Heartburn For Youthen Avoid It

Fat, caffeine, chocolate, citruspregnant women with heartburn have been advised to avoid all of the above at one time or another. But what causes reflux in one woman might not be a trigger for another.

Rather than tell his pregnant patients to avoid a specific food, Dr. Richter says he advises them to stay away from foods that specifically aggravate them. Everybody’s different, Dr. Richter says. Some pregnant women can chow down on spicy Mexican food or a plate of spaghetti and meatballs with no ill effects.

Also Check: Waking Up With Heartburn In The Middle Of The Night

Causes Of Indigestion In Pregnancy

Symptoms of indigestion come when the acid in your stomach irritates your stomach lining or your gullet. This causes pain and a burning feeling.

When you’re pregnant, you’re more likely to have indigestion because of:

• hormonal changes
• the growing baby pressing on your stomach
• the muscles between your stomach and gullet relaxing, allowing stomach acid to come back up

You may be more likely to get indigestion in pregnancy if:

• you had indigestion before you were pregnant
• you’ve been pregnant before
• you’re in the later stages of pregnancy

How To Get Rid Of Heartburn

Unfortunately, no matter what you do, youll probably still feel the burn sometimes. Talk to your OB about what medications you can safely take for relief .

You can reduce the risk and severity of heartburn by avoiding triggers like chocolate, coffee, tea, citrus, tomato sauces, spicy stuff and fried foods. It also helps to sleep with your head slightly elevated and to consume minimal fluids with mealsjust be sure to drink plenty of water an hour before and an hour after meals so you dont get dehydrated.

Also Check: Having A Lot Of Heartburn

When To Get Medical Help

See your midwife or GP if you need help managing your symptoms or if changes to your diet and lifestyle do not work. They may recommend medicine to ease your symptoms.

You should also see your midwife or GP if you have any of the following:

• difficulty eating or keeping food down
• weight loss
• stomach pains

Your midwife or GP may ask about your symptoms and examine you by pressing gently on different areas of your chest and stomach to see whether it’s painful.

Foods That Help With Heartburn During Pregnancy

There are certain foods that double as natural remedies for heartburn during pregnancy. Some of these home remedies for heartburn during pregnancy may work well for certain women but not for others. Find out what works best for you among these foods that help with heartburn during pregnancy.

• It is recommended to eat multiple small low-acid meals per day, and to avoid lying down during an hour of eating.
• Melons and bananas are good as they have low acid content.
• Fermented foods.

Foods that contain probiotics, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and tempeh, are incredibly beneficial for digestion. They are full of enzymes and they help to promote the secretion of digestive juices. This keeps things running smoothly and prevents problems like indigestion and heartburn.

• Green vegetables such as broccoli, beans.
• Bread, especially whole grain.

You May Like: Foods To Stay Away From With Heartburn

Why Does It Happen In Pregnancy

Many women who have heartburn during pregnancy have never had that problem before. Unfortunately, if you had heartburn before becoming pregnant, youre more likely to have symptoms while you are pregnant. Although the exact reasons arent clear, most experts believe that pregnancy hormones, particularly progesterone, play a role. Hormones cause relaxation of the esophageal sphincter. This is a tight circular band of muscle at the top of the stomach. This allows partially digested food and stomach acids to backflow, or reflux, into the esophagus. In addition, progesterone also slows the digestive process. This keeps food in the stomach longer. The pregnancy itself the upward pressure of the growing uterus also may play a role.

Things That Worsen Indigestion And Gives Rise To Pregnancy Heartburn

Now let us look at what makes indigestion worse and thereby give rise to a bad case of pregnancy heartburn.

• Certain food items The checklist is given towards the end of the article
• Being overweight Having a body weight that is higher than recommended
• Stress When you are more stressed, you become more sensitive towards the digestive juices
• GERD Gastro esophageal reflux disease, a long-term digestive disorder
• Hiatal hernia Its a condition when a portion of stomach pushes up into the chest through hiatus
• Peptic ulcers Sores developed on the lining of stomach, intestine and esophagus
• Gallstones Stones formed in the gall bladder
• Smoking It leads to muscle relaxation in the esophagus and stomach
• Alcohol This will increase production of acids in the stomach
• Certain medicines It affects the digestive tract and causes irritation

Recommended Reading: What Can I Take For Heartburn And Indigestion

How To Get Heartburn Relief During Your Pregnancy

For many women, heartburn is a troublesome pregnancy symptom, particularly in the second and third trimesters. This condition is caused by a combination of changing hormone levels and the crowding of the abdominal organs by your growing baby. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to relieve the painful feeling of heartburn during pregnancy.

Symptoms Of Heartburn During Pregnancy

Common heartburn symptoms reported by pregnant women include:

• A burning feeling in the chest just behind the breastbone that occurs after eating and lasts a few minutes to several hours
• Chest pain, especially after bending over, lying down, or eating
• Burning in the throat — or hot, sour, or salty-tasting fluid at the back of the throat
• Belching

Also Check: What Is The Best Antacid For Heartburn

Treatment For Heartburn And Acid Indigestion During Early Pregnancy

Before jumping into the possible treatment options for pesky heartburn, confirm you are indeed pregnant with your trusted health care provider. They can help you better understand how to approach your symptoms and decide next steps.

If you are indeed pregnant and experiencing heartburn, we recommend taking the following measures to keep your heartburn symptoms at bay.3

• Avoid foods that flare up your symptoms. These might include spicy foods, fried foods or meals, caffeine such as coffee or soda. Create a journal of foods that youve noticed might cause upset stomach.
• Stay away from large meals just before bedtime. This can trigger acid reflux due to your sleeping position.
• Sleep with a pillow wedge that raises your head to deter acid reflux.
• Consult with your doctor to determine whether an antacid, like TUMS, would be right for you.

While its no fun to experience heartburn and acid indigestion, talk to your care provider about the many tools and resources to help you manage. Whether together you decide you should use TUMS to help manage your symptoms or find comfort in pairing antacids with other preventative measures, you have options.

Natural Ways To Relieve Pregnancy Heartburn

There isnt much that can be done about preventing the organic causes of heartburn during pregnancyhormones and babys growth are natural and wanted aspects of pregnancy. So what can you do?

First, its important to avoid over-the-counter options, like Zantac. Although some practitioners will tell you these conventional medications are safe during pregnancy, new research suggests they arent safe during pregnancy or ever. In fact, many big name storesCVS, Walmart, and Walgreens, to name a fewrecently pulled these drugs from their shelves over concerns that they contain cancer-causing agents.

The good news is most women with healthy, normal pregnancies will find easy, convenient, and effective measures to relieve heartburn discomfort naturally, including:

You May Like: What Is Heartburn And Acid Reflux

Does Pregnancy Cause Heartburn

Pregnancy increases your risk of heartburn or acid reflux. During the first trimester, muscles in your esophagus push food more slowly into the stomach and your stomach takes longer to empty.

This gives your body more time to absorb nutrients for the fetus, but it can also result in heartburn.

During the third trimester, the growth of your baby can push your stomach out of its normal position, which can lead to heartburn.

However, each woman is different. Being pregnant doesnt necessarily mean youll have heartburn. It depends on many factors, including your physiology, diet, daily habits, and your pregnancy.

Relieving heartburn during pregnancy typically involves some trial and error. Lifestyle habits that can reduce heartburn are often the safest methods for mother and baby. The following tips may help relieve your heartburn:

Alternative medicine options include acupuncture and relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, or guided imagery. Always check with your doctor before trying new treatments.

Suffering From Pregnancy Heartburn 5 Top Tips To Relieve Heartburn During Pregnancy

If you are having pregnancy heartburn, you are definitely not alone! In fact, pregnancy heartburn affects 8/10 women at some point during their 9 months and as you probably know by now can be pretty unpleasant. Its been found that around 1/4 of women experience heartburn during pregnancy in their first trimester, 1/3 of women in their second trimester and 3/4 of women in their third trimester. So, whilst some things get better as your pregnancy progresses, pregnancy heartburn, although harmless is unfortunately, likely to get worse.

Thankfully there are some solutions and pregnancy heartburn remedies that have been tried and tested. To help you find pregnancy heartburn relief and put your mind at ease, weve put together a brief insight into what pregnancy heartburn actually is and some of the best ways to manage it.

What is pregnancy heartburn?

All heartburn, including heartburn during pregnancy, is caused by acid reflux: Acid from your stomach rises up through your food pipe , irritating it. This happens when a small muscle, located where the food pipe meets the stomach, is weak or too relaxed. Its job is to let food into the stomach and to stop food and acids from coming back out, but if it is weak, the stomachs contents are able to flow upwards. It can leave you with pain or a burning feeling in your chest and/or throat. It can also cause a hoarse voice, sickness, bloating, an unpleasant taste in your mouth and bad breath not fun!

Recommended Reading: Best Foods To Ease Heartburn

What Else Does Indigestion Cause

Apart from heartburn, the following symptoms also occur in case of indigestion.

• Burping release of gas from the stomach through mouth
• Bloating stomach full feel after food
• Flatulence release of gas from the stomach through anal sphincter
• Abdominal pain pain in the stomach
• Vomiting throwing up of stomach contents

All these symptoms appear habitually at the third trimester stage of pregnancy as you and your baby gets bigger. These symptoms generally go away with or without medications.

Consume Apple Cider Vinegar

Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar is one of the best things you can have to control heartburn during pregnancy.

Even though apple cider vinegar is acidic, it helps balance the acid production in the stomach or buffer the acid activity.

Apple cider vinegar is also good your health and the baby growing inside your womb.

Also Check: What To Eat Or Drink To Relieve Heartburn

Does Water Help With Acid Reflux During Pregnancy

Water can be a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to affecting GERD symptoms in pregnancy. Dr. Johnson notes that some women find that drinking water after a meal helps. It is thought that it may reduce the level of acidity in the stomach. However, Dr. Ross suggests saving the water for non-meal times, as drinking large amounts while eating may fill up the stomach and increase the risk of acid reflux and heartburn.

Because stomach volume is reduced due to the growing uterus, consuming too much water can provoke GERD symptoms. Any extra water you drink can overwhelm the lower esophageal sphincter, causing uncomfortable symptoms. In other words, drink water in moderation, preferably after or between meals, to avoid provoking symptoms.

Other Causes Of Heartburn During Pregnancy:

• Fatty foods, due to increased acid production
• Spicy foods
• Pre-existing medical conditions
• Multiple pregnancies
• H. Pylori is a bacteria that has been associated with stomach ulcers. This is mentioned here more for information purposes for individuals who have had stomach ulcers associated acid reflux. This is not a routine test done for heartburn, though it may be of interest to individuals who have had chronic stomach pain/ulcers.

Since the hormonal and anatomic causes of heartburn during pregnancy cannot be avoided, the management of heartburn during pregnancy is by practicing prevention.

Reducting esophageal sphincter relaxation and decreasing intrabdominal pressure.

• Peppermint

2. Decreasing intrabdominal pressure during pregnancy is easier said than done. Here are some suggestions:

• Dont lie flat during pregnancy, especially after eating.
• Avoid lifting heavy objects or any activity that will strain your abdominal muscles. This increases the pressure in your abdomen and will cause gastric contents to reflux up into your esophagus.

Don’t Miss: Over The Counter Heartburn Medicine For Pregnancy

Natural Remedies For Pregnancy Heartburn

Diet and lifestyle modifications are the primarytreatments for GERD during pregnancy. Try the following steps to manage acid reflux during pregnancy:

List Of Best Foods For Preventing Pregnancy Heartburn

Usually, your specialist might prescribe antacids that promote a soothing and cool feel.

Besides, you might need to alter your lifestyle to reduce the acid-burning sensation.

This includes changing the frequency and times of your meals. You may have to ditch spicy stuff and incorporate more clean and natural foods.

Dont know where to start? No worries!

Begin with these 25 must-have foods to prevent pregnancy heartburn. Plus, Ive included tips on how to consume each food safely.

Don’t Miss: How To Rid Of Heartburn

How Can I Deal With Heartburn During Pregnancy

I’m in my second trimester. No matter what I eat, I get heartburn. Is this normal? If so, what can I do to feel better? Cari

Heartburn, despite its name, has nothing to do with the heart. It’s a burning feeling in the throat and chest when the stomach’s contents move back up into the esophagus .

Heartburn is common during pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones can make the valve at the entrance to the stomach relax so that it doesn’t close as it should. This lets acidic stomach contents move up into the esophagus, a condition known as gastroesophageal reflux , or acid reflux. It can get worse later in pregnancy when the growing uterus presses up on the stomach.

To help ease heartburn pain:

• Skip foods and drinks that can make it worse, such as citrus spicy, fatty foods caffeine and carbonated drinks.
• Eat several small meals throughout the day.
• Take your time when eating.
• Drink liquids between not during meals.
• Avoid eating or drinking for 3 hours before bedtime.
• Resist the urge to lie down after meals.
• Raise your head when you sleep.
• Talk to your doctor about medicines that are safe to take for heartburn during pregnancy.