Heartburn During Pregnancy
How to Treat Heartburn During Pregnancy
Most women will experience heartburn during pregnancy. In fact, some women experience heartburn for their first time when they are pregnant. Heartburn can range from mildly annoying to downright painful. Sometimes, heartburn can even be mistaken for a heart attack. Since most medications are frowned upon during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, how can heartburn be treated?
Contrary to its name, heartburn doesn’t always occur right around the heart. In fact, you can feel it in your stomach, your lower back, your chest, and even your arms. It can feel like a burning sensation, or it can feel like sharp pain whenever you move. You might even notice acid rising into your throat at times, which can be extremely unpleasant. If it’s the first time that you’ve ever had heartburn, it can feel a little scary, as well as painful.
You can blame the placenta for heartburn during pregnancy. The placenta produces progesterone, a hormone, which helps smooth out the muscles in the uterus. While this is important, it also relaxes the valve that separates the stomach from the esophagus. In addition, progesterone can also slow down your esophagus’ contractions, making digestive tract move more slowly. This lets acid get up into your esophagus, hence producing the heartburn.
While you probably won’t be able to stop heartburn completely, there are still some things that you can do to find relief from it. Some of these things involve simple lifestyle changes.
Eating small meals and avoiding large meals is one way that heartburn can be avoided. When you are eating, eat slowly and make sure that you chew your food completely. You should also stay away from food and drinks that upset your stomach. Some of these include tomatoes, vinegar, mint, spice foods, caffeine, citrus fruits and juices, and chocolate. Not all of these will affect everyone in the same way, of course.
Try to wear clothing that doesn’t fit too tightly. Tight elastic bands and waistlines can bite into your stomach and cause discomfort. If you are bloated, then it can make you feel even more uncomfortable. Instead, wear clothing that is loose fitting and does not fit too tight around your stomach and chest.
Although it’s important to drink plenty of water during pregnancy, avoiding drinking a lot of liquids when you are eating is a good idea. Consuming liquids on top of food can make your stomach extend and cause bloating.
If at all possible, try not to eat too close to bedtime. You should give your body plenty of time to digest your food before you lie down. This also goes for lying down to take a nap, too. Of course, if you’re hungry or your stomach is upset, then you shouldn’t stop yourself from eating, either.
When you sleep, prop your head up on several pillows so that you are not lying flat on your back. Keeping your upper boy elevated will help assist you with digestion. It will also keep the stomach acids in your stomach, where they are supposed to be.
If you are still having trouble with heartburn, then talk to your healthcare provider about medication options. There are a few over the counter antacids that can help with heartburn during pregnancy. If these don’t work, there are also prescriptions that can be prescribed to you by your doctor as well. It’s important, however, not to take anything without discussing it with your doctor first.
The good news is, no matter how bad it might feel, heartburn usually disappears once the baby is born and your body starts getting back to normal.