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July 27, 2022

• Heartburn or indigestion is the burning feeling in your chest and throat when acid reflux occurs. It is also common during pregnancy as hormones can cause the valve at the stomach’s entrance to relax and prevent it from closing as it should. This anomaly allows acid content to move up into the esophagus and could get worse as your pregnancy progresses.

   

  While it usually happens in the third trimester, it’s important to note symptoms and ways to prevent them from happening so that you can have an easy pregnancy.

Here’s a quick look at what you need to know about heartburn while pregnant.

Symptoms of Heartburn

While symptoms usually differ from person to person, some symptoms include:

• Burping or belching
• Bringing up food
• Feeling of or being sick
• Feeling full or bloated
• A burning sensation
• Pain in the chest

These symptoms will usually manifest after drinking or eating, but they might manifest ‌when there is a delay in eating. It helps to be mindful and note what you need to eat so that you don’t put yourself at risk of indigestion.

Even though heartburn in pregnancy can happen at any given time, it is most common from 27 weeks onwards.

Preventing Heartburn During Pregnancy

While heartburn goes away after a while, there are a couple of things that you can do to still be able to prevent it from recurring. At most, you can prevent it by making a couple of changes to your lifestyle and diet.

That said, here are a couple of ways in which you can prevent heartburn during pregnancy.

Eat Healthily

You are most likely to get heartburn if you’re very full. That said, it’s better to take a bit of control over your food intake as it might not be healthy for you and your baby if you eat in excess. Consult with your dietician or your OB/GYN regarding suitable diets that can work with your pregnancy.

Change Your Eating Habits

In line with eating healthy, you can also change your eating habits – provided that you have consulted with your doctors. It might help to change meal patterns or eat smaller portions, depending on the advice of your doctors. It might also help to change your drinking habit by replacing cutting down on caffeine.

Avoid Alcohol

Steer clear of alcohol during pregnancy, as it can cause heartburn and lead to long-term harm to your baby. Avoid alcohol at all costs during your pregnancy to avoid further problems.

Sit Upright

Main proper posture and sit upright when you eat. This will help to take pressure off of your stomach to prevent heartburn. You can also try propping up your head and shoulders when you go to bed to prevent stomach acid from coming up while you sleep.

Stop Smoking

Smoking can cause heartburn during pregnancy and put you at risk for other problems that might include premature birth, cot death, or your baby having low birth weight. It’s best to stop smoking while you’re pregnant to avoid running into any problems.

In all, heartburn during pregnancy is quite common and shouldn’t be a cause for concern unless it gets severe. There are ways to prevent it from happening and how you can make your pregnancy a better experience. As always, it’s always a good idea to stay in touch with your doctors regarding questions you may have about your pregnancy. You can also ask them about any dietary changes that you might need to make for your pregnancy to become a better experience.

Citations:

• How Can I Deal With Heartburn During Pregnancy? (for Parents) – Nemours KidsHealth. (2019). Kidshealth.org. https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/heartburn.html
• Pregnancy and Heartburn | Cleveland Clinic. (2015). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12011-heartburn-during-pregnancy
• Indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy. (2020, December 3). Nhs.uk. https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/related-conditions/common-symptoms/indigestion-and-heartburn/#:~:text=Indigestion%2C%20also%20called%20heartburn%20or
• Heartburn During Pregnancy. (n.d.). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/heartburn-during-pregnancy