Heartburn During Pregnancy - Causes, Prevention, & Home Remedies

by Nyra Agarwal A Passionate Blogger Who Loves To Read And Write

Feeling so fed up with that burning feeling in your chest that reaches your throat to the point you almost want to throw up? That's actually pretty normal if you are pregnant, and it is definitely bothersome, especially if you are carrying "someone" there in your tummy.

Symptoms of Heartburn During Pregnancy

The symptoms of heartburn are:

Chronic coughing
Chest pain
Bringing up food
Burning sensation in the chest
Burping or belching
Feeling full, heavy, or bloated
Regurgitation or sour taste in the mouth
Dyspepsia
Difficult time swallowing
Burning sensation in the throat

These symptoms usually appear soon after you drink or eat something. However, you may sometimes experience a delay between consuming and developing heartburn.

Causes of Heartburn During Pregnancy

You're more likely to experience heartburn during pregnancy due to:

Slowed digestion
Alcohol
Spicy foods
Pepper
Chocolate
Abdominal exercise
Hormonal changes
Large meals
Fried, greasy and fatty foods
Tomatoes and tomato sauces
Garlic and onions (raw)
Blood pressure and heart disease medication
Caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, and soda)
Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, and grapefruit)
The growing baby pressing on your stomach

Several foods are the cause of most pregnant women's heartburn:

Any large, fried, greasy, or fatty foods will give you heartburn, especially if you eat before bed!
Large meals will stretch your stomach, thus causing your lower esophageal sphincter to relax.
Alcohol is a big trigger for heartburn as well, specifically if you are drinking red wine.
Similarly, red sauces should be avoided too! If it's red, then it's heartburn!
Avoid that pizza before bed, especially if you like your pizza with black pepper! Double heartburn in that case.
Any spicy foods, such as curry or chocolate chili sauce, should also be avoided. Especially chocolate chili sauce! As chocolate is another trigger of heartburn!
Oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and any juice relating to those fruits should be avoided! As most know, citrus fruits are one of the main triggers of heartburn and acidic build-up.
Coffee, tea, and soda all contain caffeine, well, unless it's decaf, which can cause a bit of heartburn (and a stomach ache if you have no food in you)!
Exercises, such as crunches and ab training, cause pressure in your abdomen, leading to heartburn. Exercising on a full stomach can do this too.
Last but not least, if you are taking any blood pressure or heart disease medication, you might experience heartburn as well.

Home Remedies to Relieve Heartburn

Some of the best home remedies to relieve heartburn include:

#Chewing Gum: The reason for this is to increase your saliva production! An increase in saliva means your body will be able to dilute and flush out stomach acid building up in your throat and mouth.

#Drink Skim Milk: Milk is a complicated remedy. It can help relieve you of heartburn but can also cause it as well! Just stick to skim, and don't drink too much!

#Drink Tea (Chamomile, Ginger, or Peppermint): Normal tea filled with caffeine may be a heartburn trigger, but herbal tea, specifically the ones stated, will help you with heartburn relief. Don't chug the whole cup down though, just take sips. Adding honey will help do, plus give it more flavor!

#Lemon Juice with Water: This might sound contradictory. Lemons?! Just add two teaspoons to a glass of water. It will help rid you of your heartburn. Just don't add too much!

#Apple Cider Vinegar: A teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar will help stop heartburn. Like tea, adding honey to it helps!

#Pickle Juice: Although it sounds gross, taking a few gulps of pickle juice will calm the acidic build-up caused by any heartburn triggers.

#Eat Yogurt: Yogurt is cool and smooth, a nice relief for your throat.

#Raw Almonds: A handful of almonds may do the trick! They are also good for you. Don't use this method if you're allergic to nuts, though!

#Mustard: A spoonful of mustard, or two if you think you need it, is yet another remedy that could help!

#Pineapple: Just a slice of pineapple can help relieve your heartburn!

Tips to Prevent Heartburn During Pregnancy

Most commonly, heartburn during pregnancy is due to the pressure of the growing fetus inside your abdomen, which displaces or presses some of your gastrointestinal organs like your stomach. This usually happens when the height of your fundus (the topmost of your uterus) reaches the stomach region. This means that heartburn during pregnancy is a normal thing, but we can definitely prevent this from occurring as this may be really stressful on the mother's part.

Here are some tips which you can employ to prevent experiencing heartburn during pregnancy:

#Proper Positioning: When taking a nap or lying down, be sure to elevate your head higher than the rest of your body. This will prevent the stomach contents from flowing back to the esophagus.

#Zero Spicy and Fatty Foods: Limit, if not totally, try to avoid fatty and spicy foods during pregnancy. These types of food irritate the esophagus lining and have been found to cause the relaxation of the valve that controls the flow of food into the stomach.

#Banned Beverages: You must also try to avoid drinking beverages containing caffeine, citrus, as well as soda drinks as these beverages will exacerbate or intensify the occurrence of heartburn during pregnancy.

#Small Frequent Feedings: Since your stomach has adjusted to the growing child inside you, the content of food that your stomach can handle will also adjust and lessen. Eat small meals frequently to avoid dumping food inside your stomach because this might lead to acid reflux. Eating small meals will also keep you energized throughout the day.

#Dress Comfortably: Avoid wearing tight clothes while you are pregnant. Apart from being uncomfortable, it also tightens your abdomen, thus promoting your stomach contents to flow back into the esophagus. Instead, wear comfortable maternity clothes that are stretchable enough to fit snugly over your growing bump.

#After Meal Rituals: Right after eating a heavy meal, try to walk around to help your stomach digest your food and speed up gastric emptying. Also, avoid lying down immediately- try to wait for about an hour or so. If lying down to take a nap or sleep, make sure you lie towards the left to avoid acid reflux, as well as hypotension.

Following these steps will help you lessen the occurrence of heartburn during pregnancy. If the problem persists, it is best to consult your physician to be prescribed appropriate medications that are proven to be safe during pregnancy.