Heartburn in pregnancy is very common, but regardless of how common a problem it is, it is still annoying and painful nonetheless and so you will want to get appropriate treatment. As if you do not have enough on your plate to worry about when you are pregnant, now you have to worry about heartburn in pregnancy.
Why Heartburn in Pregnancy Happens
If you want to get the best results and find the most relief from your heartburn in pregnancy symptoms, it will be important for you to understand why heartburn is so common during pregnancy.
Heartburn is a burning sensation that often extends from the bottom of the breastbone to the lower throat, and which is caused by some of the hormonal and physical changes in the body.
The majority of women experience heartburn to some degree at some point in their pregnancy, and another reason for this is because during pregnancy the placenta produces a hormone known as progesterone which relaxes the smooth muscles of the uterus. This hormone relaxes the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach allowing gastric acids to seep back up which causes the unpleasant burning sensation.
How to Get Relief
Obviously dealing with heartburn in pregnancy is a bit more difficult than dealing with heartburn in regular cases because the woman is pregnant and so the usual treatments, namely medications and medicines, will not be used.
There are still a few options that you have however if you are pregnant and experiencing heartburn. For one, you should try to avoid any food and beverages that causes you gastrointestinal distress. This list will vary from one person to another, but often includes chocolate, alcohol, fatty and fried foods, and sugary foods.
You should eat smaller, more frequent meals rather than larger meals, and avoid eating during the few hours immediately preceding your bedtime. This way you will give your body time to digest the food you have consumed and it will not just be sitting in your stomach, because it will then be more apt to seep back up into your esophagus.
It is also important to avoid drinking large quantities of fluids during meals, because you do not want to distend your stomach. Although it is important to drink six to eight glasses of water a day and especially so if you are pregnant, you should sip it through meals rather than drink it quickly throughout all times of the day.
