How to Deal With Heartburn While Pregnant
Hormonal changes occurring during pregnancy often lead to heartburn or acid reflux, especially during the latter two trimesters. It's usually not cause for concern, reassures BabyCenter, but mention it to your doctor and get personalized advice for managing the condition. Management is more about prevention than treatment, and if you're diligent, you should be able to minimize the frequency and severity of bouts of heartburn. You may not be able to completely eliminate acid indigestion, but you can treat it when you can't prevent it, and pregnancy-related heartburn typically ends shortly after you give birth.
Things You'll Need
- Notebook
- Extra pillows
- Chewing gum
- Yogurt, milk, almonds or ginger tea
- Antacids
Instructions
Forgo food and beverages that commonly trigger heartburn. Alcohol is one, but you shouldn't be drinking it during pregnancy anyway. Caffeinated drinks should also be limited during pregnancy, and they often lead to heartburn. Carbonated drinks may be problematic, too. Other things to avoid include spicy, acidic, heavily seasoned, fatty, greasy and fried foods; chocolate, mustard, citrus, processed meats and mint are other known culprits. Keep a food journal to help pinpoint your heartburn triggers. Write down everything you eat and when you eat it, so you can review this information when heartburn kicks in. Pay attention to how you react to new foods, if there are any, that you're eating frequently since becoming pregnant. Over the course of several days, patterns and obvious triggers should become obvious. Eat five or six small meals rather than three large meals, as larger quantities of food at one time are more likely to cause heartburn. Take your time while you eat and chew your food well. Drink your beverages between meals, rather than during them, so you don't distend your stomach. Sip, don't gulp. You need plenty of water every day during pregnancy, but work it in around your food. Remain upright for at least two hours after eating. Bend at your knees, not your waist, too, in this period following food intake. Refrain from eating or drinking in the two to three hours before bedtime. If heartburn is a problem in bed, prop yourself up with an extra pillow or two. Chew gum after eating, especially when eating a likely heartburn trigger. This stimulates salivation, which in turn helps neutralize the acid that causes discomfort. Have a serving of yogurt or drink a glass of milk when you start noticing heartburn. Warm milk containing about a tablespoon of honey also helps some people. Almonds and ginger tea sometimes help, as well. These are all natural, nutritious ways to cope with heartburn during pregnancy. Take an antacid your doctor has approved to deal with painful bouts of heartburn. Some brands contain aspirin or aluminum, so they must be avoided during pregnancy; others can interfere with your absorption of nutrients needed during pregnancy; others still contain a lot of sodium, which causes fluid retention. Ask your doctor to recommend a safe medication that suppresses acid production if other methods for preventing and treating your heartburn prove inadequate.
