Dealing With Heartburn And Indigestion During Pregnancy

Heartburn and indigestion are very common during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester. However, by adjusting your diet, you can prevent or alleviate the symptoms.

As your pregnancy progresses, more and more complaints or ailments arise. These are caused by the development of the baby in your womb. In addition, complaints arise due to the physical changes in your body.

These changes do not affect every pregnant woman in the same way. Every pregnancy has different symptoms.

However, almost all pregnant women suffer from heartburn and indigestion. You can recognize these painful complaints by a heavy or burning feeling after a meal.

Heartburn and indigestion are common symptoms that can occur at any stage of your pregnancy. Still, they are most common in the second and third trimesters.

What Causes Heartburn or Indigestion During Pregnancy?

Indigestion during pregnancy has multiple causes, including diet and uterine growth.

Likewise, hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy are the other cause. For example, progesterone is known to play a major role in heartburn and indigestion during pregnancy.

In pregnant women, the placenta produces progesterone. This hormone relaxes the smooth muscles in the uterus. Unfortunately, this hormone has the same effect on the valve that separates the stomach from the esophagus.

This means that stomach acid can get into the esophagus and cause a burning sensation. That’s known as heartburn or acid reflux.

This hormone also decreases the contraction rate in your digestive system. This slows down digestion. Combined with the growing baby pressing against your tummy, this can lead to significant discomfort.

Heartburn Remedies During Pregnancy

It is difficult to completely prevent these complaints. However, there are some ways to prevent or reduce symptoms. These are helpful in alleviating the effects of heartburn and indigestion during pregnancy. That way you can tolerate it more easily. For example:

• Avoid overeating. During pregnancy, meals should be easily digestible. It is therefore better to eat several small meals and snacks throughout the day. This will satisfy your appetite and at the same time avoid indigestion.
• Be careful with certain foods. It is better to avoid very greasy and spicy foods, drinks with caffeine or theine and sweet desserts. Eating more fruits and vegetables is another good way to prevent indigestion during pregnancy.
• Take your time. Chew your food slowly before swallowing. This helps you to ease digestion. Eating slowly during meals also helps to prevent that burning sensation.

In addition, some tips:

• Drink water between meals. It is especially important to drink plenty of water during pregnancy. But…it is also possible that you drink too much. Too much fluid leads to swelling.

• Take chewing gum after meals. This stimulates your salivary glands. Saliva helps neutralize acid.
• Don’t eat right before going to sleep. Wait an hour or two for better digestion. In addition, you can also try to sleep at a 45-degree angle. This position helps prevent acid reflux. This keeps gastric juices in the stomach.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing and avoid clothing that pinches your waist and stomach.
• Do not smoke. Smoking is not only harmful to your health in general. Above all, it is harmful to your pregnancy. In addition, it also increases the production of stomach acid.
• Avoid stress. Find peace and calm and try light physical exercises or breathing exercises. Not only will this help with heartburn, but it will also help you feel better overall.

What to do if indigestion doesn’t go away

If you’ve tried all of these tips and you’re still having trouble, there are some natural home remedies that can help ease many of the symptoms. For example, getting a lot of moisture in is a good start.

Another home remedy is to take a teaspoon of olive oil on an empty stomach. This can help to absorb fatty acids.

Drinking a cup of milk or yogurt can also help to reduce the symptoms. However, some women are more sensitive to dairy products, which actually worsens the complaints.

If these remedies do not work, contact your doctor and ask about specific medications. Antacids work quickly. These are remedies for heartburn or indigestion. However, these drugs can also have unpleasant side effects.

Finally, remember that any medication you are taking must be prescribed by the doctor as it can affect the health and development of your baby.