Tips for Preventing Heartburn While Pregnant

Pregnancy and heartburn all too frequently seem to go hand in hand. Among the causes of this is the increased hormone levels in a pregnant woman’s body. This leads to softening of the ligaments which usually keep the lower esophageal sphincter securely shut. Therefore, stomach acids are mostly unimpeded in traveling up to the throat and esophagus. One other contributor to heartburn during pregnancy is the extra pressure that the developing baby places on the abdominal area. Often this can propel the contents of the stomach up to the esophagus.

There are numerous techniques by which a pregnant woman can reduce the distress due to heartburn. Here are some strategies that should give some relief.

* When sleeping, keep your head raised about six to eight inches. You may find a specially designed acid reflux wedge pillow to be beneficial in these circumstances. This gives gravity some assistance in keeping your stomach acids from ascending the esophagus.

* Avoid alcohol, which you should at any rate for the well being of your child.

* Stay away from foods that lead to heartburn. This includes chocolate, highly spiced foods, citrus, tomato based foods, along with fatty and fried foods.

* Do not bend from the waist; use your knees instead. This keeps pressure off the stomach.

* Don’t slouch when sitting. Sit erect in a comfortable chair.

* Avoid restrictive clothing. Restricting the abdominal area will frequently result in heartburn.

* Don’t lie down to sleep until it is been three hours since your last meal. You are less likely to suffer from nighttime heartburn.

* Drink a minimum of 8 to 10 glasses of water a day. However be careful that you do not drink while eating if you can possibly avoid it. This causes overexpansion of the abdomen, thereby pushing out the gastric acids in your tummy.

* Do not eat too quickly.

* Eat smaller portions. Eating small meals at regular intervals through the day will alleviate the pressure on the stomach.

* Don’t gain an excessive amount of weight. All that surplus fat puts extra pressure on the stomach.

* Quit smoking. This isn’t just bad for the baby, it’s a frequent cause of heartburn.

* Stay away from caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, and soda.

Almost everyone gets a bad case of heartburn at one time or another. Some people, however, never seem to be able to get rid of it. Learn more about the symptoms, prevention and treatment of this painful condition at Heartburn Relief.