Most women experience heartburn during pregnancy even for women who have never experienced it before. It is characterized by a burning sensation that is felt in the throat and chest and a sour acidic taste in the mouth. Heartburn in pregnancy starts in the first trimester and becomes more common as the pregnancy progresses.

CAUSES OF HEARTBURN DURING PREGNANCY

For most people, fried and spicy foods are the main causes of heartburn but in pregnant women it is more than this.

One of the main causes of this heartburn is the increase in levels of pregnancy hormones mostly progesterone. These hormones relaxes the valve that separates the stomach and the esophagus allowing stomach acids to reflux back up in the throat and esophagus. These hormones also slow down peristalsis (wavelike contraction of the intestines and the esophagus), making digestion more sluggish.

Another cause of heartburn in pregnancy is the pressure exerted on your stomach as the baby grows. This pressure can push the stomach acids through the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) into the esophagus causing heartburn.

Acidity

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF HEARTBURN DURING PREGNANCY

It is not possible to completely eliminate heartburn during pregnancy, but you can take some measures to either ease the discomfort or prevent chances of its occurrence. Some of these measures include:

-Avoid foods that are known to trigger heartburns. Such foods include citrus fruits and their juices, vinegar, chocolate, tomatoes, mint products, spicy foods, highly seasoned foods and fatty foods.

-Avoid frequent use of drinks that contain caffeine e.g coffee, cola and tea. These foods can relax the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) allowing acids to enter your esophagus.

-Don't take alcohol. Just like caffeine drinks, alcohol can relax the LES and cause heartburns.

-Avoid big meals and take several small meals instead. Large meals combined with the pressure from growing baby can put a huge stress on your stomach and cause heartburn.

-Eat slowly and chew thoroughly to avoid indigestion which can worsen the situation

-Avoid eating just before going to bed. Give yourself about three hours from your last meal before you can go to bed

-Drink plenty of water daily (8-10 glasses). This should be evenly spread out throughout the day and large quantities of fluids should be avoided during mealtimes. Large fluid quantities can put pressure on the LES causing heartburn.

Natural remedies for heartburn

-Don't smoke. Smoking has a tendency of increasing heartburns.

-Avoid bending at the waist and bend at the knees instead. Bending at the waist puts pressure on your abdomen. You should also sit upright and avoid slouching.

-Avoid tight clothes and always wear loose and comfortable clothing to avoid exerting pressure around your abdomen.

-Elevate the head of the bed to ensure that your upper body is always higher than the lower body. This enables gravity to work for you by preventing the acids from rising into the esophagus.

-Watch your weight and try to remain within the boundaries suggested by your doctor. Excessive weight and obesity exerts pressure on the stomach and can cause frequent heartburns.

-Over the counter antacids containing calcium or magnesium can ease the discomfort but should only be taken after consulting your doctor. This is because, some of these drugs contain aluminum and aspirin or are have high sodium content.

If none of these measures help, consult your doctor about the available prescription medication that are recommended for heartburn during pregnancy.