Heartburn is a common complaint during pregnancy, affecting anywhere from one quarter to one half of all pregnant women at some time during their term. There are a number of possible reasons why pregnancy heartburn is so prevalent, but the ultimate cause of heartburn is the same with pregnant women as with the rest of the population. The valve between the stomach and esophagus that is called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not function properly, allowing some of the digestive acids from the stomach to back up into the esophagus. Since the esophagus does not have any sort of lining to protect it from these strong acids, the result can be a painful burning and an acidic taste in the mouth.

During pregnancy, it is thought that this valve might stop working efficiently due to the hormones in the body during pregnancy or the fact that the additional weight in the abdomen puts additional pressure on the stomach and forces more of the acid back up the digestive tract. Because there are multiple possibilities in causes of pregnancy heartburn, the symptoms can appear at almost any time throughout the pregnancy term. By the final trimester, it becomes increasingly difficult for the expectant mother to sleep, particularly if the painful burning sensations are not giving her any relief at night. Fortunately, there are some steps that you can take to alleviate or even eliminate pregnancy heartburn.

Lifestyle and Diet Modifications

If you have noticed that your pregnancy heartburn symptoms begin to flare up after eating certain foods or drinking a particular beverage, avoiding those foods may be all that is required to avoid the heartburn. Other lifestyle modifications that you can make include eating smaller, frequent meals rather than filling your stomach three times a day; avoiding lying down within two to three hours after a meal; and elevating your head at night by at least six to eight inches while sleeping. Smoking is already a no-no during pregnancy, but avoiding heartburn symptoms is just one more reason to kick the habit. Chewing gum or sucking hard candies can increase the saliva in the mouth which can act as a barrier for the harmful acids. If your pregnancy heartburn does not seem to feel better after these diet and lifestyle modifications, you can talk to your doctor about taking over the counter antacids to help curb your pregnancy heartburn symptoms.

Heartburn during pregnancy can be just one more uncomfortable malady to endure, or you can look into diet and lifestyle modifications that can help alleviate or even eliminate your pregnancy heartburn symptoms. The good news is that you have many possibilities to try in the hopes of making your nine months a bit more enjoyable.

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