Avoiding Heartburn Throughout Pregnancy

By Keira Adams

Pregnancy and heartburn all too often seem to be related. Among the reasons for this is the increased hormone levels in a pregnant woman's body. This causes softening of the ligaments that are responsible for regulating the passageway that leads from the stomach to the esophagus. Consequently, gastric acid is able to travel up the esophagus and throat with less difficulty. A further reason why women who are pregnant suffer from heartburn is due to more pressure in the stomach region caused by the growth of the baby. Often that can trigger the stomach acids to climb up to the esophagus.

There are lots of options when it comes to relieving the pain of heartburn throughout pregnancy. The following guidelines ought to give you some relief.

* Keep your head elevated at least six to eight inches while sleeping. You may find a specially made acid reflux wedge pillow to be useful in these situations. This gives gravity some assistance in preventing your stomach acids from climbing the esophagus.

* Keep away from alcoholic beverages. It is harmful to your child and is also a factor in heartburn.

* Stay away from foods that are known to bring about heartburn. This means chocolate, spicy foods, citrus, tomato based foods, as well as fatty and fried foods.

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

* Watch your posture while sitting. Sit straight in a comfy chair.

* Choose loose fitting clothes. Restricting the abdominal area will often lead to heartburn.

* Do not go to sleep for at least three hours following eating. This will help prevent nighttime heartburn.

* Sip a minimum of 8 to 10 glasses of water each day. But do not drink too much while you're eating. This will cause the abdomen to swell too much and expel the stomach acids.

* Eat your food in a leisurely manner.

* Consume smaller portions. Having several mini meals during the day will keep the pressure off your abdomen.

* Keep weight gain to healthy levels. All that surplus fat puts added pressure on the stomach.

* Stop smoking. This is not just bad for the baby, it's a frequent cause of heartburn.

* Stay away from caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, and soda. - 32390

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