Heartburn in pregnancy: 11 remedies to put out the fire
Was it something you ate?
I predicted swollen ankles, morning sickness, and swollen breasts. But this is burning indigestion? Where did that come from?
As the name suggests, heartburn (also called gastroesophageal reflux and acid dyspepsia) looks like a fiery ripple that starts behind your breastbone and travels to your esophagus, a tube that connects your throat to your stomach. These acids can make it to your throat.
In addition to the burning sensation—which can last from several minutes to several hours—you can also:
- Feeling bloated
- Burps a lot
- Sour taste in your mouth
- It is a sore throat
- Coughs frequently
While the burritos you had for dinner probably didn't help things (spicy foods can make heartburn worse), the burning sensation you have has more to do with hormones than jalapeños.
If not burritos, what causes them?
If you feel like you have a triple alarm fire dancing in your chest, you're not alone. According to one study, up to 45 percent of mothers experience heartburn. And if you had heartburn before pregnancy, you are more likely to suffer from it during pregnancy.
Heartburn can flare up, so to speak, at any stage of pregnancy but is most common during the second and third trimesters. Experts aren't entirely sure what caused the burning, but they suspect it's a three-pronged problem.
Hormones
Progesterone, also known as the "pregnancy hormone" because it nourishes your uterus and the baby inside it, is the main cause of pregnancy-related heartburn.
Progesterone acts as a muscle relaxant. In the case of heartburn, the hormone can relax the tight muscles (called the lower esophageal valve) that close your stomach from the esophagus.
When you eat or drink, the muscles naturally open to allow contents to enter the stomach before closing tightly. But the high levels of progesterone that occur during pregnancy can lead to muscle sagging, allowing stomach acid to bounce back into the esophagus and even the throat.
Growing Baby
As your uterus expands as your baby grows, it competes for space with some of your other organs. Like squeezing a toothpaste tube, a growing uterus presses on your stomach, making stomach acids more likely to leak—especially if your stomach is full.
The more your uterus grows, the more likely your stomach is to be stressed. This may help explain why heartburn becomes more common as you progress through your pregnancy.
- Slowed digestion
Thanks to progesterone, the stomach contents remain longer than normal. As digestion slows down and the stomach stays full longer, the chances of heartburn increase.
Proven Ways to Soothe Burning
Heartburn can be annoying, but here's how to respond to it:
1. Pay attention to what you eat
It's no surprise that acidic and spicy foods create more stomach acids than light ones (until we meet again, Taco Tuesday!). Avoid citrus, tomatoes, onions, garlic, caffeine, chocolate, soft drinks, and other acidic foods. Also, stay away from fried or fatty foods that slow down digestion.
2. Eat small, frequent meals instead of three meals a day
This helps to avoid stomach fatigue and allows it to empty faster.
3. Sit up straight when eating
Your mom was right about this—and a lot of other things too. Gravity will help your food survive.
4. Don't eat within three hours of going to bed
Prioritizing digestion before lying down—slowing down your stomach emptying—during the night will help control heartburn.
5. Don't smoke
There are many reasons why you shouldn't smoke during pregnancy, and heartburn is just one of them. The chemicals in cigarettes cause the valve that keeps the stomach contents in to relax. This allows acids and undigested foods to spread upwards and take on their fiery target.
6. Raise your head 6 to 9 inches when sleeping
The easiest way to achieve this is to place pillows under your shoulders, raise the head of your bed with blocks placed under the legs of the bed, or buy a special wedge pillow to place between the mattress and the box of springs. Supported sleep is another way to make gravity work for you.
7. Wear loose clothing
Stay away from Spanx and any other clothing that creates stress around the middle section. Shake your belly, and stretchy and comfortable pants too!
8. Drink after eating and not with it
Drinking fluids along with your food can create a full, dazzling, and heartburn-inducing stomach environment.
9. Try acupuncture
In a 2015 study, pregnant women who received acupuncture versus those who did not showed no difference in their symptoms—but women who underwent acupuncture reported improvements in their ability to sleep and eat.
10. Do not drink alcohol
Besides the fact that alcohol exposure can cause all sorts of problems for your developing baby—everything from low birth weight to learning disabilities—alcohol can also relax the valve that keeps stomach contents in the stomach.
11. Talk to your doctor about heartburn medications
This includes over-the-counter medications—some are safe during pregnancy.
Antacids help neutralize acid in your stomach and soothe the burning sensation. The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health says over-the-counter antacids that contain calcium carbonate (such as Tums) are safe to use.
If you are not able to calm heartburn through lifestyle changes, your doctor may suggest heartburn medications such as Tagamet and Prilosec, which are generally considered safe during pregnancy. While these medications are available over-the-counter, you may receive a prescription for a stronger dose if your doctor thinks it is justified.