Pregnancy heartburn, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or pregnancy acid reflux, is a common condition that affects many pregnant women. But while it can be uncomfortable and even painful, it’s not a dangerous condition and won’t harm you or your baby. In fact, most women experience some degree of heartburn during pregnancy and find their symptoms get better after the first trimester. However, if your pregnancy heartburn isn’t improving with time and becomes worse instead of better, you should contact your doctor. They may refer you to a specialist known as an obstetrician who can help identify potential complications from the reflux. Fortunately, there are plenty of home remedies for pregnancy heartburn that actually work. Keep reading to learn more!
What Is Pregnancy Heartburn?
Heartburn is a type of gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD for short, that causes a burning sensation behind the breastbone in your chest. This happens when stomach acid backs up into your esophagus, the muscular tube that connects your stomach to your throat. Pregnancy heartburn is a common condition that affects many pregnant women.
It’s caused by several changes in your body during pregnancy, including an increase in your progesterone levels. This hormone relaxes the muscles in your digestive tract and makes it more difficult for your stomach acid to travel back up to your esophagus. Therefore, you’re more likely to experience heartburn. Fortunately, pregnancy heartburn is not a dangerous condition and won’t harm you or your baby.
Foods That Make Pregnancy Heartburn Worse
If you’re experiencing pregnancy heartburn, you may find that certain foods make the symptoms worse, while others make them better.
Dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt are the most common trigger foods for heartburn.
Other foods that may worsen your symptoms include:
- Spicy foods
- Acidic foods such as tomatoes, citrus fruits, vinegar and sour candy
- Artificial sweeteners
- Fatty foods
- Foods with high sugar content
- Foods rich in salt content
- Carbonated beverages
- Coffee
- Mint
Foods That Can Help with Pregnancy Heartburn
These foods may help with pregnancy heartburn:
- High-soluble foods such as oatmeal, beans and apples
- Ginger
- Green tea
- Fruits
- Unsalted crackers
- Water
Home Remedies for Pregnancy Heartburn
If you’re experiencing pregnancy heartburn, the following home remedies can help manage the symptoms better:
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals
- Drink plenty of water
- Wearing loose-fitting clothing
- Exercise regularly
- Sleep on your left side
- Sleep with your upper body elevated
- Avoid excessive stress
- Use a humidifier in your bedroom
- Avoid tobacco
- Avoid alcohol
Tips to Manage Pregnancy Heartburn
If your pregnancy heartburn is severe, make sure to talk to your doctor about possible treatments. They may recommend a prescription medication to reduce your heartburn symptoms. You may also want to try eating smaller, more frequent meals and avoiding certain foods that worsen your heartburn. Finally, you can try a few different home remedies for pregnancy heartburn to help relieve your symptoms and make them less severe.
Final Words
Heartburn is a common condition that affects many pregnant women. It’s caused by several changes in your body during pregnancy, including an increase in your progesterone levels. Fortunately, there are plenty of home remedies for pregnancy heartburn that actually work. Make sure to talk to your doctor about any complications and keep these tips in mind to reduce your pregnancy heartburn symptoms.
Have you tried any of these home remedies for pregnancy heartburn? If you find them useful, be sure to share them on Pinterest!
For more pregnancy tips, check out My Top 10 Pregnancy Must-Haves and Tips to know more.
