Pregnancy and heartburn all too often seem to be inseparable. One of the explanations for this is the increased hormonal levels that are a result of being pregnant. This causes softening of the ligaments which usually keep the lower esophageal sphincter tightly closed. This means that, gastric acid is able to make its way up the esophagus and throat with less difficulty. One more reason why pregnant women experience heartburn is due to greater pressure in the stomach area caused by the development of the baby. Often that can trigger the stomach acids to ascend to the esophagus.

There are plenty of choices when it concerns relieving the suffering of heartburn throughout pregnancy. The following tips should give you some relief.

* Keep your head elevated at least six to eight inches when sleeping. A special acid reflux wedge pillow might be helpful to help you maintain this position. This gives gravity some assistance in keeping your stomach acids from ascending the esophagus.

* Avoid alcoholic beverages, which you ought to in any case for the health of your child.

* Stay far from foods that are known to produce heartburn. Included in this list are highly spiced foods, tomato products, chocolate, fried and fatty foods, and citrus.

* Bend at the knees, not at the waist. This puts less pressure on your stomach.

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

* Avoid wearing tight clothing. Tightness around the waist and stomach will lead to heartburn.

* Do not lie down to sleep until it’s been three hours since your last meal. This will help prevent nighttime heartburn.

* Drink plenty of water, at least 8 to 10 glasses every day. However do not drink too much while you are eating. This will lead the stomach to swell too much and push out the stomach acids.

* Do not eat too fast.

* Eat smaller portions. Consuming a few small meals throughout the day will keep the pressure off your abdomen.

* Keep weight gain to healthy levels. Too much added weight puts more stress on your stomach.

* Quit smoking. This is not only bad for the baby, it is a frequent trigger for heartburn.

* Do not drink beverages that are high in caffeine like tea, coffee and cola.

Almost everyone gets a bad case of heartburn at one time or another. Some people, however, never seem to be able to get rid of it. Learn more about the symptoms, prevention and treatment of this painful condition at Heartburn Relief.

categories: pregnancy heartburn,heartburn,acid reflux,health

Nighttime Issues and Pregnancy