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Putting out the Fire of Heartburn

Dealing with Heartburn While Pregnant

By Lisamarie Sanders

Heartburn – that painful burning sensation that starts behind the breastbone and seeps its way up your throat, often depositing small amounts of bitter acid into your mouth. It is one of the most common discomforts in pregnancy, affecting at least one in four pregnant women on a daily basis.

The causes of heartburn during pregnancy are clear. Hormonal changes in your body relax the smooth muscle tissue in your stomach, causing food to move more slowly through the digestive tract. While this benefits you by allowing maximum absorption of critical nutrients, it can also cause food to ferment in your stomach.

"This fermentation releases gasses that push the stomach contents back up into the esophagus," says Brenda Watson, colon therapist and president of the International Association of Colon Therapy and Nutrition.

In addition to slowing your digestive system, the progesterone in your body also relaxes the sphincter that separates the esophagus and the stomach. This valve is normally a one-way entrance into the stomach that closes tightly after you swallow. However, during pregnancy, the relaxed regulator allows stomach acid to flow back into the tube. You'll feel the burn because the esophagus doesn't have the same protective lining as the stomach.

The condition gets worse later in pregnancy, because as the baby grows, your stomach has less room for digestion and puts more pressure on your esophagus. Heartburn becomes almost inevitable. But there are ways you can lessen the effect it has on you.

One way to reduce your chances of suffering form heartburn is to watch what you eat. "Be cautious about consuming certain foods," says Terry Tanaka, chief clinical dietician at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center. "There are some things that are known to trigger heartburn, but not necessarily for all people." Some of the most common heartburn triggers include deep fried foods, high-fat foods and refined sugar. These foods are harder to digest so they prolong the already delayed digestive process. Foods with chocolate, caffeine, peppermint or spearmint should also be avoided because they further relax the esophageal sphincter. Additionally, spicy foods, citrus products, coffee (both caffeinated and decaf) and carbonated drinks should be limited because they produce extra acid in the stomach.

Want to see more?

• I Don't Gotta Go: What Causes Constipation During Pregnancy?
• When Your Head Aches: Managing Migraines While Expecting
• Beyond Braxton Hicks and Nausea: Solutions for the Other Pregnancy Symptoms
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