Heartburn occurs when your stomach acid makes its way back up the esophagus rather than remaining in your stomach, and results in a burning sensation in your chest or throat. Though all people are at risk, pregnant women are especially likely to experience heartburn, particularly later on in the pregnancy.
What causes it?
Pesky progesterone is at work again, relaxing all of your body’s smooth muscle tissue, which results in the decrease in effectiveness of those muscles holding your stomach closed. The result? Stomach acid more easily creeps back up towards your throat. Progesterone also makes digestion more sluggish, contributing to those feelings of heartburn. This effect is often compounded later on in pregnancy as Baby grows and puts physical pressure on your stomach.
Tips?
Try avoiding fried or heavily processed foods, as well as very large meals. These are all more likely to cause heartburn than than smaller, more frequent meals, and more easily digestible fare. Some people find increasing water intake throughout the day is helpful, while others swear by drinking milk or eating yogurt. Avoiding eating before lying down or keeping yourself propped up with pillows for sleep may help if your heartburn worsens overnight. For some folks, caffeine, carbonated beverages, tobacco, and alcohol can also increase the feelings of heartburn. You can even keep a food log to try to identify if certain foods are a trigger for your heartburn. You should let your OB provider know if your heartburn doesn’t resolve with diet modifications and you need more support.
Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team
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Sources
- Sir John Dewhurst. Dewhurst’s Textbook of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 8th ed. Keith Edmonds. John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2012. Print.
- “Heartburn and indigestion.” March of Dimes. March of Dimes, 8/9/2015. Web.
