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How to Avoid Heartburn During Pregnancy

By Martha Sanders

During pregnancy, common everyday ailments tend to feel worse, especially in the first and third trimesters. Heartburn in pregnancy is common, and many women experience heartburn at some point during their nine-month journey. However, some can be affected worse than others. Here are a few things which you can do to limit the severity or avoid heartburn during pregnancy.

What Helps Heartburn While Pregnant

1. During the third trimester, your baby grows big enough to put pressure on your stomach, and causes the acid in the stomach to reflux. To avoid acid reflux, never binge or have large meals.

Keep your meal portions small and try to eat five or six smaller meals spread throughout the day instead of taking three large meals.

2. Your sleeping position can also cause acid to reflux. Sleep with your head and torso elevated so that food remains down in your stomach. You can make yourself comfortable by putting a pillow under your head and back.

In addition, avoid going to bed within two hours of eating. Wait for at least two hours before lying down so that food gets digested. As a general rule, go to bed two to three hours after you have eaten to avoid heartburn during pregnancy.

3. Watching your posture can help prevent heartburn from occurring. Putting pressure on your stomach can cause heartburn during pregnancy.

When you sit, do so in an upright position to keep the pressure off your stomach. When you stand or walk, keep your posture erect for the same reason.

A less common way to relieve pregnancy heartburn is to wear loose clothing. This will also ease the pressure in your stomach since tight clothing puts unnecessary strain on your stomach and can give the acid an easier time coming back up, causing heartburn in pregnancy.

4. The best way to avoid heartburn all together is to stay away from foods that are known to cause heartburn. For obvious reasons, alcohol should be avoided at all costs during pregnancy.

Also, avoid foods such as chocolate, citrus fruits, tomato-based foods, fried foods, fatty foods, foods rich in vinegar, soft drinks, coffee, and acidic juices.

5. Be aware that large quantities of water can actually increase heartburn in pregnancy. Drinking lots of fluids during meals, which can distend your stomach and contribute to heartburn so it's best to sip water throughout the day instead.

6. If you still can't find relief with home remedies, you might want to try over the counter antacids such as Tums to relieve severe pregnancy heartburn.

Although most antacids are considered relatively safe to use during pregnancy, you should always check the label and ask your healthcare provider if you have any questions.

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