What Does Heartburn Feel Like During Pregnancy?

Among lots of tiny things which may bother you over and over while pregnant, heartburn is among the most frequently encountered. It leads to unpleasant feelings of burning on the chest`s left side which generally appear after taking a meal and last for minutes or even hours.

Although heartburn isn`t very serious while pregnant, it`s certainly among the most uncomfortable sensations you may have.

Most of the times, women begin feeling heartburn in early pregnancy stages and this particular sensation might leave them baffled.  It is a lot more obvious in the 3nd trimester of pregnancy, but it might very well begin sooner and stay until birth in certain women. Over 50% of the future moms have heartburn for almost the entire period of 9 months of pregnancy.

Signs of Heartburn during Pregnancy

So, how does this sensation feel like while pregnant? Heartburn occurs when acid comes back from the gut and might irritate the esophageal lining, leading to pain and discomfort. You will have a burning sensation that you`ll inside your chest, behind the breastbone.

This feeling may begin in the gut and work its way all the way up. It may become worse when you bend over or lie down.

Heartburn is generally diagnosed based on the signs you have. If it is chronic or serious, the doctor might be interested in seeing if you experience gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Causes of Heartburn while Pregnant

Sadly, it is very common to have this physical sensation while pregnant. And although morning sickness seems to have all the attention, lots of women look at heartburn as to an uncomfortable pregnancy sign.

During early stages of pregnancy, heartburn is the result of progesterone, one of the pregnancy symptoms that women experience at this point, which will relax the muscles of the uterus in order to fit the developing baby. It relaxes the valve between the valve between the gut and esophagus as well.

In the last pregnancy stages, the baby will squash the digestive organs and this may lead to heartburn. However, the great news is that this will not affect the little one.

Pregnancy & GERD

If you had gastroesophageal reflux disease while pregnant, heartburn isn`t a new thing; however, its treatment is. Now that you are pregnant, you should have a discussion with the doctor who supervises your pregnancy about whether or not the prescription drugs you may be taking are allowed. Lots of tips about combating heartburn might aid with the reflux as well.

And if heartburn is something new happening to you since you became pregnant and happens more than twice in 7 days, or if you have not found something useful for relief after taking OTC drugs for over 2 weeks, make certain you`ll have a discussion with your physician. You might experience GERD, which needs particular changes regarding your medical treatment or lifestyle aspects.

What Drugs to Take for Heartburn?

Have a Tums and Rolaids supply near you at all times! Additionally to aiding get rid of your burning sensations, they will offer you a healthy calcium dose while easing the uncomfortable feelings as well.

Maalox and Mylanta are generally offered the green light as well. For all these particular options, make certain you`ll verify with the doctor for the proper dosage.

Avoid other heartburn drugs while pregnant unless they are taken with the doctor`s approval. Still, if the heartburn feelings persist, your healthcare provider might advise you to try OTC heartburn drugs which should have the production under control, such as H2 blockers and PPIs.

They are usually seen as safe to take while expecting a baby when it comes to women who experience serious signs and who do not react to antacids as well as other changes that involve their lifestyle. Again, you will need to get your doctor`s approval first.

16 Ways to Calm Down Heartburn in Pregnancy

Heartburn will plague most future mothers at some moment during the period of 9 months of pregnancy due to progesterone. However, there`re safe and efficient methods to prevent it and even stop it.

Consume Small & Frequent Meals

According to Rachel Brandeis, a well known nutritionist from Atlanta, overeating aggravates heartburn. When expecting a child, there is less space for the stomach to increase and trying to maintain a healthy diet won`t just turn back heartburn on the long run, but also during the entire period of pregnancy, as adding more weight than the recommended limit will add more pressure on the abdomen, triggering this medical condition,

Instead of 3 meals per day, try to target 6 smaller meals of maximum 1 ½ cups of food for every meal. This will make it easier for your body to digest.

Do Not Consume Food Just before Bed

You may not know this, but having a cheerful and then going to sleep is the proper recipe for heartburn. You should avoid consuming anything for at least 3 hours before going to bed.

Sit/Stand after Finishing your Meal

You should take a leisurely walk, sit down while reading your favorite book or just do some of your house chores after having your meal. You should under any circumstance lie down or do something which will need to make you bend over.

Eliminate Trigger Foods

Find those specific foods which increase your sensation of heartburn and get rid of them from your regular diet. Although there aren`t any “banned” foods, there are some that you might want to remove from your diet, like tomatoes, spicy foods, citrus foods, chocolate, alcohol, carbonated drinks, fried foods and coffee. In fact, these foods you should eliminate from your diet anyway.

Take It a Little Slower

Bolting down the food you consume might lead to indigestion and heartburn as well. You should try to relax and enjoy the meals you eat, as this will most likely aid you avoid overeating.

Concentrate on Fluids

Fluid-based foods unlike solid ones are a lot less likely to lead to issues, as they tend to move through your stomach faster. Specialists claim that milkshakes, puddings, smoothies, protein shakes and soups are great options.

You should pay attention to fluids with a lot of protein, like drinkable yogurt or milk, and target to make solid food less so. You should chew food as well as possible and maybe a bit slower than usual. You could make smoothies in an instant, as they are quite healthy and easy to prepare.

Sipping, not Drinking Fluids

Rather than consuming a large milk glass along with dinner, you might just be better off sipping fluids while you eat. You could try and get most of your intake of fluids by simply consuming liquids between meals, not during them.

Try Ginger

For instance, certain women find that ginger could ease your upset stomach. This particular spice could fight vomiting and nausea as well, which most of the times are associated with our condition.

And although there isn`t too much scientific proof that ginger could represent a natural remedy during pregnancy, it`s safe to use it during pregnancy.

Sleep Smart

In order to avoid heartburn at night, you shouldn`t eat just about anything for around 3 hours before going to sleep. Elevate your bed`s head by adding books under its legs, and if you aren`t sleeping already on the left side, you should begin now. The acids of the stomach will need to travel uphill in order to “touch” the esophagus, and that isn`t too easy.

Maintain the Head & Upper Chest Elevated when Sleeping at Night

Lots of people experiencing acid reflux vow by their own “bedges” that pillows in the shape of wedges can slant the upper body upwards in order to keep tummy acid it`s needed to be.

And you don`t really have to purchase a specific product that may also be expensive. These items can be found at Target or Walmart for somewhere around $25.

Are you interested in something even cheaper? You can place blocks underneath your legs right at your bed`s head.

Time for Turns

It is completely alright to try and find relief in a bottle of Rolaids or Tums. Still, your absorption of iron could be blocked by too much calcium, so maybe it isn`t such a good idea to take Tums along with your prenatals.

Take into Consideration Antacid

If you`ve made some lifestyle changes and you notice no obvious changes, OTC antacids might quell your signs of heartburn.

Antacids that contain magnesium or calcium are probably seen as safe to consume while pregnant. Actually, the additional amount of calcium in antacids, such as Tums, is good for both the mother and baby.

However, you should avoid antacids which contain aluminum as it may lead to constipation, and in high doses, be toxic. Stay away from sodium bicarbonate, more popularly known as baking soda, as it may lead to swelling.

Be Aware of your Triggers

Citrus, fat, chocolate or caffeine – these are all things that expecting mothers who experience heartburn have been recommended not to consume them. But leads to acid reflux in a certain woman may not be a triggering cause for another woman.

Related: Feeling Tired And Sleepy All The Time! Am I Pregnant?

Rather than tell their patients to avoid a particular type of food, some doctors advise them to stay from some foods which tend to worsen them in particular. We are all different from one another. If some of the pregnant women out there are able to chow down when it comes to spaghetti or Mexican food, other ones cannot.

Choose to Wear Loose-Fitting Clothes

Wearing tight clothes is just going to add even more pressure on your abdomen, which is already crammed, and might actually make acid reflux even worse.

You should choose to wear loose-fitting maternity clothing items, especially if you are attempting to get rid of heartburn.

Consider H2 Blockers

If a specific antacid is not working, it might be time to take into account powerful drugs.

The very first option should perhaps be Zantac or Tagamet. This type of medications suppresses the production of stomach acid. All 4 H2 blockers available on the market can now be purchased with no medical prescription and seen as safe to use while pregnant. However, you should still talk to a doctor first. – Visit this link!

Choose to Use Proton Pump Inhibitors

If other types of drugs don`t help, you could turn to PPIs, like Prevacid. These medications have a stronger acid-suppressing effect than H2 blockers do, and you can find most of them as OTC drugs.

Although PPIs are generally allowed to use during pregnancy, there are some studies performed on animals that placed things in doubt regarding the fact that omeprazole could put in danger the future baby.

Experts say that patients should better try and avoid this one as there`re around 5 or 6 more on the market, together with the H2 blockers. These ones are safe to use while pregnant.