Pregnant Women and Acid Reflux Issues to Be aware of.
It is a known common experience that most pregnant women will have heartburn and this can happen for various reasons.
One of these is the increase of hormones in a woman’s body while they are pregnant. The occurrence of this will result in softening the ligaments which function is to keep the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) firmly closed. As LES relaxes, the tendency is for the gastric acids and ingested foods to reflux back up into the esophagus area and throat.
Another reason they experience heartburn during pregnancy is from the changes occurring within her body as the baby begins to develop and grow, increasing pressure on her stomach. Therefore, the stomach contents are forced right into the LES, and then to the esophagus.
However, there are several methods that a pregnant woman can observe to lessen the discomfort brought from heartburn. You can use some of the following tips, however, keep in mind they may not completely remove all heartburn.
1. Refrain from foods already known to be causes of heartburn. Examples of this are chocolates, spicy foods, citrus fruits and juices, mustard, tomatoes and tomato based products, fatty foods, fried foods, and highly seasoned dishes. You may also want to consult your physician on what food and beverage items you should or should not be ingesting.
2. Avoid beverages with caffeine in them, such as; coffee, tea and soda. Too much of these will cause the LES to relax and let the acid to return into the esophagus.
3. Always avoid alcoholic beverages. This, like caffeine tends to relax the LES thus, creating the same effect of triggering heartburn.
4. Avoid eating large meals. It is suggested that taking numerous small meals throughout the day will be better.
5. Avoid rush when eating your meals. Make sure to chew your food well and take your time when eating, as this will also help cut back on the amount of heartburn you experience.
6. Get plenty of rest a after you eat each meal and do not get involved in any activity that will interfere with your body digestive system.
7. Drink plenty of water through out the day and in fact, women that are pregnant need to not only drink at least eight to ten glasses a day, they should drink them throughout the day. Because if this is the stomach will expand and the LES will be under more pressure causing it to open when it shouldn’t. Therefore, you should keep in mind to only drink water and other fluids between meals.
8. How you sleep is important too, you should arrange your pillows so you sleep around 6 - 10 inches high. You should try to elevate both your head and shoulder areas when sleeping. Through this, the gravity will work to keep the acids in your stomach in their place; in the stomach, not in the esophagus. You can go online or speak with your doctor to find other methods that will help minimize nighttime heartburn.
9. Make sure the clothes you wear are not too tight. If you wear clothes that are too tight around the stomach area, than that can trigger heartburn as well.
10. Be careful how you bend down to pick up things, always use your knees. This will avoid in creating too much pressure in the stomach.
11. Don’t slouch; rather sit erect in a relaxing chair.
12. Keep an eye on your weight too, because too much fat around your stomach will put undue stress on it. When that happens, it will force the contents within the stomach to go up toward the esophagus much easier. You should always follow your doctors advice on the recommended eating guidelines.
13. Avoid smoking. Doctors stated that smoking could cause several effects to a pregnant woman, and one is that it can add to the possibility of experiencing heartburn. By following all these tips, you will have a much healthier and happier pregnancy.
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