How Acid Reflux and Indigestion in Pregnancy Should be Treated
Author: Chris Kuhns

If you were talking to group of pregnant women about the many uncomfortable conditions of pregnancy, they are likely to agree that acid indigestion and acid reflux are close to the top of the worst symptoms they can experience.

Some Old wives tales say that those pregnant women with indigestion would end up with newborns having a full head of hair. Science has shown this to be inconclusive and pregnant women are agreeing that it's just another annoying aspect of being pregnant.

There several reasons why pregnant women are more likely to get heartburn than others. First off, when you are pregnant, your hormone levels are much different than when you are not pregnant. Hormone increase can affect every aspect of your health including your digestive health.

A Hormone increase can actually cause your lower esophageal sphincter to loosen a bit. This is the part of your esophagus that typically holds your food in your stomach, without letting the acid come back up. So if your esophageal sphincter it loosens or softens, you could suffer from acid reflux.

There are physical changes going on as well as hormonal changes. Many women don't experience indigestion and acid reflux until later in their pregnancy. Your body is changing shape as your body progresses, which is why acid indigestion happens later, and also your stomach area is continuing to expand.

This expansion of the stomach area is one reason you may have indigestion. Expanding the stomach means you will be having more pressure on your esophagus, which can lead to unpleasant symptoms like acid indigestion.

It may seem that you can not avoid heartburn while pregnant, but there are many tips that you should be aware of to combat the symptoms and try to avoid it altogether.

First off, avoid any foods that you feel are causing acid indigestion. There may be foods that are specific to your case, but overall most women are affected by citrus foods, mint, spicy foods, fried foods, and chocolate.

An important thing to do is eat smaller meals more often. Eating smaller meals also helps if you experience constant morning sickness. If you constantly are eating, only never eating too much, you will be less likely to have heartburn or morning sickness.

Eating this way provides your body a way to process foods in a controlled manner and you'll never feel too full.

One effective way to avoid indigestion and acid reflux is to practice proper posture, and this is especially important by how you bend. When you are pregnant, you should always bend down at the knees.

Of course as your stomach grows you will have no other choice, but to bend down at the knees. Even in the early stages of pregnancy, bending at the knees will not put as much pressure on your middle section, which will help you to avoid the discomforts of acid indigestion.

Always choose to fight acid reflux instead of seeing it as something that can't be avoided. You can use these tips to help you get through the rough times. Of course, if your acid reflux is persistent or severe enough you may want to consult your doctor to see if you need further medications or other treatments.

 

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