Complaint of the Day: Heartburn and Pregnancy
ceridwen
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Acid reflux is no one’s friend. But in pregnancy– especially late pregnancy– it’s very common. Acid reflux– also known as heartburn or acid indigestion– is when stomach acid swills up into the throat causing a tight feeling in the chest and a burning sensation on the throat and mouth. It sucks.
It’s not just your growing uterus pushing your stomach upwards that causes this unpleasant situation, it’s actually the hormones of pregnancy at work. Progesterone sedates the smooth muscles in your body ,which is great for the pregnancy- the uterus is a smooth muscle and we want it sedated. If it weren’t, it would start contracting.
But this means all the smooth muscles are sedated including the intestines and the stomach, causing sluggish digestion. Hormones also sedate the lower esophageal sphincter which is responsible for keeping stomach acids in the stomach where they belong.
Giving birth is the a sure-fire cure for pregnancy reflux but in the meantime, what can you do? This condition affects the majority of pregnant women in the 3rd trimester, and some all the way through pregnancy.
Here’s are some remedies and adjustments that might help:
1. Many women find papaya enzyme to be more effective than antacids. You can eat papaya enzyme via the fruit, dried fruit, fruit juice or papaya enzyme tablets. It’s available in most health food stores and really can help with digestion. This remedy doesn’t make most lists but a lot of moms say it’s the only thing that came close to helping. I have read that unripe papayas are not recommended in pregnancy, so maybe avoid the bitter, rock-hard ones (as if you’d want them anyway).
2. Get gravity on your side by sleeping with a raised head. You can also remain upright for an hour or so after you eat to help things stay where they are meant to be.
3. Drink lots of water but drink it in small amounts throughout the day rather than all at once during or after a meal.
4. Eat bigger meals earlier in the day so you’re not trying to fall asleep with lots going on in your stomach. Or try eating more smaller meals throughout the day tapering off a couple hours or more before bedtime.
5. Avoid hard-to-digest foods (greasy meals and meat) and acidic foods like tomato, citrus, vinegar and the like. Limit or eliminate coffee. I’ve heard vegetable juices help as well as rice, fruits, vegetables, grains and yogurt.
photo: Very Quiet/Flickr
As someone who is currently pregnant and has major reflux problems to the point where I had surgery related to reflux before my first pregnancy I am baffled that you would even suggest anything related to eating big meals. If you have reflux you really need to avoid big meals and instead eat several small meals a day. If your stomach gets completely empty while you’re awake then acid is more likely to build up. To make sure you have something healthy to eat at all times keep healthy snacks such as dried fruit (not acidic fruit of course), nuts or granola bars in your desk at work and in your purse. You also need to stay upright for at least an hour after you eat even a little bit.
Some other things that help are making sure you’re at a healthy weight before and exercising before and during your pregnancy. Finally, if you do experience reflux and you don’t have pregnancy approved antacids on hand bananas, mashed potatoes and other creamy will help coat your stomach and counteract the acid. I’m not a fan of bananas normally but I keep them on hand for that very purpose.
Mbaker, thanks for all the info! I agree about the small meals, I really meant for my suggesting to be read as eat the biggER meals earlier, not necessarily big. But I see your point, maybe the word big shouldn’t be in a post about food and reflux at all! Have you tried papaya? I hope you get some relief. Reflux just about did me in on my last pregnancy.
I’m not a woman and not pregnant, but my doctor provided me with this chart which may be helpful:
https://sites.google.com/site/healthguy99/home/foodchart
The idea is to eat more foods on the left side of the chart (alkaline side) to prevent acid reflux. The chart has some surprises (onions and spices are alkaline) but it has worked for me.
Good luck!
The papaya enzyme tablets were the only thing that helped my massive heartburn during pregnancy. I would recommend them!
I also “grazed” all day long — lots of little meals instead of big ones, mainly because my stomach was so squished by the baby, not much would fit in at a time.
CERIDWEN…
Thanks for the suggestion. I have been lucky enough to not have the reflux problems this time thus far that I have last time but if my reflux acts up I will try that.