The Pregnant Woman's Acid Reflux Dilemma

One of these is the increase of hormones, particularly progesterone, in the woman’s body during pregnancy. This results in a softening of the ligaments that function to keep the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a ring of muscles between the esophagus and the stomach, firmly closed. The LES operates like a valve, opening and closing to allow food to pass into the stomach and it normally keeps stomach acids and food from leaking back into the esophagus. If the LES relaxes and opens at inopportune times, this will allow gastric acid and food to reflux back to the esophagus and throat. Progesterone also make your digestive system slower and less efficient in function, increasing chances of acid reflux occuring. And as the baby grows, the stomach and other internal organs become crowded, so stomach acids and food can be pressured to reflux into the esophagus.



The pregnant woman's dilemma is how to treat the heartburn and acid reflux without harming the growing baby. She can't take many of the usual medications without risking the child's development. And until the baby's born the heartburn may never completely go away. However, there are several drug-free tactics that a pregnant woman can employ to at least minimize the discomfort brought by heartburn and acid reflux. Some of this is advice that all acid reflux sufferers should follow:

• Avoid the foods that trigger heartburn. Examples of this are chocolates, spicy foods, acidic citrus fruits and juices, mustard, tomatoes and tomato based products, fatty foods, fried foods, and highly seasoned dishes. You may want to keep a small journal and note what you eat at meals to help identify you specific triggers. Your doctor can also help you research the complete list of foods to avoid acid reflux during pregnancy.
• Get rid of drinks that have caffeine, like tea, coffee, and soda. Too much of these will cause the stomach to produce too much acid and allow the LES to relax and let the acid into the esophagus.
• Stay away from alcoholic beverages. You shouldn't drink while pregnant, anyway, as this can harm the developing infant. Like caffeine, alcohol tends to acidify the stomach and relax the LES, thus creating the same effect — acid reflux and heartburn.
• Avoid eating large meals. It is suggested that taking several small meals throughout the day will be better. Remember the stomach has less room to expand into and hold food, and is slower in processing than before baby.
• Avoid rushing your meals; take your time. Chewing food thoroughly will help you avoid heartburn.
• Wait for at least three hours after having your last meal before going to bed.
• A pregnant woman is advised to drink more water, at least 8 to 10 glasses a day. But this must be done between meals. Drinking too much water during a meal causes the stomach to over-expand and puts excessive pressure on the LES to stay closed. This leads, again, to reflux and heartburn.
• It's hard enough to sleep when pregnant; and heartburn makes it tougher. When sleeping, elevate the head of the bed at least six to eight inches. Use a wedge pillow and try to sleep with an elevated head and shoulders. This allows gravity to work and help keep stomach acids in their place — down in the stomach, not in the esophagus. Again your doctor may have additional ideas on how to relieve nighttime heartburn.
• Don’t wear tight fitting clothes; keep it loose and easy. Tightness around the waist and stomach will trigger heartburn.
• When bending over, do it from the knees, not at the waist. This will avoid creating pressure in the stomach area.
• Don’t slouch; rather sit upright in chairs.
• Follow your doctor's recommendations and only gain as much weight as necessary to ensure healthy development of the fetus. Gaining too much weight will create more stress on your stomach and the LES, increasing your chances of acid reflux.
• Avoid smoking. It's known that smoking could cause several unwanted effects to a pregnant woman and her unborn child. Tobacco use also relaxes the LES.