Acid
Reflux And Indigestion In Pregnancy
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If you talk to a
group of pregnant woman about the various uncomfortable
symptoms of pregnancy, they will all likely agree that
indigestion and acid reflux are near the top of the worst
symptoms they experience. Old wives tales use to predict
that those pregnant women who had indigestion would end up
with newborns with a full head of hair. However, science
has shown this to be non-conclusive and pregnant woman are
chalking the heartburn up to being just another annoying
aspect of being pregnant.
There are a few
reasons why pregnant women are more likely to get heartburn
than others. First, when you are pregnant, your hormone
levels are much different than when you are not pregnant.
The increase of hormones can have an effect on every aspect
of your health, including your digestive health. |
They 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 it loosens or “softens”, you could suffer from acid
reflux.
In addition to the
hormonal changes, there are physical changes going on as well.
Many women don’t experience indigestion and acid reflux until
later in their pregnancy. This is because as your pregnancy
progresses, your body is changing shape. Your stomach area will
keep expanding. This expansion of the stomach area is one
reason you may have indigestion. When your stomach expands, you
will be having more pressure on your esophagus which can lead to
uncomfortable symptoms such as indigestion.
While it may seem like there is nothing you can do to
avoid heartburn in pregnancy, you should know that there are tips you
can use to try your best to avoid it. First, the most important thing
you can do is to avoid foods that give you 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.
Another important thing you can do is eat smaller
meals. This also helps if you have morning sickness all day long. If
you constantly are eating, only never eating too much, you will be
less likely to have heartburn or morning sickness. Your body will
never be too full and it will be able to process what you eat in a
more controlled manner.
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Something you may not know is that you can
avoid indigestion and acid reflux simply by practicing
proper posture. This is especially true of 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 even early on, bending at the knees will
not put as much pressure on your middle section, which will
help you avoid the discomforts of indigestion.
So, instead of seeing indigestion and acid
reflux as something you can’t avoid with pregnancy, choose
to fight it. You can use these tips to help you get through
the rough times. Of course, if you are still having severe
acid reflux or indigestion you may want to consult your
doctor to see if you need further medications or other
treatments. |
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