Pregnant - Fighting the Burn of Indigestion and Acid Reflux

If you sit and talk to any group of pregnant women anywhere in the world about the various discomforts they must endure during pregnancy they'll all likely agree on one that's worst than most. What is it? Acid reflux. Many years ago there was an old wives tale that women who suffered from heartburn would give birth to a child with a full head of hair. This, of course, is purely mythical. That aside acid reflux is still a hugely annoying thing to have to endure while you're pregnant.

Reasons For Acid Reflux In Pregnant Women

There are several reasons why pregnant women are more likely to experience heartburn:

1. Hormone levels in a pregnant woman are far higher than a woman who isn't pregnant. This dramatic increase in hormone levels can have a huge effect on every aspect of your body and especially your digestive system. The most common effect is that the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) can loosen up a bit. This is a type of valve which typically holds the food in your stomach. If this valve is loose then acid can flow back upwards into your gullet (esophagus). You'll then experience heartburn to a varying degree.

2. During pregnancy your body will change shape. This normally doesn't happen until later in pregnancy. When these changes do happen your stomach area will keep expanding and this expansion is what can lead to acid reflux. Your stomach enlarging in this way puts far more pressure on the esophagus which can then lead to indigestion and acid reflux in general.

Is There Anything You Can Do? There is always something you can do to help yourself! Firstly watch what you eat. Citrus foods, mint, spicy foods, fried foods, and chocolate should all be avoided as much as possible.

Eat smaller meals too. This will help a lot if you're experience a lot of morning (and daytime, evening and nighttime) sickness too. If you eat several small meals throughout the day you're far less likely to experience heartburn. Your body will be able to process those small meals far easier than 2 or 3 large ones.

Correct Your Posture Believe it or not practicing correct posture can help an awful lot with acid reflux. Be especially careful of how you bend. Whilst pregnant you should always bend down at the knees - although later you'll have no choice but to do so as your stomach expands. However earlier on in your pregnancy bending down at the knees will put far less pressure on your stomach and therefore your esophagus. This can and will help you with the discomforts of indigestion.

You can fight back against acid reflux during your pregnancy. You simply have to choose to. Don't suffer in silence however and don't ever be afraid to consult with your doctor for medication if the heartburn becomes too painful to bear.

Jill Seimer shares her passion for healthy living at RefluxLife.com She has recorded her personal experiences on infant acid reflux and dealing with heartburn.

What is Acid Reflux Disease?

Acid reflux disease, also known as Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD, is a common ailment, affecting between 5%-7% of the population. In order to understand what GERD is it is important to be familiar with how the esophagus works. A long muscular tube, the esophagus carries food and liquid from the mouth to the stomach. The average adult esophagus is around ten to thirteen inches long and approximately an half an inch in diameter. GERD is caused by the backflow of acid from the stomach into the esophagus, usually because the lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly. When this happens over a long period of time, the lining of this tract becomes eroded, causing discomfort and pain.

Symptoms of the disease are fairly straightforward and are very similar to the symptoms of heartburn. GERD often include a frequent burning sensation, right behind the breastbone, which sometimes worsens when lying down for extended periods of time. While most cases of heartburn turn out to be non-life threatening, it is important that you visit your doctor at the onset of symptoms. Unfortunately, the symptoms of both indigestion and GERD can also imitate those of heart disease, so it is very important that you seek medical attention to make sure that you get the correct diagnosis.

There are a number of medical tests which your doctor can perform which will confirm the diagnosis of GERD. After your doctor or healthcare professional has taken your medical history, he or she will most likely conduct an test using an Endoscope, a long flexible imaging instrument. This will allow the doctor to visibly exam your esophagus.
If you are diagnosed with Acid Reflux disease, there are a number of treatment options available to you, such as making changes to your diet, reducing stress, and taking over the counter antacids. Serious cases of GERD may require a prescription drug to reduce the acid being produced by your stomach, but lifestyle changes are often enough to control symptoms successfully.
Jeff Lakie is the owner of Occasional Heartburn
a website dedicated to matching consumers with acid reflux help.