Heartburn in pregnancy: 7 easy ways to soothe your burning chest

I have had two dream pregnancies – literally have not felt as healthy and full of energy and just amazing as when I was expecting my two babies.

I did not have any morning sickness, no tiredness, no swollen ankles, no nothing. The only thing I had was heartburn.

And boy did I have heartburn.

I literally felt like my chest was on fire throughout both pregnancies, and must have tried every trick in the book in an attempt to settle it. Some of them worked a little, some more than others, but, to be honest, none of them could completely rid me of that horrible feeling until my babies were born and my internal organs were back to where they should be.

Pregnancy increases your risk of heartburn or acid reflux. During the first trimester, muscles in your esophagus push food more slowly into the stomach and your stomach takes longer to empty. This gives your body more time to absorb nutrients for the fetus, but it can also result in heartburn.

During the third trimester, the growth of your baby can push your stomach out of its normal position, which can lead to heartburn.

Statistically, heartburn is a common pregnancy ailment, but luckily, there are many tips and tricks out there on how you can ease that burning feeling a little. We have gathered eight tips below, that are all said to work well for many pregnant mamas:

1. Water

Staying hydrated offers your body a myriad of benefits – not the least of which is reducing your heartburn. But, don’t just gulp it down – as drinking a lot of water all in one sitting can actually increase your chances of experiencing heartburn. This is because it can fill up your digestive tract, causing the liquid to escape how it entered – up through your esophagus. It is better to sip water throughout the day.

2. Avoid chocolate

It’s a tough one, we know, but chocolate is actually made of cocoa, which contains the “happy hormone” serotonin.
Unfortunately, serotonin may relax the lower esophageal sphincter, allowing stomach acid to escape into your esophagus and cause heartburn.

2. Fresh Lemon Water

Lemon juice is known to increase the production of digestive juices and bile. This not only helps balance your stomach acid, it aids in digestion. Just squeeze some fresh lemon into a cup of hot water in the morning, and you should notice a difference.

3. Use an extra pillow at night

Raise the head of your bed by 20 cm or use a wedge pillow to keep your head higher than your stomach and chest, especially if you wake up at night with heartburn.

4. Ginger

Beyond tasting great in food, ginger can help reduce your heartburn.

5. Coconut Water

Coconut water is another excellent way to neutralize the acid levels of your stomach. If you aren’t used to consuming coconut, drink it in moderation.

6. Eat smart

Avoid food and beverages that are known to trigger heartburn. Typical culprits include fatty foods, spicy foods, acidic foods like citrus fruits and tomato-based items, carbonated beverages, and caffeine.

7. Try baking soda

It is rare, but there are some women who have too much acid in their stomach. If all other natural heartburn remedies fail, try mixing 1/8 of a teaspoon baking soda with water. Sip slowly. This could help neutralize an overabundance of acid.