Acid Reflux During Pregnancy - What You Need To Know

Acid reflux during pregnancy isn't a universal experience among pregnant women, but it happens often enough that old wives tales have grown up around it. For example, they used to say if a pregnant woman had acid reflux the baby would be born with a full head of hair. Wives tales aside, this condition during pregnancy can be incredibly painful and is often sited as one of the worst side effects.

The Causes of Acid Reflux During Pregnancy

The body naturally increases its levels of estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy. A primary reason for the jump in these two hormones is to assist the muscles of the uterus to relax as the baby grows and more space is required. Unfortunately, these hormones also tend to relax the muscles in the lower esophageal sphincter, which functions as a valve between the stomach and the esophagus. When the sphincter relaxes it's unable to prevent the stomach acids from rising into the esophagus, the throat, even the mouth. Which is, of course, the experience of acid reflux.

The diaphragm is the muscle group that divides the chest from the abdomen. In turn, this pressure is passed to the stomach and the esophagus. This pressure causes a malfunction of the esophageal sphincter, which can no longer keep the stomach contents from breaking into the esophagus and irritating the lining.Women often don't experience this until late in their pregnancy.

So you have two normal processes taking place during pregnancy that tend to promote the onset of acid reflux.

How You Can Take Control of Your Acid Reflux

While it would be easy to just visit your doctor and obtain a prescription for your acid reflux, this isn't always possible. You have to be reasonable about what goes into your body while you're pregnant. These are delicate months in your baby's growth, so you want to minimize the medications that go into your body.

Fortunately, there are some standard measures you can take to minimize the occurrence of acid reflux.

First, some standard physical exercises such as yoga and stretching can your body flexible and more adaptable to the changes it's working through. This helps remove some of the force on the esophageal sphincter that naturally occurs during pregnancy. Try wearing loose clothing too.

Second, your diet can influence the severity of your acid reflux as well. You'll want to limit your intake of spicy foods, even though some recent research seems to suggest that these foods may not be a primary factor when it comes to acid reflux. More important, you'll want to do away with or dramatically limit your intake of dairy products, alcohol (which you shouldn't be drinking during pregnancy anyway), caffeine, fried foods, potatoes and onions, tomatoes, citrus fruits, and chocolate.

Third, even eating habits can act upon your acid reflux. Eating smaller meals during the day can make sure that there's not too much force on the esophageal sphincter. Overeating is an invitation for the stomach contents to rise back into the esophagus. Chew your food thoroughly. Allow at least three hours between your final meal and when you go to bed. Don't deny your cravings, they serve an important function during pregnancy, but always keep your portions limited.

Fourth, work at keeping up good posture. Again, this is about keeping force off the esophageal sphincter. You might also want to look around for an incline pillow for sleeping at night. This will keep your head and upper body elevated, making it more difficult for stomach contents to rise into the esophagus.

Fifth, always consult with your physician first, but you might wish to try a natural antacid. Ginger, for instance, is thought to be good at absorbing stomach acids. Indian gooseberry has also been shown to significantly reduce acid secretions. Chamomile, gentian, and orange peel extract are some others you might want to investigate.