Avoiding heartburn

One of the most uncomfortable, annoying and unfortunately common pregnancy symptoms is heartburn. Luckily, it is completely harmless, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to avoid it.  For this reason, we have decided to give you some hints and tips about things you can do to not only avoid heartburn, but to also alleviate it when it strikes. Here it goes…

• Find the foods and drinks that trigger your heartburn and avoid  them.
  

  Chewing gum is one way to avoid heartburn

• Eat small meals five to six times a day, instead of having 3 big meals.
• When eating sip on water, don’t attempt to gulp down your 8 glasses a day at one meal. It’s best to hydrate continuously throughout the day.
• Eat slowly. Gulping down your food increases your chances of getting heartburn.
• Chew gum after each meal. Chewing causes you produce more saliva which neutralises gastric acids.
• Avoid eating 2-3 hours before bed.
• Don’t lay down or bend over after meals. Instead sit up and do something or get up and go for a walk, which is also great exercise.
• Sleep with your upper body propped up. Sleeping on several pillows or a special wedge keeps your body in a position which does not encourage gastric acids to leave your stomach.
• Make sure you’re gaining the right amount of pregnancy weight. You don’t want to gain too much or too little.
• Avoid clothing that is tight around your bump and your waist. Loose maternity clothes are better, because they don’t put additional pressure on your already organ-cramped stomach.
• Always bend from your knees, never from your waist.
  

  Drinking milk also alleviates heartburn

• Don’t smoke, which is a habit we hope you have already given up.
• Drink a glass of milk. You can also do this when heartburn strikes to alleviate the discomfort it causes.
• Eat or drink ginger. Ginger is one of the foods that fights heartburn and is also a great morning sickness remedy.
• Try an over-the-counter antacid. We recommend talking to your healthcare provider first to ensure the antacid doesn’t include any harmful substances for your pregnancy.

If nothing on this list works and the pain is unbearable and preventing you from getting at least six hours of sleep each night, we suggest talking to your doctor about possibly taking a prescription antacid. However, we hope it doesn’t come to that. Good luck!