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

Understanding The Causes

The body naturally increases its levels of estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy. One of the reasons for the increase of these two hormones is to assist the body in relaxing the muscles of the uterus so that it can dilate as the baby grows. Unfortunately, these hormones also are inclined to relax the muscles in the lower esophageal sphincter, which serves as a valve between the stomach and the esophagus. When this sphincter is relaxed it leaves an opening for stomach acids to rise into the esophagus, hence the experience of acid reflux.

The diaphragm is the muscle group that divides the chest from the abdomen. In turn, this force is passed to the stomach and the esophagus. This force becomes more than the esophageal sphincter can manage, it misfunctions, and the contents of the stomach are allowed to enter into the esophagus, damaging the lining.Women often don’t experience this until late in their pregnancy.

So you have two natural processes occurring during pregnancy that tend to advance the onset of acid reflux.

Steps You Can Take To Control Your Acid Reflux

While it would be easy to just visit your doctor and receive 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. Even over the counter gastric antacids can be misused during pregnancy, so before you start taking them make sure you check with your physician for the proper acid reflux treatment.

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

First, some primary physical exercises such as yoga and stretching can your body flexible and more adaptable to the changes it’s experiencing. This helps get rid of some of the force on the esophageal sphincter that naturally takes place during pregnancy. Try wearing loose clothing too.

Second, what you eat can impact not simply the severity of your heartburn and acid reflux, but also how often your episodes occur. You’ll want to restrain your consumption of spicy foods, even though research seems to suggest that these foods may not be a direct contributor when it comes to acid reflux. More important, you’ll want to eliminate or dramatically restrict 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. These are common reflux triggers, though every person reacts to them a bit differently. You may discover that dairy products don’t bother you, but caffeine sets off a response that’s nearly unbearable.

Third, your eating habits also play a role. 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 refuse your cravings, they perform an essential function during pregnancy, but always keep your servings small.

Fourth, do your foremost to maintain a good posture throughout the day. As we’ve remarked previously, when the esophageal sphincter malfunctions acid reflux is frequently the consequence. So good posture is one more measure you can take to help keep the pressure away from your sphincter. You might also want to look around for an incline pillow for sleeping at night. This will keep your head and upper body raised, making it more difficult for stomach contents to rise into the esophagus.

Fifth, there are natural acid reflux treatments you can take to neutralize your stomach acids. Of course, it’s best to always check with your doctor first. Ginger, for instance, is believed 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.

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