Pregnancy: Heartburn, Indigestion & Acid Reflux Remedies

Heartburn during pregnancy

Indigestion and acid reflux or heartburn during pregnancy is the most common symptoms which appear mainly in the last trimester. During the pregnancy period around 30 to 50% of pregnant women suffer from this situation. It starts during the first trimester and gets more intense in the third trimester.

What are the mains reasons which cause indigestion and acid reflux?

1.Growing baby: Growing baby starts pressurizing the stomach from the second trimester.

2.Hormonal changes: increase level of progesterone produced by the placenta in the body slows down the digestion process and also relaxes the opening of the stomach towards the oesophagus.

Main symptoms of indigestion and acid reflux

1. Burning sensation in the chest to the neck area
2. Regurgitation: food and acid coming to your mouth
3. Burping
4. Abdominal pain and discomfort
5. Feeling of nausea

Remedies

These remedies are on the basis of my personal experience because each body and each pregnancy is different some of these remedies may work or  not, but I will recommend you to at least try all of them and figure out which remedy works better for you

1. Eating frequent and smaller meal every two hours
2. Apple: Eat one apple
3. Carrot: Eat carrot length at least one carrot of 20 cm.
4. Brisk walk: Take a long walk for at least half an hour, I always found that a brisk walk of 45 minutes or 4000 steps reduces or lowers down my acidity during my third trimester.
5. Sleeping on the left side: try sleeping on two pillows on the left-hand side direction stops food and acids from coming to your mouth.
6. Cold milk: drink cold milk one hour before bed is good during the pregnancy as it also helps in supplementation calcium.
7. Avoid eating fried food during night time
8. Dinner at least 3 hours before your regular sleep time
9. As a last resort, you can also use prescribed medicine given by your doctor

In my case, eating three hours before followed by 45 min brisk walk and cold milk helps in reducing night time acidity, eating carrot and apple helps me in reducing daytime acidity.