What Causes Heartburn During Pregnancy: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Pregnancy can turn out to be a hard time for many. It often shows up with a lot of complications and uneasiness, which you did not expect. Some are big and some require immediate medical attention.

There are various things that you might be feeling in your body, and one of those is often a burning sensation in your chest. Is heartburn common during pregnancy? Well, yes. It can start in the first trimester and can get worse as you proceed with the pregnancy.

However, what causes heartburn during pregnancy? Let’s dive in and check the possible reasons behind this uneasy and frustrating feeling.

What Is Heartburn? Is It Common?

If this is the first time you are feeling it, you might think you are having an issue with the heart.

However, the heart has nothing to do with it. Heartburn happens when the stomach contents flow back to the esophagus. It is often referred to as acid reflux as well.

As the stomach acids irritate the esophagus, you feel a burning sensation in your chest, close to the heart, and in your throat as well.

According to data almost 30-80% of people experience heartburn during pregnancy. And for some people, pregnancy is the first time when they experience heartburn.

However, you have to understand that heartburn is just a symptom of acid reflux, and you feel a burning sensation in your chest when you lie down or just after eating.

You have to understand that this is one of the common symptoms of acid reflux, and not all heartburn is caused because of this.

What Causes Heartburn During Pregnancy?

Most of the time pregnancy heartburn stops after childbirth. The symptoms of heartburn can continue all through pregnancy and worsen as you progress in the pregnancy.

However, if you are looking for what causes heartburn during pregnancy, the reason could be because of physical and hormonal changes.

Hormonal Changes

One of the major causes of acid indigestion symptoms in pregnancy is that the placenta sometimes produces excess progesterone. The increase in this level tries to relax the LES or lower esophageal sphincter.

When the LES relaxes, stomach acid gets into the esophagus and causes symptoms like heartburn.

Physical Changes

There are some physical changes that you will notice in pregnancy, specially in the later part of it. This is when the baby gets big and crowds the abdominal cavity.

This often causes the stomach acid to go back to the esophagus and cause acid indigestion and heartburn symptoms.

Symptoms of Pregnancy-related Heartburn?

Pregnancy-related heartburn is quite common, and many are affected by this. So, what are the possible symptoms and what kind of symptoms does a person face? Here are the common ones mentioned.

• You can feel an acidic feeling and a burning sensation that starts behind the breastbone and starts moving towards the throat.
• A bitter or sour taste in your mouth because of the food you swallowed coming back to the throat or stomach acid.
• These symptoms get worse after having a meal, or when you lie down after having a meal.
• Often there is a bloated feeling, or you might burp more or get nauseous along with the heartburn.

How to Relieve Heartburn During Pregnancy?

Well, it is not completely possible to avoid this condition, but you can reduce it. You can prevent the situation. When you have the answers to what causes heartburn during pregnancy, this is the next step that you have to look for.

• Eat small meals: Do not just go for two or three big meals during pregnancy. Rather have small meals throughout the day. Moreover, do not rush through the meal, chew it properly. Follow a diet plan. You can follow an Indian diet for pregnancy as well. 
• Chew gum after eating: This stimulates the salivary glands, and saliva helps neutralize acid.
• Drink water: This is given. You have to drink a lot of water during pregnancy, but it should be limited, or it can bloat your stomach. Drink water in between meals and stay hydrated.
• Avoid foods that cause heartburn during pregnancy: Avoid the consumption of caffeine, citrus fruits, carbonated drinks, chocolate, alcohol, vinegar, tomatoes, mint products, spicy and fried food, processed meat, and food that is highly seasoned.
• Sleep propped up: When you are sleeping, elevate your upper body by 6 inches with a wedge or several pillows. This helps with digestion and helps stomach acid stay down.
• Dress comfortably: Avoid wearing clothes that are tight around the tummy and the waist. Instead, wear relaxed and loose clothing.
• Eat 2-3 hours before bedtime: Give your body some time to digest the food before you go to bed and lie down. This will help with the heartburn.
• Get some medicines: Consult your doctor and ask for an antacid with calcium and magnesium as it relieves the discomfort. However, check with a professional before you the medicine, as some brands can have these in high percentage.
• Do not smoke: Along with causing some serious health issues, smoking increases the acid production in the stomach.

Myths and Misconceptions About Pregnancy Heartburn

When you search the internet about what causes heartburn during pregnancy, you will come across people asking a lot of other questions.

You will often find people asking about waking up with heartburn early pregnancy, or some myths that are not true at all.

One of those myths is are if you get heartburn during pregnancy, your child will be born with a good amount of hair.

Well, there is no possible reason to believe in this myth. Heartburn is common during pregnancy and this is not even remotely connected with how much hair the baby will be born with.

When Should You Consult a Doctor?

If you are having a healthy pregnancy, and doing all the right things to keep yourself healthy and ease all the discomfort from heartburn, then it is time to consult a doctor. They will come up with other treatment options.

You should also consult a doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms:

• Difficulty in swallowing food
• Getting bad chest pains
• Spitting up blood
• Waking up in the middle of the night because of heartburn
• The color of your stool is black
• If you are losing weight without reason

Frequently Asked Questions

There are some common questions people ask when discussing the cause of heartburn during pregnancy. Here are the questions mentioned.

Wrapping Up!

What causes heartburn during pregnancy? Well, now you know what is the cause and how you can prevent it. You can start with small changes like making a change in your diet or eating small meals at regular intervals.

Also, if you find yourself waking up at night because of heartburn, you can elevate yourself a few inches with some pillows and check if that helps you sleep.

However, if you think the condition is getting out of hand, or the home remedies are not helping you ease the discomfort, it is best to get yourself checked by a professional.