Heartburn during pregnancy

About half of all women suffer from heartburn in the third trimester of pregnancy. But even if the burning sensation in the esophagus is very uncomfortable, there is no need to worry: your baby is not affected, and after pregnancy, the symptoms usually disappear on their own.

In this article, you will learn why heartburn occurs so frequently during pregnancy, how you can prevent the discomfort, and which simple home remedies can relieve heartburn in case of an acute episode. However, if you have concerns or severe pain, it is best to consult your doctor.

How does heartburn manifest?

Heartburn involves a burning pain behind the sternum, often accompanied by acid or bitter regurgitation and the reflux of stomach contents into the throat or even into the mouth. The uncomfortable symptoms occur more frequently when lying down, which is why many sufferers experience them especially at night.

Why does heartburn occur more frequently during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, hormones cause all muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the body to become softer. This creates space for the growing baby and prepares the body for childbirth. However, the pregnancy hormone progesterone also causes the sphincter between the stomach and esophagus to relax, so it no longer reliably prevents the reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus. When lying down, the stomach acid can easily flow back through the weakened sphincter, similar to an open water bottle spilling when tilted. The aggressive acid irritates the mucous membrane and causes the uncomfortable burning sensation. At the same time, the expanding uterus during pregnancy presses against the stomach and can push stomach contents back into the esophagus. This effect is further intensified in the last trimester by the baby's movements.

What can I do preventively?

Fortunately, there are some simple things you can already do prophylactically to prevent or at least reduce heartburn:

• Eat several small meals instead of a few large ones: During a hearty meal, your stomach must expand significantly. However, since the space in your abdomen is limited by your baby, the food presses against the soft sphincter, which cannot reliably hold it back.

• Eat slowly and chew well: If the food already arrives in your stomach in a well-chewed state, it can be digested more easily and passed on to the small intestine more quickly. Additionally, chewing increases the production of saliva, which neutralizes stomach acid. Avoid certain foods: Some foods stimulate the production of stomach acid particularly strongly and can thus promote heartburn. These include:

  • Caffeinated beverages

  • Candy

  • Citrus fruits

  • Carbonated beverages

  • Heavily seasoned meals

  • Sehr fettiges Essen

• Do not wear restrictive clothing: If a tight pair of pants or skirt waistband presses on your stomach, food is pushed towards the sphincter when your stomach is full. If this sphincter, weakened by the hormone progesterone, does not hold, it can lead to heartburn.

• Eat nothing three to four hours before sleeping: If the last meal was several hours before bedtime, your stomach has already completed its digestion with stomach acid, so it cannot flow back into the esophagus.

• Adjust sleep position: If you elevate your upper body slightly, the food pulp will be transported more quickly and will stay in your stomach for a shorter time. At the same time, gravity ensures that the stomach acid remains in your stomach. Additionally, you can try sleeping on your left side. Since the stomach is located in the left half of the body, an anatomical bend at the esophageal opening makes it more difficult for food pulp and stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus.

What home remedies can I use to provide immediate relief?

If all these preventive measures have shown no effect, you can relieve the uncomfortable symptoms with simple home remedies:

• Still water: Drinking still water in small sips washes the acidic food pulp from the esophagus back into the stomach and thus alleviates the bothersome burning sensation.

• Dry bread, a piece of rusk or an unsalted rice cake: Langsam gekaut, binden die trockenen Lebensmittel die Säure und neutralisieren sie durch die zusätzliche Speichelproduktion.

• Oat flakes, almonds, hazelnuts, cooked potato, raw carrot: These foods have the same acid-binding effect as dry bread or rusk. Here, too, slow and thorough chewing is particularly important.

• Ripe Banana: Bananas stimulate mucus production in the stomach and thus protect the stomach lining from aggressive gastric acid. The contained fibers also stimulate digestion and thereby reduce acid secretion. However, this only applies to ripe bananas (recognizable by brown spots on the peel). Unripe bananas can even trigger heartburn.

• Teas: Tea, such as fennel, anise, caraway, or chamomile tea, dilutes stomach acid and soothes irritated mucous membranes. However, not all types of tea are suitable for relieving these symptoms. Fruit tea is highly acidic and can even cause heartburn itself.

Usually, these home remedies already help very well against the pain. If your symptoms persist despite everything, medication may also provide relief. However, since not all medications are suitable during pregnancy, consult your doctor to find out which are safe for you and your baby. Until then, we wish you a speedy recovery and a trouble-free rest of your pregnancy!