Pregnancy is a time of joy, anticipation, and exciting changes—but it can also come with a few uncomfortable surprises. One of the most common (and annoying!) symptoms many expectant moms face is heartburn. That burning sensation in the chest or throat can sneak up on you, especially after eating or when you’re trying to get some much-needed rest.
The good news? You’re not alone—and there are safe, effective ways to find relief. In this article, we’ll explore why heartburn occurs during pregnancy and share practical tips to help you manage it so you can focus on enjoying this special time.
While managing pregnancy symptoms like heartburn is part of your day-to-day routine, it’s also a great time to think about your baby’s future health. One important decision many parents are making today is stem cell banking. It’s a thoughtful step you can take today that may benefit your child or even the entire family tomorrow.
What Is Heartburn During Pregnancy?
Heartburn is a burning feeling in your chest or throat that often comes with indigestion. Even though it’s called “heartburn,” it has nothing to do with your heart. This feeling occurs when stomach acid goes up into your food pipe (called the esophagus), which connects your mouth to your stomach.
You don’t have to be pregnant to get heartburn, but it’s more common during pregnancy. That’s because pregnancy causes changes in your body — like rise in hormone levels and the growing baby pressing on your stomach — which can make heartburn more likely.
Causes Of Heartburn During Pregnancy
Heartburn during pregnancy is caused due to several reasons. A major cause is an increase in the hormone progesterone. Progesterone softens the muscles of your body, including the muscles that keep stomach acid in its place. As these muscles become relaxed, it becomes easier for stomach acid to move up into your esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth and stomach), and this leads to a burning sensation in your throat or chest.
Also, the position of the stomach and esophagus during pregnancy can shift. The muscle that holds the acid in the stomach can position itself slightly up into the chest, where it is less pressured. This enables food and acid to flow even more freely up into the esophagus.
As the baby grows, your uterus places additional pressure on your stomach, and this pressure may push the stomach contents upwards and trigger heartburn.
Heartburn can also happen because during pregnancy, the stomach empties slowly, or as a side effect of certain drugs.
Factors That Increase the Risk of Heartburn
Some factors make heartburn during pregnancy more likely:
- Prior heartburn problems: Women with prior history of heartburn are likely to develop it during pregnancy.
- Number of pregnancies: Women who have already been pregnant (multiparous women) are at greater risk.
- Age: Younger women might have a slightly greater risk.
Surprisingly, factors such as pre-pregnancy weight, race, or pregnancy weight gain don’t contribute to this condition very much.
How Is Heartburn During Pregnancy Treated?
Heartburn is a common and normal part of pregnancy. Serious problems from heartburn during pregnancy are rare, so tests like endoscopy are usually not needed.
Heartburn is usually treated by starting with simple changes:
- Eating smaller meals
- Avoiding spicy or fatty foods
- Not lying down right after eating
If these changes don’t help, doctors may suggest safe medicines, like:
- Antacids or sucralfate (first choices)
- If heartburn continues, H2 blockers (like ranitidine or famotidine) can be used
- Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are stronger and used only if nothing else works. All PPIs except omeprazole are considered safe during pregnancy.
Most of these medicines are safe to use while breastfeeding, especially the H2 blockers — except for nizatidine, which should be avoided.
In Conclusion
Pregnancy heartburn is a condition that occurs to many women during pregnancy and can be managed with ease. Symptoms tend to get worse as pregnancy progresses, especially in the second and third trimesters. Fortunately, lifestyle modifications, food changes, and proper medications make it possible to manage heartburn easily so you can concentrate on the beauty of pregnancy and anticipating the birth of your child.
As you consider your baby’s well-being and future, it’s a wonderful time to also think about opportunities such as LifeCell’s stem cell banking. LifeCell provides an opportunity to safely preserve your baby’s stem cells from the umbilical cord for possible future medical applications. By storing these precious cells at birth, you’re providing your child with access to a tool that might come in handy when dealing with a range of medical ailments down the road.
Taking care of your health today, both in controlling pregnancy symptoms such as heartburn and investigating future health options, is a critical component of maintaining the health of both you and your baby.
