Heartburn feels like someone lit a match in your esophagus. Along with this very unpleasant feeling, you may also have other unpleasant symptoms such as indigestion or a feeling of heaviness after meals; no matter how little you’ve eaten.

The cause of heartburn

One of the effects of pregnancy hormones is that tissues relax. One of these tissues is a ring that connects the stomach with the esophagus. This ring keeps the passage to the stomach “closed” and keeps the potential acids we secrete in order to digest food from reaching the esophagus.  These acids may be very irritating for other tissues that are not ready for them, such as the esophagus. That’s why it causes a burning sensation and it’s called “heartburn”.

The feeling of acidity or burning can happen at any phase of pregnancy but it is more likely during the last months. In this period, the baby is pressing against the stomach. The ring that controls the passage of stomach acids relaxes and the stomach presses upwards, and this increases the likelihood of these acids traveling to the esophagus.  

Relief from heartburn

Depending on how bad your heartburn is, you could find relief by following these suggestions:

• Avoid meals and foods that are hard to digest, such as spicy food, carbonated drinks or caffeine.  

• Eat small meals in order to avoid feeling heavy and to prevent indigestion.

• Especially in the last months, try not to bend forward in order to avoid acids from reaching the esophagus.

• Sleep in a semi-reclining position to prevent acid reflux.

• Drink water between meals to alleviate heartburn.  

• If you feel heartburn in the morning, eat a few saltines or a piece of toast for relief.

• Steer clear from herbal remedies. Always consult your doctor first, because some herbs may adversely affect pregnancy.  

• You can buy over the counter anti-acids that can alleviate your discomfort, but you should always check with your doctor first.  

If none of the above solutions help alleviate your symptoms, consult with your doctor. Sometimes heartburn requires medical treatment.  

Indigestion and its causes

It is possible that heartburn may be accompanied by a feeling of indigestion after meals, or that you may only feel indigestion. This sensation happens for the same reason that acidity does. Pregnancy hormones relax the tissues in the body, to include the stomach and intestines.  

When we eat, the stomach and intestines move in ways we are generally not aware of, in order to help food pass along. As the tissues are more relaxed these movements are not so efficient and what we eat takes longer to go through our system and therefore, the digestive process is also lengthier. This causes gas and a feeling of heaviness and indigestion.  

These symptoms could be more acute in the last months, when besides the action of hormones the baby’s size is putting more pressure on the stomach and other internal organs.  

Some tips for indigestion

You may find relief by using similar suggestions to those that curtail acidity:

• Avoid big meals, which will make it more difficult for food to make its way through the digestive tract.  

• Do not eat anything that could be difficult to digest, such as spicy or rich foods.

• Avoid carbonated and caffeinated drinks.

• Eat many small meals a day: at least three meals with three small snacks in between.  

• Don’t go to bed until a few hours after dinner.  

• Exercise: exercise improves intestinal movement.

If you still have a lot of discomfort, talk to your doctor. This could be a sign of another problem such as gall bladder stones, which are common in pregnancy.