Many women experience heartburn during pregnancy, particularly during the second and third trimesters. Although this is not typically a sign of a serious problem, it can be uncomfortable or painful. The technical term for heartburn is gastroesophageal reflux, but is also often called “acid reflux”. But this condition has nothing to do with the heart!

Sometimes the cause of heartburn is indigestion. Indigestion is also common during pregnancy and can accompany heartburn while pregnant. Also referred as “dyspepsia,” indigestion is just another name for an upset stomach.

You’ll know you have indigestion if you feel very full, bloated or gassy. Heartburn during pregnancy usually occurs when food from your stomach, which contains acid, is pushed up toward your esophagus (the pipe between your mouth and your stomach). This may cause burning sensation that starts in your stomach and rises up to behind your breast bone. Women may experience a sour taste in your mouth or a feeling that vomit is rising in your throat.

Some of the causes of heartburn are eating greasy or fatty foods, coffee and fruit juices with a high acid content such as orange and grape juices. Lying down soon after meals are all common causes of heartburn. Eating small meals frequently can help reduce heartburn with the help of some over the counter antacids. However, overeating many of the high calcium antacids can lead to calcification of the placenta which can affect the well being on the baby in uterus. Monitoring your antacid intake will avoid this condition.

The increase of the hormone, progesterone in pregnancy may be the cause of heartburn in pregnancy. This hormone relaxes and slows down digestion during pregnancy. For most pregnant mothers, heartburn during pregnancy is temporary and will resolve once the baby is here.

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categories: heartburn,pregnancy

Many women are surprised to learn of the many different and challenging side-effects of experiencing pregnancy. A woman’s body goes through many amazing changes when she becomes pregnant and some of those are surprising at first. Obviously women expect to be uncomfortable by trying to sleep with an expanding belly, but there may be many other unexpected nighttime issues. Many people joke about not sleeping when the child is born, but pregnancy brings its own host of sleeping problems.

Leg cramps at night: Changes in nutritional needs, dehydration and the rapid weight gain of becoming pregnant may often be reasons for cramping leg muscles during the night. Many women suffer from unexpected bedtime calf cramps. There are a number of cures for charley horses, but be sure to check with your primary care professional before using them. Calf muscle cramps may occur at any period during the pregnancy, but they are most commonly experienced in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.

Digestion issues: The intestines and other bodily organs are being pressed together to make room for the expanding baby and that tightness often affects the digestive system the most. Pregnant women can not always be able to get much relief from heartburn and constipation issues because some drugs designed to alleviate these symptoms are not pregnancy safe. It’s no surprise that many women should have problems with digestion during pregnancy.

Frequent urination problems: Pressure against the urinary system and increased pressure on the kidneys can cause some women to urinate three to six times each night. There is some debate over how much being pregnant contributes to bed wetting. Some expecting women suffer through one or more infrequent nighttime bed wetting episodes during their pregnancy. Almost all pregnant women experience an increased need to urinate much more often than they are used to.

Expecting women should be ready for sleep difficulties by their physicians in advance. Many doctors advise expectant women to sleep with padding around them for comfort and to sleep on their left side to help alleviate some of these sleep issues. Various sleep problems will come and go during the length of a pregnancy, and not all women suffer from the same sleep challenges.

For many women being pregnant is a wonderful time, but it’s also important to take good care of your health. Speak regularly with your doctor if you have any of the above sleep issues. There is help available for adult bed wetting.