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I find myself getting heartburn right before
bedtime. How can I make it stop?
Heartburn can be an ongoing bother during pregnancy. If you
never had heartburn before pregnancy, you’re in good company.
It’s a burning sensation right underneath your breastbone that
makes you feel like your stomach acids are about to spill out of your
throat. Heartburn (also known as acid reflux ) commonly affects
pregnant women thanks to that good ol’ hormone progesterone.
The placenta is to thank (or blame) for all of that progesterone
lallygagging around in your system. Progesterone relaxes the
valve that keeps your oesophagus separate from your stomach
and with your newly relaxed valve, some of those stomach acids
are now creeping up into your gullet. Sounds pleasant, eh?
The million pound question from thousands of pregnant mamas:
how to keep those nasty stomach acids from bothering you at
night and stealing precious hours of sleep? Try cutting back
on certain acidic foods that could make your heartburn worse,
particularly in the hours leading up to bedtime.
The foods to avoid include:
•
Chocolate ( sorry! )
•
Raw onions, garlic, black
pepper and spicy foods
in general
•
Citrus juices
•
Tomatoes
•
Peppermint
In general, don’t eat big meals; try for smaller meals throughout
the day rather than three big meals and try not to eat too close
to bedtime either. Getting into bed and lying down with a belly
full of food could make matters worse. It’s best to wait at least
three hours after eating to lie dow
n 7 .When you do go to bed,
try propping yourself up with some pillows, which could help
keep those acids where they belong: down in your stomach. If all
else fails, speak to your doctor or midwife about pregnancy-safe
antacids or medications to help put out the fires.