Heartburn is a common pregnancy problem. Many women who have not experienced it ever before tend to experience it at least when they get pregnant. When you are pregnant, if you sense a burning feeling in your throat and chest, if you sense a sour acidic taste in your mouth, blame it on the heartburn you are experiencing just now. There a number of reasons why one experiences heartburns when they are pregnant. When you are pregnant it is natural that your higher levels of hormones will soften the ligaments that usually help to keep the LES which is a sphincter inside the throat tightly shut so the acids in your stomach do not rise upwards. But when the LES is relaxing it is understandable if the acids shoot up to your esophagus and throat due to the different bodily changes and growing baby inside. Contents in your stomach can also be raised to the throat during these moments of heartburn. It is nearly impossible to eliminate the problem of heartburn completely but there are some measures you can adopt to reduce the trouble.

Try and avoid food that might trigger your heartburns. Products like citrus fruits, chocolates, tomatoes, juices, vinegar, mint, mustard, spices, and fries are strict no-nos just in case you are suffering from heartburns. Caffeine based drinks too instigate heartburn attacks. Try to stay off coffee, tea, cola because not only do they contain caffeine, they can also relax your LES muscles, causing the fluids in your stomach to rise to the esophagus. In this context, let us tell you that alcohol has similar effects on the esophagus so try keeping off alcohol as well if you want to save yourself from heartburns. Big meals also cause digestive problems so eat smaller meals instead, and have them at regular intervals. That way too you can avoid heartburns. Learn to eat slow and steady so your meals get enough time to get chewed and swallowed well. When food finds it tougher to get digested they tend to cause heartburns. There should be at least 2 hours between your dinner and your bed time to make sure that when you lie down you food does not get that urge to move upward than to stay where it is meant to stay.

Water is the solution to a lot of problems. During pregnancy you are supposed to be drinking at least 8 to 10 glasses of water everyday. However make sure you take enough fibers too so that the fluids get absorbed. Too much of fluids might put pressure against your LES! Make sure your head is on an elevated place as compared to your body while sleeping. If you are sued to sleeping without a pillow, maybe sleeping on a pillow would be slightly helpful now. Loose clothing which will allow your body to get aired easily is also helpful. When you bend to pick things up, try to bend at the knees instead of the waist so you avoid putting pressure on your stomach and provoking yet another heartburn. And finally, eve though it is quite natural to feel gluttony when you are pregnant, try to control your eating; too much food is never too good for your health!