Common discomforts during pregnancy include heartburn, indigestion and constipation. There are several ways to treat all of these common pregnancy-related ailments.

If you are pregnant, chances are good that at some stage of your pregnancy, you will experience one or more digestive-related discomforts including indigestion, heartburn, gas or constipation.

What are reasons for digestive changes in pregnancy? One of the chief culprits behind heartburn and other digestive problems is the hormone progesterone. Progesterone decreases your muscle tone and can relax the muscles of the stomach to slow the emptying time. Believe it or not, your stomach also gets pushed up so much during the last trimester that it sits much higher than normal and food contents can be pushed up into your esophagus. When this happens, the valve allows food particles or stomach acid to sit in your esophagus. This can cause heartburn and indigestion.

Progesterone also wreaks havoc in your lower intestines. It relaxes the smooth muscles of your intestines which slows their ability to contract well. Waste from your digestive tract will tend to remain there longer, more water is absorbed and then the waste becomes harder to pass.

What are some strategies to give you relief from your digestive-related problems during pregnancy?

Drink Plenty of Water

Fluids are essential, not just for you and your digestive tract, but also for the baby. The recommended daily intake of fluid is 1500-2000 ml of fluid or the equivalent of 6-8 glasses a day of fluids. This could include water, juice and or other drinks. Be careful not to drink too many caffeinated drinks or diet drinks that contain artificial sweeteners.

Add Fiber to Your Diet

Adding fiber-rich foods is an essential part of treating and avoiding constipation. The recommended amount of fiber in an adult diet is 25-35 grams per day. If you are pregnant, you might benefit from adding another 15% (or 3-5 grams) per day. Foods that are rich in fiber include whole grains, popcorn, and raw vegetables. Fiber supplements can also be added to your diet but be sure that they do not contain laxative chemicals. If your body becomes used to chemical laxatives, it will be harder for your body to work well on its own. See this series for more information on nutrition.

Exercise

A regular exercise routine can be very helpful in preventing constipation. Activities such as walking, swimming and cycling can stimulate your bowels. See these two articles on exercise guidelines to use during pregnancy as well as pregnancy toning exercises.

Chamomile Tea

Chamomile has a nice relaxing quality which can ease indigestion. It is contraindicated for mothers in the first trimester since it has been shown to increase the risk of miscarriage. If you are prone to allergies from ragweed, you should also avoid chamomile.

Antacids

Some mothers assume that they can pop an antacid into their mouths whenever they feel symptoms of heartburn or indigestion. One of the problems is that most antacids contain magnesium, which in larger quantities is used to slow contractions or stop labor. If you have gone past your due and are trying to induce your labor naturally, taking antacids frequently during the day may in fact be counterproductive.

Eat smaller more frequent meals

Due to a simple lack of space in your stomach, as you progress into your third trimester, your stomach will be compressed and not be able to hold as much. Coupled with slower emptying time and progesterone effects mentioned above, eating a large meal might not only cause you painful indigestion, it may not even stay down! You might find some relief by eating 5 smaller meals or frequent snacks during the day rather than three large meals to give your stomach more time to digest in between eating the smaller amounts of food.

Avoid lying down right after eating/drinking

Be sure to remain upright after you eat or drink anything since lying down immediately will have a tendency to give you heartburn or indigestion due to all of the effects mentioned above.

How have you managed your heartburn and other pregnancy-related symptoms? Talk to us on the forum!