How your body changes during pregnancy
Pregnancy Heartburn or Reflux can be very painful. You don’t have to ignore this and carry on, there are some small changes you can make to reduce the impact of the changes during pregnancy.
As your pregnancy progresses the stomach is displaced upwards and rising progesterone levels relax the oesophageal sphincter so food and acid is more likely to come through. Also relaxin slows your digestion which means food stays in the stomach for longer.
How to help pregnancy heartburn through your diet
- Eat less, more often – smaller meals will be easier for your body to digest rather than 3 big meals a day.
- Avoid foods which make heartburn worse – such as citrus fruits and tomatoes, greasy or fried foods, spicy foods, chocolate, coffee and fizzy drinks and alcohol (some of these you should eliminate anyway!).
- Liquidise – smoothies, soups and slow cooked stews are easier to digest. Keep up your vegetable intake through a daily smoothie mid-morning, or soup for lunch.
- Avoid eating before bed or lying down so food doesn’t come up.
- Peppermint tea also opens the oesophogael sphincter so avoid directly before bed.
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Pregnancy Nutrition Support
Anna can show you how you can easily eat healthily during pregnancy, and develop a healthy diet that works for you and for your baby. To book an appointment with Anna get in touch for a free 15 minute nutrition consultation.