DR. DUNCAN’S NATUROPATHY TREATMENT TIPS FOR HEARTBURN IN PREGNANCY

26 Dec 2016

No time to watch the video? Read the tips below!

Hi everyone. Dr. Kelsey Duncan, Naturopathic Doctor here. Today, I want to talk to you about heartburn during pregnancy. So many women suffer with heartburn during pregnancy – it can be not only annoying but actually quite painful. During this time, our body is producing high amounts of progesterone which relaxes the valve between the stomach from the esophagus, causing us to have acid reflux more frequently.

Here are some tried and tested tips to reduce your suffering:

First, you want to identify and avoid specific food triggers – and this could be different for everyone but most commonly are things like spicy or greasy food, caffeine, tomatoes, and unfortunately our favourite, chocolate.

Remain upright for 20-30 minutes after eating to give your stomach time to empty and try to avoid eating 1 to 2 hours before going to bed so that you can lie down comfortably.

Don’t drink things like mint tea or have mint candies as this can actually further relax that valve between the stomach and the esophagus. Instead, enjoy a cup of fennel tea to ease your discomfort and improve digestion.

Lastly, you can add lemon to your water throughout the day to improve stomach acid levels and further reduce the frequency of your heartburn.

Like always, please talk to your healthcare providers before starting any herbs or supplements during pregnancy, and if you need more help, come find me at Natural Choice Medical Clinic – Take Care!