246 profiles of hopeful adoptive couples
For Birthparents
Article Topics
Profile Search
Profile Id Search
Success Story
Susan & Rob
It's hard to put into words how amazing this whole experience has been and how much we love our baby girl. We placed our profile on-line at the end of February (using the Extreme Exposure option) and within a week and half we had three calls. One of those calls led to our meeting with our wonderful birth mother and birth father. They are very special to us and always will be. Our baby girl more ...
Heartburn
One of the symptoms that can take the joyful edge out of pregnancy is the appearance of heartburn. Although this is something many women don't experience until later in pregnancy, it is something that can plague unlucky moms-to-be from conception until delivery!
The medical cause of heartburn is connected to the relaxation of the valve into the stomach which allows acid to travel between in small amounts between the stomach and mouth by way of the esophagus. The physical effect of this is a burning sensation behind the breastbone, and often accompanied by a sour taste in the mouth.
Keeping a close watch on the diet can help in reducing this unpleasant experience. Often heartburn is triggered by food products. As each person has an individual response to what they digest, what gives heartburn to one pregnant woman may not affect another, and so if heartburn becomes a habitual occurrence a food diary should be kept until the cause or causes can be identified. Prescribed medication can also cause heartburn during pregnancy so if no food product seems to be the cause then medication may need to be changed if possible.
Heartburn symptoms can be helped by antacids, but some of these are not recommended for pregnant women so the mother-to-be should discuss options with her pregnancy medical team and use whatever they recommend if possible. As heartburn often occurs at night it is recommended that nothing is eaten close to bedtime. Persistent bedtime can also be helped by raising the top half of the bed slightly so that the pregnant woman doesn't lie flat but at a slight angle where her head is slightly higher than her feet. This makes it more difficult for the stomach acids to travel up the esophagus as they would have to move in an upwards direction and so reduces the likelihood of heartburn occurring.
As pregnancy progresses and moves into the third and final trimester, the chances of heartburn developing increase. As it can appear from nowhere, and usually at night, a pregnant woman can help the symptoms by being prepared in advance of a heartburn attack and having a supply of antacid recommended by her pregnancy doctor in the house.
More Articles: