Pregnancy heartburn is an uncomfortable sensation of having a full stomach and burning and tightening sensation in the chest. It is a common complaint among pregnant women.

Heartburn, also known as acid indigestion, occurs in pregnancy due to hormonal changes that affect the muscles of the digestive tract and how differently a pregnant woman tolerates certain foods.

Pregnancy hormones trigger pregnancy heartburn because they relax the muscular valve that’s located between the stomach and the esophagus. This is commonly referred to as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which allows digestive juices to creep back into the esophagus. The enlarged uterus tend to crowd the abdomen adding to the possibility of pushing stomach acids upward.

Pregnancy heartburn is experienced particularly during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Though pregnancy heartburn may not be completely eliminated, there are ways to minimize its discomfort.

Here are some helpful hints to reduce pregnancy heartburn without hurting the baby:

* Several small meals a day will help with pregnancy heartburn tremendously. Eat about five to six, throughout the day instead of three large ones.

* Chew your food thoroughly and eat slowly. Take your time eating and chew thoroughly.

* Do not eat foods that are known to trigger  pregnancy heartburn. Depending on how your body reacts to  such foods, the triggers are usually dark chocolate, citrus and acidic fruits, tomatoes, tomato sauces, mustard and vinegar.

* Avoid carbonated and caffeine loaded drinks such as coffee, tea and cola because these can cause a relaxing of the lower esophageal sphincter which could permit digestive acids to backflow in to the esophagus.

* Avoid alcohol. It does not only relax the lower esophageal sphincter but it  also affects your baby.

* Drink less water while eating. Drinking large amounts while eating can distend the stomach and putting more pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter forcing it to open inappropriately.

* Elevate the head of your bed six to eight inches higher than the foot of your bed or sleep with your head and shoulders propped up with a wedge pillow to prevent stomach acids from rising into your chest.

* Wear loose and comfortable clothing. Avoid clothes that tighten around your waist and stomach.

* Bend on the knees instead of at the waist to prevent putting more pressure on your stomach.

* Sit upright in a comfortable chair and avoid slouching.

* Stay within the weight guidelines suggested by your doctor since too much weight put more pressure on your stomach and can force the stomach acids to reflux to your esophagus.

* Don’t smoke. Smoking does not only increase your chances of experiencing heartburn, it also has bad effects on your baby.

* Consult your doctor about taking medications for heartburn that are safe for pregnant women such as Tums or Maalox.

While pregnancy heartburn really brings in a lot of discomforts, there is one great consolation for experiencing it. A study at Johns Hopkins University shows that there’s a connection between pregnancy heartburn and newborn hair – 82% of pregnant women that took part in the study that had experienced heartburn to some extent had babies with particularly thick hair.

So all you pregnant heartburn sufferers, stock up on baby hair brushes, combs, barrettes, detanglers, and headbands – they will surely come in handy when the stork arrives.