Pregnancy Heartburn

A 5 minute read by Kat M. Lui, LAc

Heartburn is the pain or discomfort felt when your digestive juices counterflow from your stomach and into the esophagus. Most women will experience this at some stage in their pregnancy. Fun! Heartburn from pregnancy could be due to a blood sugar problem, or possibly a gastrointestinal histamine reaction to hormones.

Heartburn is normal, and avoidable, with acupuncture, homeopathy, and lifestyle changes.

Heartburn during pregnancy is normal…and avoidable, with acupuncture, homeopathy, and lifestyle changes.

As a homeopath, acupuncturist, and herbalist, I can get to the root of your problems by asking you questions about your unique experience of heartburn. Unlike allopathic medicine, which treats all diseases the same way (take X if you have Y), classical homeopaths and classical Chinese medicine practitioners like myself will look at how the particular disease or disharmony manifests in you.

Ask yourself:

• Where do you feel the heartburn? Does it feel like burning in the whole chest?

• Is there belching or upchuck (ew!) that tastes foul, sour or metallic (double ew)? Or is it like hot peppers? Does it leave a salty taste in your mouth?

• Is there belching after eating rich, greasy, fatty foods? Hello eggs Benedict with home fries!

• Are you craving salt?

• Are you thirsty for cold drinks?

• Do you feel soooo tired and you just wanna lay in bed?

The answers to these questions can help you get rid of that pesky pregnancy heartburn.

Here are some tips to avoid heartburn when you’ve got a bun in the oven

Here are some tips to avoid heartburn when you’ve got a bun in the oven:

• Eat small frequent meals

• Restrict fats

• Avoid alcohol

• Try limiting carbohydrates

• Use cultured milk rather than sweet milk

• Take papaya enzymes

• Acupressure on Stomach 44, the area between your second and third toes. Need help finding it?