Feeling your bump grow can be delightful and exciting. But it can also create pressure
that pushes on the valve at the top of your tummy. As the valve then opens more than usual,
acid may rise causing a burning sensation at the top of your stomach,
oesophagus and throat. This tummy acid may even leave a sour taste in your mouth. As
some foods can lessen this burning sensation and others may trigger it,
today I want to share three diet tips to help you head off heartburn during pregnancy. Stay tuned!
First off, I want to say 'hello'. My name is Melanie McGrice. I'm
an Accredited Practising Dietitian and I specialise in healthy nutrition for women,
especially during fertility, pregnancy and postpartum. While you're visiting my channel,
please take time to look around and check out some of my other videos. You can also
download my free pregnancy meal plan from melaniemcgrice.com/pregnancy
which offers a guide for super healthy nutrition choices for you and your bub.
Now, back to those heartburn tips:
Tip 1: Skip spicy and fatty foods Spices such as pepper and chilli may
trigger burning in your tummy or cause further irritation if you have pregnancy heartburn.
Other flavoursome ingredients such as garlic and onion and condiments such as mustard,
can also have a similar effect, so cut back on them too. Instead, boost the flavour in your meals
with milder herbs, such as continental parsley and dried mixed herbs. Try to also avoid hot,
rich dishes such as curries - especially take-away versions, which are higher in fat.
Fatty foods such as potato crisps, bacon and fried fish and chips,
can worsen heartburn by slowing down digestion. Then when you eat your next snack or meal,
the backlog can cause more pressure on your tummy. This, combined with your baby bump,
can push that stomach valve too far open, allowing more acid to rise and kickstart heartburn.
To help reduce this problem, eat less take-away foods, which are higher in fats and choose
fat-free or low-fat cooking methods such as steaming, baking, poaching and air frying.
Tip 2: Choose fruit instead of chocolate It's 3pm and you've got a strong craving
for something sweet, but if you've had heartburn blahs, resist the urge to snack on chocolate,
even if it's the dark, healthier variety. Research shows that choccie can kickstart or worsen
heartburn. So, stave off your sweet craving with a banana, apple or some blueberries. Fruit is a
great way to add more nutrients and fibre to your diet to boost the health of you and your baby.
Add some yoghurt as well to make the snack more filling. Which leads me straight to my final tip:
Tip 3: Tuck into a tub of yoghurt When it comes to heartburn - dairy is your friend.
Many women find that a small glass of milk or tub of plain yoghurt, has natural antacid effects in
their tummy, which can soothe heartburn. Tucking in to dairy foods during pregnancy has also been
linked to a healthy birth weight in babies. Eating yoghurt may also increase good belly bacteria and
has been linked to lower blood pressure. At the same time, dairy foods increase your intake of
calcium, to protect your bones during pregnancy and help your baby grow strong bones too.
If you don't tolerate dairy foods well and use a milk substitute, such as soy,
rice or oat, read the label to ensure it has added calcium and is not too high in fats.
So, those are my three tips for reducing heartburn when you're pregnant. Before I sign off, I also
wanted to mention that if you're experiencing heartburn, try to eat smaller, more regular
meals and avoid lying down right after food. If you'd like more personalised nutrition advice,
please book a Nutrition Assessment with one of our dietitians at melaniemcgrice.com/BookNow.
And if you enjoyed this video, please take a moment to 'like' it and share it with friends.
I'll look forward to seeing you again soon!