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Your
question about heartburn so early in pregnancy certainly describes
a nuisance, one that can be treated like nausea of pregnancy,
with frequent, small feedings. Large meals keep the gastric
opening distended longer than do small portions, so avoid
large meals.
Eating
at least two hours before lying down is another aid, and when
you lie down, elevate your upper body with a pillow so the
gastric juices do not enter up into the esophagus.
Lying
on your right side will facilitate earlier emptying of the
stomach, too. Occasional use of anti-acids, like Tums, etc,
is also helpful, but they contain a lot of sugar, so careful
with cleaning your teeth.
Eating
a saltine cracker is another useful trick for absorbing gastric
juices. Good luck with these ideas, and please let me know
if you find other useful approaches. The reason for the symptom
is most likely due to the relaxing effect that the pregnanct
hormones have on the gastric sphincter.
I
hope that you can be reassured by knowing that peptic ulcer
disease is reduced during pregnancy, so it is unlikely that
you are developing a new condition. I hope that this information
is useful to you, and Have a Healthy Pregnancy!
LeRoy
Heinrichs, MD
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