Is having heartburn a sign of pregnancy

Heartburn, gas, tender breasts, and more

Think you might be pregnant? Here are the most common pregnancy signs in the first month.

When you’re hoping to be pregnant and you haven’t missed your period yet—or it’s a day or two late—it’s pretty easy to interpret nearly any physical symptom as a sign of pregnancy. It’s not uncommon to feel symptoms in the first week or two of your pregnancy—or even earlier. “Some women experience pregnancy symptoms from the moment of conception,” says Karen Nordahl, a general practitioner and obstetrician in Vancouver and co-author of Fit to Deliver. “Usually, this is second- or third-time moms who remember a particular sensation, such as increased gas.” But many first-time moms miss these early pregnancy signs because the very first symptoms aren’t necessarily the ones we associate with having a baby on the way. So, yes, while some women experience nausea or hypersensitivity to smells, these seven symptoms are among the most common during the first few weeks of pregnancy.

Digestive changes are one of the most common early pregnancy signs, says Nordahl. If you feel a burning sensation in your chest after scarfing down your usual black coffee and egg-salad sandwich from the deli near your office, it might not be that the deli changed the recipe to include green onions or switched coffee brands; it could actually be pregnancy-related heartburn. One telltale sign of heartburn is that the burning sensation can feel worse when you bend over or lie down. It’s safe to reach for an antacid to relieve the burning, but also try to avoid certain foods, such as citrus fruits.

Before you start cursing your bra for suddenly feeling more like a contraption from the hardware store than the lacy lingerie that took a serious chunk out of your paycheque, consider that your newly sore boobs could be a sign that you’re pregnant. Breast tenderness is another common early pregnancy sign, according to Nordahl. For many women, what can make this symptom particularly confusing is that breast soreness is also a very common sign of your period. But early on in your pregnancy, your breasts may hurt because they’re expanding in preparation for producing milk.

Being gassy—or, less eloquently, “farty”—is no problem when you’re chillaxing alone in your threadbare sweatpants, but it’s next-level horrifying when you’re out and about anywhere else. Unfortunately, it’s one of the more common early pregnancy signs. Expect flatulence during not only the first few weeks of pregnancy but also the next nine months. Inevitably, your unruly gas will strike right in the middle of a work meeting or during a cool-down in your silent yoga class.

Can’t zip up those light-wash jeans that fit like a glove a few weeks ago? It could be that extra-large soda and popcorn you inhaled while transfixed on the onscreen hunk at the cinema last night, but it could also be a sign that you’re expecting. Like breast tenderness, abdominal bloating is a symptom that’s common before your period, making it hard to tell apart from monthly premenstrual symptoms. The usual tactic to fight extra bloating and constipation is to ease up on excess salt and stay hydrated with water, both of which are good habits, whether you’re pregnant or not. But you might also want to buy a pregnancy test.

Pelvic cramping as an early pregnancy sign? Yep, it can be, according to Nordahl. That might seem counterintuitive, as cramps are super-typical symptoms of Aunt Flow. You were probably hoping that being pregnant meant you could kiss cramps goodbye, but sadly that’s not the case. Light cramps can be caused by early pregnancy hormonal shifts and implantation of the fertilized egg on your uterine lining.

The unusual sensation of feeling “full” is yet another early symptom of pregnancy. “Fullness can be experienced before a period is missed, but a first-time mom may miss it,” says Nordahl. “A second- or third-time mom may pick up on it right away, especially if she is actively trying to conceive.” If you’re getting a feeling of déjà vu from previous pregnancies that you’re experiencing at the gut level (literally), congrats, you could be preggo!

Well, duh, of course a missed period is the most common of early pregnancy signs. For many women who haven’t been pregnant before, this is usually the first symptom they notice, explains Nordahl. But hindsight is often 20/20. “A first-time mom usually thinks back and realizes that a few things were different but wasn’t sure what they meant,” she says.

Read more:
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Is Heartburn a Sign of Early Pregnancy?| TUMS

There are so many noticeable changes going on in your body when you’re pregnant. But there are also subtle symptoms of pregnancy you may have before you know you're pregnant. You might be wondering, is heartburn an early pregnancy sign? 

Let’s take a look at heartburn and how it might relate to pregnancy symptoms, as well as how to manage some discomfort you might be experiencing.

It is—for some women.

Let’s back up a second and define “heartburn” because, for some women, it might be the first time they’ve experienced this digestive symptom. Heartburn is a term that describes a burning sensation in your chest. You feel heartburn when stomach acid refluxes, or seeps back up, into your esophagus, the part of the digestive track that connects your mouth to your stomach.

While every woman’s body is different, and you can certainly experience heartburn and indigestion without being pregnant, heartburn can occur at any point in a pregnancy¹. So, a woman may experience heartburn as an early pregnancy symptom—even before she knows she’s pregnant.

If you have recently been experiencing symptoms of heartburn and indigestion and think you might be pregnant, see your doctor. 

Possibly—and likely. Many women experience heartburn beyond their first trimester of pregnancy². There are a few reasons why:

During pregnancy, a rising level of the hormone progesterone relaxes the valve (known as the lower esophageal sphincter) that separate the stomach and esophagus. As a result, stomach acids can flow back into your esophagus² and lead to some of the classic uncomfortable heartburn feelings that come with acid indigestion.

Additional hormones slow digestion, which mean food may stay in your stomach longer² and lead to a higher likelihood of acid indigestion.

Later, as a pregnancy progresses and the uterus expands, it puts pressure on other organs in the abdomen³—including the stomach.

So, a stomach getting pushed out of place, with the food in it lingering longer, and a valve to the throat that’s a bit looser. The result? Heartburn.

You might have heard the old wives’ tale that having heartburn while pregnant means you’ll deliver a baby with a more hair on its head. One small scientific study years ago did find a correlation⁴! Make of that what you will.

Before jumping into the possible treatment options for pesky heartburn, confirm you are indeed pregnant with your trusted health care provider. They can help you better understand how to approach your symptoms and decide next steps.

If you are indeed pregnant and experiencing heartburn, we recommend taking the following measures to keep your heartburn symptoms at bay.³

• Avoid foods that flare up your symptoms. These might include spicy foods, fried foods or meals, caffeine such as coffee or soda. Create a  journal  of foods that you’ve noticed might cause upset stomach.
• Stay away from large meals just before bedtime. This can trigger acid reflux due to your sleeping position.
• Sleep with a pillow wedge that raises your head to deter acid reflux.
• Consult with your doctor to determine whether an antacid, like TUMS, would be right for you.

While it’s no fun to experience heartburn and acid indigestion, talk to your care provider about the many tools and resources to help you manage. Whether together you decide you should use TUMS to help manage your symptoms or find comfort in pairing antacids with other preventative measures, you have options.

Read more about heartburn and pregnancy and other heartburn and indigestion-related issues.

Sources

1. Simerpal Kaur Gill, Caroline Maltepe and Gideon Koren. The effect of heartburn and acid reflux on the severity of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology, April 2009. 23(4):270-272. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2711677/
2. Juan C Vazquez. Heartburn in pregnancy. BMJ (British Medical Journal) Clinic Evidence, 2015; 2015: 1411. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4562453/
3. Pregnancy – signs and symptoms. Department of Health, State Government of Victoria, Australia. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/HealthyLiving/pregnancy-signs-and-symptoms.
4. Kathleen A. Costigan, Heather L. Sipsma and Janet A. DiPietro. Pregnancy Folklore Revisited: The Case of Heartburn and Hair. Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care, November 2006. Volume 33, Issue 4 p. 311-314. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1523-536X.2006.00128.x

early and late causes

Table of contents:

• Symptoms of heartburn
• Why heartburn occurs during pregnancy /a>
• How to deal with heartburn during pregnancy
• What drugs help with heartburn

Body changes during pregnancy can cause heartburn - early or third trimester

Symptoms of heartburn

heaviness is felt - this is heartburn. It can also cause nausea, discomfort in the throat, difficulty swallowing. Similar troubles happen if you sharply bend and unbend or just lie down after dinner.

Why heartburn occurs during pregnancy

Heartburn occurs when the acidic contents of the stomach (in medicine it is called reflux) enters the esophagus and its mucous membrane is irritated, in fact, it receives a chemical burn. This happens in healthy people, but it is especially difficult for pregnant women: after all, the high content of the hormone progesterone, which relaxes the muscles of the uterus so that it does not begin to contract and cause premature birth, also affects other smooth muscles, including the sphincter, whose main the task is just to separate the stomach from the esophagus, and on the walls of the stomach, which in a normal situation are supposed to contract intensively, returning the refluxate back to the stomach ^1.2 . In addition, the esophagus is already irritated by frequent vomiting caused by toxicosis in the early stages of pregnancy . Yes, and the growth of the uterus affects the surrounding organs, including the stomach and esophagus: gradually it becomes tighter and tighter, it is not for nothing that the symptoms of heartburn begin to appear, as a rule, in the third trimester, when the fetus is fully formed and has grown to about 25 cm.

How to deal with heartburn during pregnancy

There are a few simple first steps.

First of all, the doctor leading the pregnancy will surely be able to recommend the optimal diet - exclude fatty, spicy, sour, and preferably fried foods, as well as foods that are high in fiber (cabbage, radish, radish, peas, beans) , lentils, black bread, bran bread), sugary and highly carbonated drinks, chocolate, coffee and alcohol (if you did not do this at the very beginning of your pregnancy).

Secondly, you need to change your diet: eat a little, but often, 5-6 times a day. Sour-milk products, boiled and baked fish or lean meat, stewed vegetables (preferably in olive oil) and grated, baked fruits, dried fruit compotes are useful for heartburn. 4 hours before sleep. It is better to sleep on a high pillow or with the head of the bed raised, and if heartburn breaks out in the middle of the night, get up and walk around a bit. In an upright position, it is easier for refluxate to return to its proper place.

By the way, this is why it is better to keep your posture during pregnancy: the straighter the back, the less pressure on the stomach and esophagus. For the same reason, it is better to avoid tight clothing: the abdominal organs already have a hard time, you should not put pressure on them from the outside.

In any case, the doctor conducting the pregnancy should be aware of all changes in well-being. It is he who will help you choose medications that will save you during attacks and reduce them to a minimum. You may also need to consult a specialist gastroenterologist. But it will be possible to finally cope with heartburn during pregnancy, most likely, only after childbirth.

What drugs help with heartburn

9 very early signs of pregnancy

It draws on salty and all the time I want to cry - you can find out about the onset of pregnancy before the appearance of the cherished strips on the test and the delay in menstruation. We analyze the early signs that indicate that a woman will soon become a mother.

What causes symptoms of pregnancy

The first signs of pregnancy are due to the body's reaction to the embryo and can vary significantly from woman to woman. But there are some of the most common symptoms that can be used to suspect conception even before a delay. These are nausea, which occurs more often in the morning, mood swings and increased sensitivity of the breast.

Signs of pregnancy before a delay generally resemble the manifestations of premenstrual syndrome, so girls often take them as a signal of the upcoming menstruation. Moreover, one of the typical precursors is spotting. But they are not caused by the rejection of the endometrium, as during menstruation, but by the implantation of the fetal egg into the uterus.

How to understand that you are pregnant before the delay

Pregnancy in the first days after the embryo is attached to the uterine wall is rarely clinically manifested. Changes in well-being are usually noticed only by especially sensitive women who may complain of an unstable mood or toxicosis, although the latter often appears no earlier than the second week after fertilization.

A number of experts associate the feeling of pregnancy symptoms in the first days, first of all, with a psychological factor, without excluding the role of the hCG hormone synthesized by a fertilized egg.

The vast majority of pregnant women in the first week do not observe any new sensations and feel good. Some see increased pigmentation, "freckling" of the nipples and note an increase in the sensitivity of the breast.

Possible signs of pregnancy in the early days:

• spotting from the vagina, which may be accompanied by mild pain in the lower abdomen;
• engorgement, soreness of the chest;
• fatigue, drowsiness;
• mood lability;
• delay of menstruation;
• bouts of nausea, which can provoke even smells, and not just food;
• frequent urination;
• heartburn, craving for certain foods or, conversely, aversion to any food;
• stool retention.

Pregnancy can be indicated not only by analyzes and tests, but also by some external manifestations. However, many of them are easily confused with other conditions - premenstrual syndrome, hormonal disruptions, infectious diseases. Our doctors can remotely help you interpret your symptoms and answer any questions about the normal course of your pregnancy.

Bleeding

Approximately 3 out of 10 women can find out that they are pregnant by unusual discharge and discomfort in the lower abdomen. This is nothing more than implantation bleeding that develops in the process of attaching the embryo to the uterus.

The release of blood occurs due to damage to the vessels of the endometrium, the cells of which are dissolved by the enzymes of the embryo for its successful implantation. Normally, the volume of outgoing blood does not exceed 5 ml, so the discharge is smearing in nature and has a pinkish or brownish tint.

If bleeding occurs in the first 2 weeks of gestation, a woman may mistake them for menstruation and not even realize that she had a miscarriage.

Many people think that menstruation is coming, considering hormonal failure to be the culprit, and they are very surprised to find the gasket clean the next day. Implantation lasts about 40 hours and starts 5-7 days before the start of a new cycle.

Therefore, it seems to a woman that menstruation begins ahead of time. In fact, this fertilized egg is introduced into the uterine layer on the 3rd day after ovulation. The process may be accompanied by a pulling pain in the lower abdomen of low intensity.

If you believe the reviews, at this time there is often a metallic taste in the mouth and weakness in the body.

However, no more than a third of women can determine pregnancy before a delay by implantation bleeding. But it is from this moment that physiological changes begin in the body.

Important! Bleeding as a harbinger of pregnancy should not be profuse, and the stomach should not be very painful. With severe spasms and heavy bleeding, you should consult a doctor to rule out spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) and ectopic pregnancy.

Breast engorgement and tenderness

You can understand that a girl is pregnant by the characteristic thickening and soreness of the mammary glands. Similar sensations are characteristic of PMS, but in pregnant women they are somewhat more pronounced. This is due to the sensitivity of the glandular breast tissue to any fluctuations in hormones due to its preparation for lactation.

The pain soon passes, as the body gets used to the new hormonal status. However, for many women, the breasts gradually increase, so it is better to purchase a bra one size larger than usual in advance. It is also recommended to abandon lace underwear.

Sometimes the first sign of pregnancy after conception is, on the contrary, the absence of chest pain, whereas before they always appeared before menstruation. Thus, the endocrine system can also respond to hormonal changes.

If you look closely, then at an early stage of pregnancy you can see the darkening of the nipples. Note that the signs of conception from the chest are not always primary. Sometimes the increase and soreness of the mammary glands become noticeable only in the later stages.

Easy fatigue and drowsiness

It is impossible to determine pregnancy solely by this indicator, but it is included in the list of its typical symptoms. Especially suspicious will be constant fatigue in women who have not experienced fatigue during periods of PMS before.

An annoying feeling of weakness should draw attention to itself. Girls often write about him on various forums, who early guessed about their “position” only thanks to their unusual fatigue.

Increased fatigue is due to the rapid growth of the fetus, which requires nutrition and energy. And all this is provided by the maternal organism, forced to restructure its work at a pace. Hence the lack of strength, drowsiness. If against their background there was also a delay, then you can go to the pharmacy for a test.

Case study:

A 22-year-old girl turned to a therapist with a complaint of constant fatigue that had been haunting her for the past week. Analyzes revealed an increased level of hCG, pregnancy 5.5 weeks.

Read also Why do you always want to sleep

Mood lability

You can find out about pregnancy before a delay by mood swings, which suddenly begin to change from euphoria to tears. And this can happen several times a day. However, mood swings are also characteristic of the last days of the cycle and are not always a sign of pregnancy.

The hormonal background during the luteal - the second - phase of the cycle changes twice, and the hormone progesterone has a significant effect on the female psyche: it partly suppresses emotions, but gives instability to the perception of events that quickly succeed each other.

Suppressing the depth of the mother's emotions is necessary, and nature provides for this in order to keep the child in the womb. But it takes time to adapt the psyche, so the primary signs of pregnancy often include nervousness, tearfulness, absent-mindedness. Mood swings from excellent to very bad are typical.

But if PMS is more characterized by a tendency to depression, then pregnancy is manifested precisely by mood swings without aggravating any of the two polar states.

Important! Mood swings are associated with hormonal changes in the body of a pregnant woman. This symptom usually appears 10-12-1 days after fertilization.

Delay

It is the delay in menstruation that is perhaps the most accurate symptom that a woman has become pregnant. But even here the guarantee is not one hundred percent, unless, of course, we are talking about a super regular cycle, when menstruation comes day after day.

However, even 1-2 days of delay may well be the first signs of pregnancy, so you should immediately take a test. But it is important to understand that a delay is still “officially” considered to be a delay of menstruation by 5 days or more. And here you should not completely trust home tests, since they do not always give accurate results in the early stages.

Delayed menstruation is one of the main signs of pregnancy, but it can also indicate other disorders in a woman's body. Our doctors will remotely help you deal with the symptoms and tell you what other tests you need to undergo if the pregnancy test is negative.

Attacks of nausea

Nausea haunts almost all women, 85% of pregnant women feel sick at different intervals, but most often in the morning. Nausea often turns into vomiting, especially after eating. It can haunt the entire first trimester or appear from time to time.

The cause of nausea is the reaction of the body to the embryo as to a foreign body. Moreover, in some women it occurs with enviable regularity, often at the same time, while others only slightly and occasionally feel sick.

Early signs of conception may include increased salivation due to the influence of the hormone progesterone. Most often it disturbs at night, and in the morning a woman finds a wet pillow. Salivation is often combined with vomiting.

Attention! If nausea occurs, drink enough liquid to replace the loss. You can minimize these pregnancy symptoms by eating small meals, not lying down after eating, and not gorging yourself at night.

Frequent urination

Frequent urination in a small way also often appear along with the first signs of pregnancy due to fluid retention in the body. Despite its small size, the uterus is already beginning to put pressure on the bladder.

The most important thing is not to reduce the amount of fluid you drink in order to run to the toilet less, otherwise there is a risk of dehydration!

Heartburn and new tastes

Strange desires for unusual food, eating a certain product in large quantities, aversion to any food - these are also typical symptoms of early pregnancy (and not only).

By the way, the desire to eat chalk or whitewash, lime often indicates a lack of calcium and other problems that are best addressed with a doctor.

As for heartburn, this is also the effect of progesterone, which relaxes the sphincter muscles between the stomach and esophagus. As a result, the contents of the stomach enter the esophagus, causing an unpleasant burning sensation behind the sternum.

Concomitant symptoms of pregnancy may occur in women in varying degrees. This may be a variant of the norm, but it may be a signal that the pregnancy is not proceeding quite normally. Our doctors remotely help to understand the feelings of a woman and answer any questions about the course of pregnancy.

Delay chair

And again, progesterone, which has the ability to slow down intestinal motility. It is possible to distinguish constipation during pregnancy from the “usual” one by the time of its occurrence. With PMS, intestinal problems end 3-4 days before menstruation, as the corpus luteum ceases to exist, and progesterone synthesis is completed.

If these are the first symptoms of pregnancy, then stool retention lasts longer, along with heartburn.

Attention! The risk of constipation and flatulence is increased if a woman takes iron supplements.

All symptoms in early pregnancy in one table

Women experience these sensations during pregnancy to one degree or another, but in some they are mild and may even be absent.

FAQ

Are there dizziness in early pregnancy?

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It happens because of a decrease in blood pressure, which in pregnant women especially often decreases in the first months. The head may feel dizzy with a sudden movement or change of position.

When is the best time to take a pregnancy test?

+

Manufacturers advise using tests from the first day of a delay, but some ultra-sensitive systems are able to recognize signs of pregnancy before a missed period, 3-4 days in advance.

When can I go for an ultrasound?

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The earliest period at which the embryo is visible is 5 obstetric weeks. That is, these 5 weeks must pass from the beginning of the last menstruation, counting from the first day. Simply put, you should go for an ultrasound no earlier than a week after the delay.

Why do pregnant women often have headaches?

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Headaches are more often noted in the early stages, and they are mainly associated with hormonal changes.

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