Heartburn a burning sensation in the middle of your chest or upper digestive tract is another common ailment. It happens because progesterone



• relaxes the muscle that is responsible for controlling the opening at the top of the stomach and



• causes the stomach to empty more slowly so that as many nutrients as possible are absorbed from the food eaten



Some tips on preventing heartburn:



• Avoid fatty and greasy foods, carbonated drinks, processed meat and junk food



• Eat slowly. The more slowly you eat the more time the enzymes in your saliva have to break down the food before it reaches your stomach



• Eat less. Heartburn is more likely to flare up if you overfill your stomach, particularly an overload of carbohydrates



• Don't eat too close to bedtime



• Avoid lying flat on your back when you are resting or sleeping because this will only intensify your heartburn. Try propping yourself up with pillows



• If heartburn is a pushy concern with you, check with your doctor on antacids



• More on Heartburn during pregnancy