Dealing with GERD During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period

Managing GERD During Pregnancy and the Post-Partum Period

This goes without saying, but this post is not intended to be medical advice and is merely a retelling o fmy experience to the best of my recollection.

GERD is a condition similar to acid reflux, where stomach acid moves up the esophagus and feels extremely uncomfortable. I had GERD for about 2 years, a few years ago, and it took a lot of work and massive changes to my personal life and daily lifestyle to get it under control. Fortunately, I never had to take PPI’s. I was in a good place with my acid reflux issues before getting pregnant, and went most nights without experiencing the rattling effects of GERD. I worried that GERD would return once I became pregnant because heartburn and acid reflux are common side effects of pregnancy. I pulled out some of my tools from my GERD recovery period to help mitigate the situation; remaining upright for 3 hours after eating, not going to sleep right after eating, sleeping on an incline. To my surprise, I only experienced GERD flare-ups twice during the whole 9 months, despite experiencing heartburn and mild acid reflux more often towards the third trimester.

I worried that GERD would negatively impact my growing fetus because my heart rate becomes so elevated when I wake up choking in the night, but my doctor assured me that these rare flares were not something to worry about. I also found myself drinking fewer cups of acidic coffee and tea, and eliminating alcohol entirely, for the health of my baby, which in turn put less stress on my stomach and esophagus. I did the candida control diet for a good chunk of my pregnancy in order to moderate my eczema, which was beneficial for my overall gut health and settling my stomach. Maintaining the candida control diet was a true test of willpower as I could have happily buried my face in a loaf of bread each day, but knew that I would suffer the consequences of eczema and, potentially, a GERD flare up later.

The management strategy that I found most difficult to stick to for the full 9 months was not eating for 3 hours before bed. As my tummy grew, so too did my appetite, and I found myself needing 5 or 6 meals a day. Despite eating late at night multiple times later in the pregnancy, this didn’t cause acid reflux or GERD.

GERD became more of an issue for me in the fourth trimester, or the postpartum period. As my ab muscles migrated back together and my eating habits became more sporadic, I found it difficult to use the tools I had so easily whipped out during pregnancy. Every morning after caring for a newborn all night, I would chug a big cup of coffee and maybe have a couple more throughout the day to keep me going. I was putting added stress on my abs by side feeding baby in such a way that I had to clench my ab muscles to keep myself stabilized (this was due to my perineal stitches healing and being too tender to feed sitting upright). I was not able to sit upright at all for the first 6 weeks, and for two weeks after that I would sit upright but only for very short periods of time. I was laying down way more than usual and often laying down immediately after eating. I had a hard time laying on an incline because I had injured my tailbone, so I was always lying flat. When baby would hit the witching hour I found it very stressful because I couldn’t do anything to make him happy and calm, and I would feel my stomach bubbling up with frustration at myself for not being able to help him. GERD started to become a regular occurrence again, and I began dreading bedtime.

My husband and I often bedshare with our baby son who likes to cuddle up to my armpit. I worried that I would wake up flailing from GERD and smack him in the face - though fortunately this has not happened. To prevent this, I started sleeping on an incline again, and not sleeping as heavily when he is in our bed so that I am more alert. Baby Rapini is now 4 months old and has more of a daily schedule, so I have been able to eat at more regulated times and allow myself time to digest before heading to bed. I can also sit upright normally and without any complication - a huge win!

As I settled into my new role as mommy, I became more comfortable with certain elements of parenthood; babies cry during the witching hour no matter what you do and ultimately if you are holding and comforting them through the crying, that is what matters. The house will always be a mess during the first 3 months unless you allow someone else to help you clean. Likewise for laundry. Accepting these truths allowed me to take pressure off myself and my performance as a new mommy. Reducing stress is a big factor for my personal GERD management.

Just like I did in 2018, when my experience with GERD was at its worst, I accepted that patience is a key ingredient to returning to homeostasis. Gut healing is not something that can be rushed, and in my case is usually the result of both physical and mental factors.

What to read next:

• The Most Unexpected Sources of Allergens I Found in Baby Products

• The Best Investments I Made Towards Having an Empowered Pregnancy and Birth Experience

• How I Managed Crazy Eczema Flare-Ups During Pregnancy And Post-Partum

• My Journey Through Pregnancy As An Adult With Anaphylactic Food Allergies

• Dealing With Food Allergies, And Anxiety During Pregnancy And The Postpartum Period

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