Burping During Pregnancy – Is It Normal?

If you are constantly burping during pregnancy, then you might wonder if it is one of the unwanted symptoms of pregnancy. You must be well-acquainted with the other common pregnancy symptoms, such as morning sickness, back pain, breathlessness, fatigue, etc. But what about pregnant burping? Is it common to burp frequently during pregnancy? While we know burping is totally a natural process, it’s a bit of a social gaff, too. And, when perfectly timed in public, it becomes memorably embarrassing. Let’s find out whether burping during pregnancy is an odd sign or not and how to minimise it without any medical intervention.

Is It Common to Burp During Pregnancy?

Among the numerous symptoms of pregnancy, you may not have heard of burping, but it is rather common. If you are burping more than usual during pregnancy, it is because of your pregnancy hormones. The hormonal changes in your body can increase the proportion of gas in the stomach and the intestine. As your eating habits change, you may also experience morning sickness and excess saliva. The stress of pregnancy can also put the body in a different zone altogether, making burping an unintended consequence of it.

Causes of Burping While Pregnant

The frequency of sour burps during pregnancy is generally high. The main cause of burping is the hormone progesterone, which is secreted during pregnancy. This hormone relaxes the lower oesophagal sphincter, letting the acid to enter the oesophagus easily, which further leads to acidity and burping. Slow digestion process and intestinal movements also aggravate the problem.

Some Other Symptoms Associated With Burping

If you are constantly burping during pregnancy, you may also notice some other symptoms too, such as:

• You may feel full, and that feeling of fullness reaches your throat
• You may feel bloated
• You will have nausea accompanied by instances of heartburn

Most of these signs are strongest in the initial months of pregnancy, which is when the burps tend to be at their highest frequency, too.

How to Stop Burping While Pregnant

Burping at night during pregnancy can disturb your sleep, and you might wake up the next day on the wrong side of the bed. If burping is keeping you awake, there are ways to prevent it. Read on to know how you can keep your pregnancy burps in check and reduce their frequencies to a bare minimum.

1. Sleep Properly

While pregnant, it is important that you get a deep sleep, and for that, you must sleep in the right posture. Maintaining the right posture while sleeping can help lower the tendency to burp at night. Lie down on your left side, either by bending your legs or tucking them together. Such a position is conducive to digestion and can help your stomach process the food easily at night and prevent the formation of gas.

2. Exercise Regularly

You don’t need to run around and lift weights during pregnancy; performing light exercises regularly can go a long way in keeping your digestive system in a proper condition. When you indulge in physical activity, it will release various chemicals in your body, which will stimulate different parts of your body and enhance your working. Simple activities such as washing utensils or drying clothes can also do the trick!

3. Stay Calm

Your physical well-being, particularly gastrointestinal health, depends significantly on your mental health. Any presence of tension or anxiety can disturb the balance of chemicals in the stomach, causing indigestion or increased production of gases. Hence, it is important that you do some light exercises or practice meditation or simple yoga. It will help maintain mental peace and keep your body functioning in optimal condition.

4. Stop Smoking and Drinking

If you smoke or drink, it is about time to stop if you are pregnant. Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol should be instinctively avoided once you find out that you are pregnant or even when you are trying to get pregnant. Drinking and smoking can affect your health as well as your baby’s health, so they are best avoided. Furthermore, smoking and drinking increase the chances of swallowing air alone with it, which can lead to burping. So, it is best to avoid them.

5. Swallow Liquids Slowly

Swallowing liquids slowly can lower the frequency of burps during pregnancy. Many people are into the habit of drinking directly from a bottle, but it is wrong. Drinking water through a bottle without it touching your mouth can increase your chances of taking in more air with the liquid that stays trapped in the stomach. Whenever you drink water, drink it from a cup or glass, slowly and gradually, while sitting straight.

6. Chew Your Food Slowly

While pregnant, try and enjoy your meals. The stress of pregnancy could cause you to eat your food quickly and swallow it rapidly, which will increase the chances of indigestion and the formation of gas. So, eat your food slowly and do not talk while eating. Also, take a light stroll after you are done to stimulate the digestion process.

7.  Do Not Drink Aerated Beverages

The chances of burping increase when you gulp down your favourite carbonated drinks. Aerated beverages contain carbon dioxide and caffeine in high amounts, which is not healthy for a pregnant woman. So coffee, tea, cola drinks, etc., are best avoided during pregnancy. You can drink water and fresh juices to keep yourself hydrated. If you want to drink tea, opt for herbal teas, as they can relax your body and provide various health benefits to you.

8. Avoid Eating Gassy Foods

Even if you take all the precautions to reduce the intake of air or other reasons for burping, there are certain food items that will result in an increased production of gas. This is due to the nature of their constitution. Cabbage, asparagus, broccoli and even various sugar-free products contain substances that lead to the formation of gas within the body. Fried products are next in line, and their overconsumption could lead to heartburn. So, keep their consumption to a minimum.

9. Have Small But Frequent Meals

A lot of food consumed in one go can increase the load on the stomach and increase the chances of indigestion or slow down the digestive processes. All of these work in tandem in creating gas within your body and increasing the burping frequency. Switch the traditional three-meal structure to a six-meal one. This will keep you full and curb unwanted cravings, and reduce the chances of experiencing the unwanted effects of indigestion.

10. Take Antacids

Antacids can provide relief from burping, too, so you can take them if you don’t feel better after trying other remedies. However, take them under medical supervision.

When to Consult a Doctor

You don’t need to consult a doctor if you are pregnant burping more often than usual for a day or two. It could be a one-off incident because of a particular food that you ate. Make sure that your diet continues with everything nutritious, and you should be fine. However, if this problem of burping is getting beyond control and you experience heartburn and indigestion, you should consult your doctor. She will guide you the best! She might suggest a few options to calm you down and even check for any other conditions that might be causing it.

FAQs

1. Why Do I Burp So Much in the Second Trimester?

In the second trimester, as the baby’s size increases, it starts taking more space in your belly and presses down on or lifts up some of the organs, which eventually leads to a slower digestive system. Now because the food is broken down at a slower speed than usual, it builds up gas, which causes burping. That is why you may find yourself burping a lot while pregnant than when you were not pregnant.

Burping in pregnancy is very common, but we know it can be troublesome. However, the problem should resolve on its own. You can follow the above-mentioned tips to prevent yourself from burping. These tips should help keep you in the pink of health throughout your pregnancy.

Also Read: Constipation in Pregnancy