Increased saliva during pregnancy may be caused by hormonal changes and stomach acid symptoms. Hormonal fluctuations can cause temporary increases, while some women may just be more aware of their saliva. Gastrointestinal changes can also contribute, with heartburn causing the body to produce more saliva to reduce discomfort.
Scientists aren’t sure of the exact causes of increased saliva during pregnancy. There is, however, evidence to suggest that increased saliva production may occur due to hormonal changes related to pregnancy. Pregnancy symptoms involving stomach acids can also contribute. Also, some pregnant women may think their bodies are producing more saliva when, in reality, they are just dealing with it more.
Fluctuations in hormones like estrogen and progesterone, for example, can cause a woman to produce more saliva while expecting a baby. However, the effect of hormonal changes on saliva production is usually only temporary. Some women find it worse in the first three months of pregnancy, when hormonal fluctuations are more prevalent, or during the last trimester, when the growing uterus crowds other abdominal organs.
In some situations, a woman’s saliva production stays the same, but she feels like it has increased because she’s been paying more attention to it. For example, a woman dealing with morning sickness may spend a lot of time feeling nauseous and wondering if she’s going to vomit. This can make you more aware of the sensation of saliva in your mouth. In fact, some women even find that noticing the presence of saliva makes nausea worse. Additionally, women who experience severe morning sickness, also known as hyperemesis gravidarum, are more likely to report excess saliva during pregnancy.
A woman may also have this problem when she avoids swallowing. Some women find that swallowing makes them feel more nauseous or can even lead to a vomiting episode. To deal with this, some women try to swallow less saliva during pregnancy, which makes them feel like they are producing too much. They sometimes spit out saliva, and while that may seem like a lot, most people produce about a gallon or two (0.94 to 1.89 liters) of saliva a day, even when they’re not pregnant.
Gastrointestinal changes can also cause increased saliva production while a woman is pregnant. For example, heartburn occurs when the acidic contents of a person’s stomach leak into the esophagus. The acid causes a burning sensation in the throat and chest in the affected person. As a result of the acid, the body stimulates the production of more saliva and increases the bicarbonate content of the saliva. Since baking soda is alkaline and the opposite of acidic, it helps reduce the discomfort caused by heartburn.
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