Heartburn in pregnancy: causes and treatment

If in the first trimester, the pregnant woman is faced with toxicosis, then in the second and third, she has heartburn. About 75% of women complain of discomfort in the stomach and esophagus. Unpleasant symptoms are not the norm. They worsen the appetite and well-being of the future mother, so she must fight the burning with folk methods. And if the available tools do not save from heartburn, you should consult a doctor and pick up safe drugs that do not affect the development of the fetus.

Changing food habits

Not all women who see the second strip on the test have a strange craving for incompatible products. But sometimes a young mother wants to eat a jar of pickled cucumbers and eat a cake with butter cream, drink everything with sweet soda or a cup of strong coffee. Pregnant women forget that due to hormonal changes in the body increases the concentration of progesterone. The main task of the hormone is to prepare the uterus for the attachment and bearing of the fetus.But the substance affects not only the internal genitals, but also the stomach, forcing it to produce more hydrochloric acid.

Spicy and sour dishes also stimulate the production of digestive enzymes. Like fast food, coffee, fried foods and hot spices. If heartburn occurs in the first and second trimester, when the uterus is not too enlarged, then the unbalanced diet of the pregnant woman is to blame.

Reduce discomfort can cereal, dietary meat and fish. But products must be steamed or baked in the oven. With a burning sensation in the stomach area, it is recommended to give up citruses, not even to drink tea with lemon. Oranges and grapefruits are replaced by sweet apples and pears, as well as bananas, which envelop the walls of the digestive tract and soothe inflammation.

Natural and instant coffee is contraindicated for heartburn. If the expectant mother really wants to drink a cup of invigorating drink, it is worth adding a lot of milk. The component neutralizes part of hydrochloric acid and reduces the likelihood of discomfort.

Pregnant women are advised to exclude marinades from the menu. But some women find it difficult to refuse pickled cucumber or sauerkraut.If the body requires something tasty, even in spite of heartburn, harmful products should be combined with cereals and boiled meat. And do not drink a snack with water or other liquid.

Fast food not only provokes a burning sensation in the stomach, but also negatively affects the mother's state of health. Pregnant women should reduce the consumption of hot dogs, french fries, hamburgers and frozen meatballs to 1-2 times a week. Forbidden food is better to eat in the morning, so that she has time to digest, and the expectant mother did not turn over in bed at night because of heartburn and a feeling of heaviness.

Sour-milk drinks are useful for women who are waiting for a child. They are rich in calcium, which is involved in the structure of the bone system of the fetus. But kefir, yogurt and even cottage cheese dishes can increase the concentration of digestive enzymes and cause heartburn. If after each serving of ryazhenka a pregnant woman has unpleasant symptoms, fermented milk products are replaced with other sources of calcium. For example, broccoli or hard cheeses.

Valve problems

In the place where the esophagus connects to the stomach, the sphincter is located.It resembles a small valve. In an ordinary person, this septum opens when the chewed food enters the digestive tract. And it closes so that hydrochloric acid does not go outside. But for pregnant women, things work a little differently because of the high progesterone concentration.

The main task of the hormone is to relax the walls of the uterus, because with strong contractions a miscarriage can occur. But the substance affects the muscles of the stomach. They become more lethargic, and the sphincter does not cope with its functions. The valve periodically opens in the opposite direction, and hydrochloric acid falls on the walls of the esophagus, causing irritation and burning.

Not only the septum relaxes, but also the walls of the stomach and intestines. Foods move along the digestive tract more slowly. Food processing is delayed, so heartburn is complemented by flatulence and frustration.

How to help pregnant? The level of progesterone will decrease only by 8–9 months a few weeks before giving birth, therefore, digestion is normalized after the baby is born. A woman can come to terms with changes in the body and adjust.To prevent heartburn, you must follow a few recommendations:

1. Do not overeat before bedtime. In a horizontal position, the sphincter is harder to restrain undigested food. You need to go to bed with a half-empty stomach. Under the head and back to put a few pillows, lifting the body.
2. There is one, not two. Some mothers believe that during pregnancy you need to increase the size of servings, but this is wrong. Because of the large volume of food, the stomach is stretched, and the weakened sphincter cannot cope with so many products. Undigested residues mixed with hydrochloric acid, get back into the esophagus, injuring its walls.
3. Take three-hour breaks between snacks. If a woman decided to cook meat, fish or eggs, then the stomach will need 4-5 hours to digest. Protein food moves along the digestive tract more slowly than cereals and vegetables.
4. Fruits are consumed separately from other products. They are quickly digested, but when mixed with meat, cereals or eggs, they provoke fermentation and swelling.
5. The stomach is easier to handle with small portions.At one time, a pregnant woman should eat only 100–150 g of the selected dish. But so that the woman does not experience severe hunger, she is advised to eat as often as possible.

Homemade jelly from sweet fruits and berries can reduce discomfort. Corn or potato starch, which is part of the drink, envelops the walls of the stomach and protects against hydrochloric acid.

Big belly

The risk of heartburn increases in the third trimester. The child grows, and the uterus increases and puts pressure on the digestive organs. It becomes even harder for the sphincter to retain the contents of the stomach. During this period, discomfort appears not only after snacking, but also when a woman assumes a horizontal position.

A young mother tired of heartburn is advised to wear loose clothing that does not squeeze the waist and the solar plexus area. Sleeping in a half-sitting posture on the back, it is advisable not to roll over on its side. Antispasmodics are contraindicated, because they relax the esophageal sphincter.

If heartburn attacks last for 3-4 hours, hazelnuts, almonds or fresh carrots will help the pregnant woman.Discomfort sensations reduce pumpkin seeds, but they must be raw, dried in the oven. Fried varieties only increase unpleasant symptoms.

Oat flakes have enveloping properties. The dish can be served for breakfast with nuts or dried ginger powder. Before going to bed, the future mother is advised to drink warm milk with 2-3 drops of fennel oil. Only need to buy a proven and quality product. And take the drink in small sips, without adding honey, jam or sugar.

In the second and third trimester, boiled beets and prunes appear in the diet of a woman. Dried fruits are soaked in boiling water for several hours, so that they swell and become softer. These products accelerate metabolic processes and prevent constipation, so food does not stagnate in the intestines and stomach. Light beetroot salads with garlic and vegetable oil are made from beets. And prunes are added to porridge or eaten instead of sandwiches and chips.

To prevent food from stagnating in the stomach, after the next snack, a woman is advised to stand or walk slowly around the room for 10–15 minutes. When a young mother sits down or lies down, the uterus rests against the digestive organs and constricts the intestines.Particles of food and hydrochloric acid can not move down, therefore they rest against the sphincter and burst out into the esophagus, causing heartburn.

Squeezed stomach in the third trimester is difficult to digest raw fruits and vegetables, so they are subjected to heat treatment. Cook, cook diet stew and bake in the oven. And then interrupted in a blender, because mashed potatoes are absorbed much faster. In a similar way cooked fish or meat.

Between meals, drink non-carbonated water. At bedtime, put biscuits on the bedside table. It quickly calms nightly bouts of heartburn. Pregnant women are also advised to lean less and always keep their backs straight, because when a woman slouches, the pressure on the digestive organs increases.

Folk and pharmacy assistants

Not all expectant mothers manage to cope with unpleasant symptoms with the help of proper nutrition and galetny cookies. Sometimes you have to take drugs that remove uncomfortable sensations. To prevent heartburn medicine from harming a child, it’s worth buying varieties that are not absorbed into the blood:

• Taltsid;
• Almagel;
• Maalox.

Rennie is allowed on the first and second trimester, but it is contraindicated in the third. The product contains calcium. Mineral accumulates in the mother's body with frequent use of the drug and causes ossification of the fetus.

Heartburn medication is an extreme method. Tablets and solutions wash out vitamins and microelements from the body of the future mother. And some varieties cause constipation. Funds with magnesium and even normalize the work of the intestine, but a negative effect on the child.

Doctors do not recommend treating heartburn with soda. Yes, a dietary supplement soothes burning for several hours, but at the same time stimulates the production of digestive enzymes. Gradually, the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the stomach increases, and the state of health of the pregnant woman worsens. In addition, soda causes swelling.

Burning and flatulence removed flax seeds. A handful of dried raw materials is poured over a cup of boiling water and insist on low heat for 15–20 minutes to make thick jelly. The drug envelops the stomach wall, protecting against irritation, and stimulates intestinal motility, preventing constipation.

If heartburn occurred due to a stagnation of feces, pregnant women should drink 1 tbsp. lsunflower or vegetable oil. The product has soothing and mild laxative properties. Chocolate copes with unpleasant symptoms. A piece of dessert is advised to eat an hour after eating.

With frequent heartburn, it is recommended to take potato broth. Peeled tubers are brought to readiness in lightly salted water. The liquid is poured into a can and drink 100-200 ml in the morning and evening.

Pregnant women can treat heartburn with the right diet and popular methods. But before taking herbal tinctures and pharmaceutical preparations, you should consult with a gynecologist. And if the symptoms can not be removed at home, you should sign up for a gastroenterologist. Sometimes the burning and severity is not due to hormonal alteration of the body, but due to exacerbation of diseases of the digestive tract or liver.

Video: how to get rid of heartburn during pregnancy