Heartburn during pregnancy: causes and treatment

If in the first trimester a pregnant woman is faced with toxicosis, then in the second and third trimester she develops 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 burning with folk methods. And if the improvised means do not save you from heartburn, you should consult a doctor and choose safe drugs that do not affect the development of the fetus.

Change in eating 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 can of pickles and have a cake with butter cream, drink it all with sweet soda or a cup of strong coffee. Pregnant women forget that due to hormonal changes in the body, the concentration of progesterone increases. The main task of the hormone is to prepare the uterus for attachment and bearing of the fetus. But the substance affects not only the internal genital organs, but also the stomach, forcing it to produce more hydrochloric acid.

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

Porridge, dietary meat and fish can reduce discomfort. But the products must be steamed or in the oven. When burning in the stomach, it is recommended to abandon citrus fruits, do not even drink tea with lemon. Oranges and grapefruits are replaced with 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 in heartburn. If the expectant mother really wants to drink a cup of an invigorating drink, it is worth adding a lot of milk to it. The component neutralizes part of the 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 give up pickles or sauerkraut. If the body requires something tasty, even despite heartburn, harmful foods should be combined with cereals and boiled meat. And do not drink the snack with water or other liquid.

Fast food not only provokes a burning sensation in the stomach, but also negatively affects the well-being of the mother. Pregnant women should reduce the consumption of hot dogs, french fries, hamburgers and frozen meatballs to 1-2 times a week. It is better to eat forbidden food in the morning, so that she can digest, and the expectant mother does not toss and turn in bed at night due to heartburn and a feeling of heaviness.

Sour-milk drinks are useful for women expecting a baby. They are rich in calcium, which is involved in the structure of the skeletal system of the fetus. But yogurt, yogurt and even cottage cheese dishes can increase the concentration of digestive enzymes and cause heartburn. If a pregnant woman develops unpleasant symptoms after each serving of fermented baked milk, dairy products are replaced by 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. For an ordinary person, this septum opens when chewed food enters the digestive tract. And it closes so that hydrochloric acid does not go outside.But in pregnant women, everything works a little differently due to the high concentration of progesterone.

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 also 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 enters the walls of the esophagus, causing irritation and burning.

Not only the septum is relaxed, but also the walls of the stomach and intestines. Foods move along the digestive tract more slowly. The process of processing food is delayed, so heartburn is supplemented by flatulence and frustration.

How to help a pregnant woman? The level of progesterone will decrease only by 8–9 months a few weeks before birth, so digestion normalizes after the baby is born. A woman can come to terms with changes in the body and adjust. For the prevention of heartburn, several recommendations must be observed:

1. Do not overeat before bedtime. In horizontal position, the sphincter is harder to restrain undigested food. You need to go to bed with a half-empty stomach. Lay several pillows under the head and back, lifting the body.
2. There is one, not two. Some mothers believe that during pregnancy you need to increase the portion sizes, but this is wrong. The stomach is stretched due to the large volume of food, and the weakened sphincter can not cope with so many products. Undigested residues mixed with hydrochloric acid enter 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 foods move more slowly through the digestive tract 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 bloating.
5. The stomach is easier to handle in small portions. At one time, the pregnant woman should eat only 100-150 g of the selected dish. But so that a woman does not experience severe hunger, she is advised to have a snack as often as possible.

To reduce the discomfort, homemade jelly made from sweet fruits and berries can. 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 rises in the third trimester. The child grows, and the uterus grows and presses on the digestive organs. The sphincter is even more difficult to retain the contents of the stomach. During this period, uncomfortable sensations appear not only after snacking, but also when a woman takes a horizontal position.

A young mother who is tired of heartburn is advised to wear loose clothing that does not compress her waist and solar plexus. Sleep in a semi-sitting posture on your back, it is advisable not to roll over on your side. Antispasmodics are contraindicated, because they relax the esophagus sphincter.

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

Oatmeal has enveloping properties. Breakfast can be served with nuts or dried ginger powder. Before going to bed, the expectant 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 a drink in small sips without adding honey, jam or sugar.

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

To prevent food from stagnating in the stomach, after another 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 on the digestive organs and constricts the intestines. Particles of products and hydrochloric acid can not move down, so they rest against the sphincter and burst out into the esophagus, causing heartburn.

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

Between meals, you need to drink still water. Before going to bed, put biscuit cookies on the bedside table. It quickly calms nightly attacks of heartburn. The pregnant woman is also advised to lean less and always keep her back straight, because when a woman stoops, pressure on the digestive organs increases.

People and pharmacy assistants

Not all expectant mothers manage to cope with unpleasant symptoms with the help of proper nutrition and biscuit cookies. Sometimes you have to take medications that remove discomfort. So that the medicine for heartburn does not harm the child, it is worth buying varieties that are not absorbed into the blood:

• Taltsid;
• Almagel;
• Maalox.

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

Medication for heartburn is an extreme method. Tablets and solutions wash out vitamins and minerals from the body of a future mother. And some varieties cause constipation. Means with magnesium, although they normalize the intestines, but adversely affect the child.

Doctors do not recommend treating heartburn with soda. Yes, the food supplement calms the burning sensation for several hours, but at the same time stimulates the production of digestive enzymes. Gradually, the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the stomach rises, and the pregnant woman feels worse. In addition, soda causes swelling.

Burning and flatulence are cleaned with flax seeds. A handful of dried raw materials is poured with a cup of boiling water and insisted on a small fire for 15–20 minutes to make a thick jelly. The medicine envelops the walls of the stomach, protecting against irritation, and stimulates intestinal motility, preventing constipation.

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

With frequent heartburn, they recommend taking a potato broth. Peeled tubers are cooked in slightly salted water. The liquid is poured into a jar and drunk 100-200 ml in the morning and evening.

Pregnant women can treat heartburn with the right diet and alternative methods. But before taking herbal tinctures and pharmaceuticals, you need to consult a gynecologist. And if the symptoms cannot be removed at home, it is worth signing up to a gastroenterologist. Sometimes burning and heaviness does not appear due to hormonal changes in the body, but because of exacerbation of diseases of the digestive tract or liver.

Video: how to get rid of heartburn during pregnancy