Heartburn during pregnancy. How to deal with it?

In the second half of pregnancy, many expectant mothers experience unpleasant burning sensation in the esophagus. It appears after some time after eating or after physical exertion. Quite an unpleasant sensation. This is how heartburn manifests during pregnancy. It affects about 50% of women in the 2nd and 3rd trimester.

Why does heartburn occur? Under the action of hormones (estrogen, progesterone), the muscles that close the entrance to the stomach begin to relax and get worse from their duties. As a result, the acid content of the stomach often enters the esophagus, irritates the mucous membrane, thereby provoking a burning sensation, perceived as heartburn during pregnancy. The longer the period, the more often and more pronounced burning in the esophagus. With each week, the uterus becomes larger, it presses on the stomach, causing its contents to enter the esophagus.

There are ways that help to cope or minimize such trouble as heartburn in pregnant women. How to get rid of a burning sensation in the esophagus and not hurt the baby? Of course, you can stock up on special medications, but it's better to avoid heartburn. First of all, it is necessary to limit yourself to the consumption of certain foods and adhere to special rules:

- refuse from fatty, canned, smoked, fried, hot, spicy. These dishes provoke the formation of more acid in the stomach;

- Do not eat too acidic vegetables, berries, fruits, juices from them. At the same time, vegetables should be eaten in boiled form, but rather made of mashed potatoes. Baked fruit is much less likely to cause heartburn;

- abandon strong tea, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, carbonated drinks;

- to exclude fat kinds of meat, fish;

- do not add to the dishes a variety of spicy seasonings and sauces;

- remove from the diet vegetables that are rich in fiber. This is black bread, cabbage, radish, radish, onion;

- do not eat large portions at once, it is better to divide into smaller ones;

- thoroughly chew food. Thus, it is much quicker to digest and for this you will need much less gastric juice, which causes unpleasant heartburn;

- Do not eat right before sleep. Last meal at least for an hour or two hours;

- after each meal, not at least half an hour.

Other practical tips:

- Heartburn during pregnancy can appear from frequent inclinations. The fact is that when the future mother bends, the contents of her stomach partially enter the esophagus. Therefore, it is necessary to refuse washing the floors, hand washing and any cases related to slopes;

- In case of severe burning, even sleeping is recommended in a semi-lying position. This can be arranged by placing under the head and back another pillow;

- Do not wear crushing and tight clothes.

Many believe that soda is the best remedy for heartburn during pregnancy. Relief, of course, comes, but it is only temporary. Soda, interacting with gastric juice, forms carbon dioxide, which gradually provokes an even greater production of acid, and heartburn manifests with a doubled force. And if you consider that a woman is in a position, then soda is also harmful. Its excess provokes the appearance of puffiness.

If all of the above methods have not helped, and heartburn during pregnancy does not go away, you need to inform the observing gynecologist or a therapist. Perhaps, the woman will be sent for examination to the gastroenterologist for the exclusion of diseases of the digestive system.

Most often, it's just a matter of simply prescribing medicines that are designed to be taken during pregnancy. For example, Reni, Maalox and others. They neutralize the acid in the stomach and at the same time they are not absorbed, but are eliminated from the body naturally.