Frequent heartburn during pregnancy - what to do?

The phenomenon is quite frequent and even regular - heartburn during pregnancy. More than 75% of women suffer from heartburn during the gestation period, and fits of burning in the esophagus can accompany a woman almost the entire pregnancy.

Harm to the future baby is an unpleasant disease, fortunately, does not bring, but this does not mean that it is not necessary to fight with heartburn. There are many safe methods to remove heartburn.

Symptoms of heartburn and its causes

Many pregnant women suffer from discomfort in the morning or after eating. Often these sensations are expressed by a burning sensation in the area of ​​the stomach. This means the appearance of heartburn.

Here are the main symptoms of heartburn during pregnancy:

• burning in the stomach;
• burning sensation in the sternum( in the esophagus);
• sourish belching;
• is a sour, unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth.

All these symptoms indicate that there is a transfer of acid into the esophagus from the stomach. Gastric juice irritates the delicate walls of the esophagus, and as a result, heartburn begins. Why do women often suffer from heartburn during pregnancy, why does heartburn occur?

In the first two trimesters, the transfer of acid into the esophagus is associated with the hormonal rearrangement of the whole organism.

The fact is that the sphincter separating the stomach and esophagus and protecting the latter from the effects of acid is a smooth muscle.

To preserve the fetus, the female body secretes a progesterone hormone that relaxes the uterus and other smooth muscle organs.

For the uterus, this relaxation is very important, because it prevents unnecessary contractions. But the sphincter begins to cope worse with its task, so gastric juice enters the esophagus, and heartburn may occur.

In late pregnancy, the level of progesterone is somewhat reduced, but there is another factor provoking heartburn.

Uterus, increasing in size, squeezes all internal organs, including the stomach. From this, the secretion and work of the stomach as a whole is violated, the acid level rises, so heartburn may begin in the last trimester.

The reason why pregnant women often have problems with high acidity of the stomach may become special eating habits - a pregnant woman begins to desire unusual for herself and her body food.

For example, there may be a desire to constantly consume acute or acidic foods that irritate the esophagus and stomach.

Whatever the cause of burning in the stomach during pregnancy, it is important to remember that it helps from heartburn a number of products and means that do not have a negative impact on the baby and his mother.

If possible, consult a physician and choose the most appropriate remedy for rapid elimination of stomach problems.

Heartburn Diet

If severe heartburn occurs during pregnancy, what should I do first? It is best to start with a special diet that will help the gastrointestinal tract adjust the acid balance itself. In addition, the diet will help maintain a sense of comfort, which is very important for pregnant women.

The diet should begin with making meals small and frequent in volume. Eat should be at intervals of about 2 hours, and after meals can not engage in activities or take a horizontal position.

It is best after a meal to sit in a comfortable position for 15 to 20 minutes, so that the digestive organs calmly do their work. It is not recommended to eat in a hurry, in a dry place, standing or lying down, so as not to overload the stomach.

From the diet it is desirable to exclude the following dishes:

• fried, smoked food, sausages;
• greasy food;
• spicy products and spices;
• pork and lamb( that is fatty meat);
• homemade pickles and marinades( or eat in very moderate amounts);
• buns, white bread;
• sour fruits and vegetables( tomatoes, green apples, citrus fruits);
• fizzy, too sweet drinks;
• strong coffee and strong tea.

You can not drink immediately before meals, because the liquid is washing away the gastric juice, and when eating it, too much of it starts to be produced.

You can not drink and after meals - it's better to wait 20 to 30 minutes. It's recommended to add mineral water without gas, milk, sour-milk products( low-fat kefir, bio-yogurt, yogurt) in order to better treat heartburn.

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In general, a woman during pregnancy should carefully monitor the reaction of her body to every new dish.

If after eating unusual food there is an unpleasant sensation in the stomach or intestines, then you need to give up this food before the end of pregnancy.

If a pregnant woman has not quit smoking, then it is now absolutely necessary. Tobacco smoke enters the esophagus in small quantities and violates its protective function.

In addition, smoking has a very negative effect on the development and health of the baby's future, so the rejection of this harmful habit should occur immediately after conception.

Means against heartburn during pregnancy

Since getting rid of heartburn during pregnancy is quite problematic due to the large number of contraindications, it will be more correct to resort to simple home remedies in order not to harm the future child.

To stop and prevent the occurrence of heartburn, you can use improvised means: food and drinks.

You can remove sudden heartburn attacks with ordinary warm milk. To drink it it is necessary at the first feeling of a burning sensation in small measured sips.

Protein, contained in milk, neutralizes acid in the stomach and flushes it from the walls of the esophagus, thereby removing discomfort.

Often from heartburn during pregnancy, nuts help: walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts. It is enough just to thoroughly chew a small number of kernels of nuts and swallow saliva.

Some pregnant women are helped by raw pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. Important: in no case for heartburn can not eat fried nuts and seeds.

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A good remedy for preventing burning in the stomach is ginger. You can chew a small piece of ginger on an empty stomach.

If it seems too sharp, you can brew compote from this root or add a few slices to a weak tea.

When severe heartburn occurs during pregnancy, you can eliminate burning bouts of carrot or potato juice.

Raw potatoes or carrots are cleaned, rubbed on a fine grater and juice is squeezed out of the resulting gruel. This juice, which quickly helps with severe burning in the stomach, is drunk immediately after preparation.

These products are not recommended for their individual intolerance and renal failure.

The first manifestation of heartburn during pregnancy eliminates oatmeal. They can simply be chewed without swallowing, and heartburn recedes.

From the flakes you can weld a jelly, which will protect against the formation of excessive amounts of gastric juice.

In addition, a good help is provided by a viscous rice decoction - for this, a small amount of rice cereal is cooked in unsalted water, then the liquid is decanted, cooled and drunk several sips during the day.

Heartburn in pregnant women is often seen at night. To avoid this, it is recommended to sleep on the back, putting several pillows under the head and back.

The elevation of the upper body will protect the esophagus from ingestion of gastric juice. The position "on the side" makes all the internal organs flex, so it is better to abandon it or use special pillows for pregnant women.

An important point in the fight against heartburn during pregnancy is the absence of stress and nervous disorders. You need to learn not to worry about trifles, to be able to relax.

It is recommended to spend a lot of time for quiet activities: reading, listening to music, handicrafts, walks( if they are allowed by a doctor).The guarantee of a happy pregnancy is in good physical and mental well-being throughout the entire period.

Medications

If during pregnancy treatment with diet and organization of leisure does not help, and attacks of heartburn become more and more often, you can start to be treated with medicines.

Remember that depending on how heartburn manifests in a pregnant woman, treatment depends.

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to get a doctor's consultation to avoid any negative effects on the child.

The doctor will explain in detail about the causes of heartburn during pregnancy, how to get rid of it, prescribe herbal preparations or soft medicines.

If the heartburn began to appear not much, but regularly, the doctor will recommend treatment with herbal teas and infusions.

You can brew tea based on chamomile flowers and mint leaves. Such tea is soothing, and take it better at night.

In the pharmacy you can find a special phytotea, which treats heartburn, but you should pay attention to contraindications and side effects.

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The root of ara is an excellent remedy for heartburn. It is pounded to a powdery state, poured with boiling water, aged for 5 to 7 minutes, then cooled and drunk during an attack of heartburn.

For a long time to get rid of heartburn helps heather - a tablespoon of heather is put in slightly boiling water( 200 ml), boiled for 5 minutes, then removed from the fire and allowed to brew.

After cooling it is taken for 4-5 sips 3 times a day. Healing can be carried out as a whole course, and once.

If heartburn, despite herbal medicine, continues to appear during pregnancy with an enviable regularity, then you will have to use drugs from the pharmacy. How to deal with heartburn with medication, should tell the doctor. He will prescribe the duration of the course and dosage.

Most often, doctors recommend "Rennie" - chewing pills for heartburn, which have no contraindications during pregnancy.

The agent is able to quickly quit the emerging symptom of burning and gastric disorders.

Medications such as Maalox, Fosfalugel and Almagel are considered quite harmless.

Available in the form of powders for the preparation of a suspension and therefore easy to use. However, it is worth remembering that you should always consult your doctor before using them.

If these remedies do not work, and heartburn attacks occur more and more often, the doctor prescribes other drugs that affect the secretion of the stomach in a fairly powerful way.

Independently to choose for itself these preparations it is impossible in any case neither pregnant, nor nursing mums.