- What to Do to Relieve Heartburn in Pregnancy
- Understand why pregnant has heartburn
- Main causes of heartburn in pregnancy
A great home remedy for heartburn in pregnancy is to eat 1 apple or 1 shelled pear at the time of heartburn and burning, as it will push the acidic content of the esophagus into the stomach, decreasing the feeling of heartburn.
Some tricks that can be useful to stop heartburn immediately are to drink small sips of cold water, being aware if the contents of the esophagus return to the stomach. Sitting, also usually relieves heartburn, but if you feel that your stomach is too full, lie down on the right side of your body to facilitate emptying of your stomach.
To start the day well and avoid heartburn, the pregnant woman can have breakfast with a glass of natural yogurt sweetened with 1 spoon of honey, and eat 1 whole toast or take a papaya smoothie with natural yogurt and eat 2 cream cracker cookies, for example.
What to Do to Relieve Heartburn in Pregnancy
Heartburn in pregnancy should be treated with antacids prescribed by the doctor, such as Milk of Magnesia, but a few simple tricks can help, such as:
- Eat small portions at a time; Do not drink liquids during meals; Avoid juices and give preference to fruits; Avoid wearing clothes that are too tight during pregnancy; Avoid carbonated or still soft drinks and all alcoholic drinks; Avoid foods that are difficult to digest such as the very fibrous ones like cabbage, celery, granola and heavy foods such as stew, feijoada and barbecue; avoid the consumption of high fat foods like butter, margarine, yellow cheeses, ham, ham, pasta, snacks, fried foods, and very spicy meals.
When heartburn is constant even when following these recommendations, the obstetrician will be able to prescribe Dimethicone, which is a medicine that facilitates digestion, combats gas and heartburn.
Although the heartburn of the pregnant woman is temporary and passes after the baby is born and with the weight returning to normal, esophagitis, which is a common consequence of frequent contact of the stomach contents in the esophagus that remains after delivery, being a painful and difficult to treat. Learn other tips at: How to prevent heartburn in pregnancy.
Understand why pregnant has heartburn
Heartburn is a burning sensation in the stomach area, which is directed towards the throat, which can appear at any time of the day, being a frequent problem in pregnant women. It is usually caused by hormonal changes that hinder digestion and due to compression of the stomach, which happens with the growth of the belly.
So, to deal with heartburn it is recommended to eat small portions at a time, and to drink small sips of water during the day. Wearing light clothes that do not put pressure on the belly and stomach can also help to reduce this discomfort.
Watch the following video and see other tips that can help relieve your pregnancy symptoms:
Main causes of heartburn in pregnancy
The causes of heartburn are related to two reasons:
- Progesterone: The pregnant woman has heartburn because the progesterone present in the blood relaxes the digestive system, making digestion more difficult, in addition, the whole digestive system works more slowly making the digestion slower and so the food and the hydrochloric acid stays in the stomach longer, facilitating reflux and heartburn. Stomach compression: Another reason for heartburn in pregnancy is due to the baby's growth. As the baby grows, the space in the stomach becomes smaller, because it is pushed by the uterus and so the entire contents of the stomach return through the esophagus towards the mouth more easily causing a burning sensation called heartburn.
Although heartburn can be present in the life of pregnant women since the beginning of pregnancy, it is even more common and intense in the last months of pregnancy, but it usually passes right after delivery, without major complications.
However, in some cases, heartburn can be so intense and persistent that it can lead to esophagitis, a painful condition that can remain after delivery and which must be evaluated by a gastroenterologist. Understand esophagitis.
