Many intestinal disorders are common in pregnant women and the acidity is one of the most common, we tell you how you can prevent or relieve heartburn.
Heartburn and indigestion in pregnancy
Indigestion and heartburn are diseases that arise at some point of pregnancy in most women.
Causes of indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy
Although indigestion has the same reasons in a woman, being or not pregnant (food and drink in excess), there are also other reasons why pregnant women suffer from it more often. What happens during the pregnancy is that the hormones that increase during this state, make the intestine is relax and therefore begin to work more slowly, its favors the formation of gases, creating a burning sensation felt by pregnant women.
The acidity is due to different causes of indigestion. The hole that connects the esophagus with the bowel relaxes (also by action of hormones), allowing food and stomach juices to flow again into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation or heartburn which both affects pregnant women, especially in late pregnancy due to the pressure of the uterus on the stomach.
While mom may feel annoyed with these symptoms, they do not affect the fetus, as long as the mother is fed up healthy and sufficient.
Avoiding or relieve heartburn in pregnancy
Now we mention some guidelines or lifestyle changes that will help prevent or relieve symptoms of heartburn during pregnancy:
- Distribute daily meals 6 instead of 3 and are lightweight.
- Eat slowly, chewing each bite and that they are small.
- Avoid fatty foods, fried, spicy and soft drinks, alcohol, coffee and chocolate.
- Do not lie down immediately after eating, allow at 1 or 1½ hours or longer if possible.
- At bedtime, keep your head higher (approximately 15 cm), either by placing pads on the legs of the bed, bedspreads under the mattress or pillow.
- After eating chewing gum, as the production of saliva, which produces such a task, it helps to neutralize the stomach acid.
- Avoid using too tight clothing around the abdomen and waist.
- By ingesting food, try to not do so with plenty of liquid, it is best to do so outside of meals and not within them.
If you still do not feel relief, do not drink prepared with sodium or bicarbonate and go to the doctor, who surely know how to help you with any medication that does not affect the baby. Do not self-medicate with any antacid, as some may be harmful in this state, do not forget that a new being is growing and is very vulnerable to any strange agent that enters the body of the mother.