What helps with heartburn during pregnancy? Medicines, traditional medicine

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

It's hard to imagine a happier and more responsible time for a woman than the nine months she carries under the heart of her child. Each trimester of pregnancy has its own characteristics, both pleasant and not so. Here, for example, heartburn, which torments most women in the second half of pregnancy. Why does it arise? What to take for heartburn? Will medication harm the baby? Everything in order in this article.

Side effects of an interesting position

Throughout pregnancy, a woman's body undergoes numerous changes. Even before the test shows the long-awaited two strips, the expectant mother may feel unwell, drowsiness, nausea. A colossal hormonal restructuring takes place in the body, in a little man all organs and systems are formed, therefore suchthe symptoms are not surprising. Toxicosis in the early stages overshadows the lives of many women, for some it even persists for the duration of the entire pregnancy.

The second trimester is the quietest time. The baby is growing up, the mother is no longer so sick, the hormones are not so raging in the blood - it seems that life is getting better. But already at the end of this period and the beginning of the third trimester, many women are faced with new troubles: spider veins appear on their legs, veins begin to swell. This is how varicose veins develop, so at the first symptoms you should run to the doctor. Do the same if you find blood during a bowel movement, this is another "sworn friend" of pregnant women creeping up - hemorrhoids.

Heartburn in the form of an unpleasant burning sensation in the chest and throat during this period begin to experience about 80% of women. Heartburn in the early stages is also not uncommon, but it has other causes.

Mechanism of heartburn

In the third trimester, the baby in the mother's womb is getting bigger every day, and there is less and less space for him. Strong pressure begins to be exerted on all the internal organs of the mother, including the stomach.

There is a special valve between the esophagus and the stomach, it is called the sphincter. Thanks to him, food passes into the stomach and stays there. Under pressure, the sphincter ceases to cope with its function, and gastric juice is thrown back into the esophagus. The burning sensation persists for a period of a couple of minutes to several hours.

Other causes of heartburn

The decrease in the function of the sphincter can be affected by the hormone progesterone, which is intensively produced in the body of a pregnant woman in order to relax the uterus and prevent its hypertonicity. Along with the smooth muscles of the uterus, other muscles relax, including the sphincter.

On the other hand, a change in hormonal levels also affects the digestion of food, which moves much more slowly through the esophagus. As a result, digestion is delayed, causing indigestion and heartburn.

Hormonal changes can also affect the acidity of gastric juice. The higher it is, the stronger the burning.

Early onset of heartburn

What causes heartburn in early pregnancy? The main reason is malnutrition. A woman's consumption of unhe althy foods, namely very s alty, fatty or fried foods, as well as constant dry snacks, can cause heartburn even in an absolutely he althy person. Those who like to eat before bedtime, do not chew food thoroughly, abuse carbonated drinks and coffee are also at risk.

Heartburn, although it causes some discomfort, does not pose any danger to the he alth of mother and baby. It occurs due to the natural reasons listed above. But if heartburn tormented you even before pregnancy, this is a clear sign of a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract. Pregnancy will only exacerbate your problem. Be sure to consult a specialist.

Heartburn foods

What helps withheartburn during pregnancy? For starters, avoid unhe althy foods. To reduce the symptoms of heartburn, it is best to avoid eating certain foods that can provoke heartburn:

• alcohol - it is already completely contraindicated for pregnant women. We will also disappoint those who believe that a glass of wine will not hurt a child. Maybe so, but it will definitely cause heartburn, especially red;
• fatty food slows down the digestion of food, especially smoked meats;
• spicy food - spices stimulate increased production of gastric juice;
• coffee, strong tea help relax the sphincter;
• citrus fruits - oranges, lemons - and other sour fruits increase acidity;
• sugar and chocolate;
• fresh bread;
• eggs;
• some vegetables like onions, garlic, tomatoes.

Nutrition for the expectant mother

We have already decided on the list of prohibited foods, now let's move on to the diet. Diet for heartburn in pregnant women involves eating the following foods:

• lean fish;
• diet meat - rabbit, chicken, turkey;
• vegetables, especially those that promote easy bowel movements;
• bread - dried or in the form of croutons;
• warm milk in small quantities is a good home remedy for heartburn, by the way.

Products should be boiled, steamed, baked in foil. Frying in a pan and even on a grill, and even more so deep-fried, has nothing to do withhe althy eating.

Cook soups, but never boil broths on the bones, they stimulate the production of gastric juice and adversely affect the liver and pancreas.

What helps with heartburn during pregnancy? Simple recommendations

Before you decide what to take for heartburn, pay attention to some tips:

1. Do not eat at night, it is recommended to eat at least 2 hours before bedtime.
2. Eat small, frequent meals.
3. Chew your food well so that it digests faster, and try not to drink during meals so as not to increase acid production.
4. After eating, do not immediately take a horizontal position. Sit with a straight back, this will increase the chances that the acid from the stomach will not make itself felt.
5. Avoid conflict situations, quarrels. Not only does stress negatively affect the mother’s body, even the stomach, but it can also significantly harm the baby, so “calm, only calm.”

How to deal with heartburn without drugs?

People say that if a mother has heartburn, the baby will be born with hairs. In practice, this assumption is not always confirmed, but folk remedies for heartburn are very effective. Let's analyze them further:

• Potato juice is used to relieve symptoms of heartburn and eliminate belching. You need to drink it before breakfast and in the evening, before going to bed.
• Another homemade one has a more pleasant tasteremedy for heartburn - viburnum jam, which should be diluted with boiled water.
• Crushed nuts will help fight the disease, walnuts and almonds are best suited. The kernels must be crushed into a powder and taken 1 tablespoon per day.
• At the first sign of heartburn, chew raw potatoes or carrots - these are very effective folk remedies for heartburn.
• Celery root is especially effective, and it can be chewed, made into a drink, mashed.
• To eliminate heartburn, you can turn to a very allergenic product - honey. It is important to know the measure and not to abuse, so as not to harm yourself and the child. If honeycombs are slowly chewed, the wax from them will protect the walls of the esophagus from acid and, importantly, neutralize pain.
• Herbal preparations, in particular wormwood and chamomile, will help to cope with this problem, but their use, as well as the treatment of heartburn in pregnant women by any other methods, is better to discuss with a doctor.

What to do if folk remedies do not help?

What helps with heartburn during pregnancy better than folk remedies? The answer is obvious: drugs. Do not be afraid of everything related to the pharmaceutical industry. There are drugs that pregnant women can take, so do not endure. Be sure to consult your doctor and read the package insert carefully.

Medicines for heartburn work differently. Some drugs are taken before meals, they envelop the walls of the esophagus,so that gastric juice does not affect them. For these purposes, pregnant women often use Smecta, which is absolutely harmless, as it is not absorbed in the stomach.

The second group of drugs - antacids, designed to neutralize the acid in the stomach. They are taken with the manifestation of heartburn, most often produced in the form of tablets, gels, suspensions. Rennie is recognized as the safest drug of this group for pregnant women. This also includes Maalox, Almagel, T altsid. But in any case, medication should be used as rarely as possible and not earlier than the second month of pregnancy.

There is a group of medicines that can reduce the amount of gastric juice (for example, "Ranitidine"), but they must be taken strictly under the supervision of a doctor.

Soda in the fight against heartburn

According to many people, soda is exactly what helps with heartburn. During pregnancy, this issue should be approached with special responsibility.

Getting into the stomach and combining with hydrochloric acid, soda turns into carbon dioxide, s alt and water. Heartburn really recedes, but after a while it returns with renewed vigor. The culprit is carbon dioxide, which irritates the walls of the stomach.

The resulting sodium s alts also have their negative effect - they contribute to fluid retention in the body and the development of edema, which the expectant mother does not need at all.

Soda is an excellent remedy for a person, if applied externally. For example, as a rinse for a sore tooth oryellow tooth whitening agent, it can be added to foot baths to soften calluses and rough skin.

But the use of soda inside, especially during pregnancy, is unjustified and even dangerous.

Following simple recommendations will greatly alleviate your condition, because there is nothing pleasant in heartburn and you should not endure it. It is better to nibble raw carrots or take a pill than spoil your mood: the baby needs a cheerful and happy mother. The main thing is to remember that all these inconveniences are temporary. When you take your child in your arms, even the birth pangs will be forgotten, not like some kind of heartburn.