What to do if you have heartburn during pregnancy

It is a very happy thing for a woman to be pregnant with a baby, but the hormones in the body will change after pregnancy, and various pregnancy reactions will appear at this time, such as nausea, fatigue, drowsiness, etc. Some people with poor stomachs will also experience symptoms such as heartburn. In this case, pregnant women should do appropriate exercise after meals every day, try to eat light meals and small amounts each time, and eat when they are hungry. This will reduce the burden on the stomach, eat less sour and oily foods, but maintain a balanced nutrition.

What to do if you have heartburn during pregnancy?

First of all, eat several times a day and eat small amounts each time. Because in the second trimester of pregnancy, the baby in the belly is growing, which puts invisible pressure on the pregnant woman's stomach, and eating too much will make her very uncomfortable. Therefore, you need to change your eating habits, eat in multiple times, and eat only until you are 50% full at a time. Secondly, you need to exercise appropriately, and a reasonable diet needs to be accompanied by appropriate exercise. Taking a walk every day can help the stomach digest more effectively and reduce the pressure on the stomach.

In addition, pregnant women should pay attention to regulating their emotions. The stomach and intestines are very sensitive to stress, so pregnant women can relax and adjust their emotions by listening to music. Pregnant women also need to keep warm to prevent cold from irritating the stomach and causing the stomach to secrete too much gastric acid, which can cause great harm to the body.

However, it is normal for pregnant women to feel a lot of pressure in their stomach during the second trimester of pregnancy. But if it is caused by gastritis, do not take medication indiscriminately. It is recommended to go to the hospital as soon as possible and choose a consultation with the gynecology and gastroenterology departments to prevent affecting their own health and fetal growth.

Causes of heartburn during pregnancy:

1. Pregnant women in the early stages of pregnancy are prone to mental tension, anxiety, and dysfunction of the cerebral cortex. They cannot control and regulate the autonomic nervous system well. As a result, the excitability of the vagus nerve increases, which causes increased gastric acid secretion. The acidic secretions stimulate the gastric mucosa and produce a "heartburn" feeling.

2. During pregnancy, the placenta of pregnant women will produce a large amount of progesterone, which causes relaxation of smooth muscles throughout the body, weakens gastrointestinal motility, prolongs gastric emptying time, and reflexively causes excessive secretion of gastric acid.

3. Some pregnant mothers do not have high stomach acid, but still experience "heartburn". This may be due to the relaxation of the cardia-esophageal sphincter, which causes the gastric contents to flow back into the esophagus. The food in the stomach repeatedly flows back into the lower esophagus, and under the stimulation of the acidic gastric contents, it causes a burning sensation in the upper abdomen or lower chest of pregnant women.

4. In the late pregnancy, the enlarged uterus can compress the gastrointestinal tract or directly push the stomach upward, further affecting the transportation of food, aggravating food reflux and worsening heartburn.

How to relieve heartburn during pregnancy:

1. Record all foods and events that "trigger" heartburn and try to avoid them in the future.

2. Keep your mood relaxed, especially avoid any stress or stimulation before going to bed.

3. Try to eat less snacks before going to bed, go to bed 2-3 hours after a meal, and sleep with your knees bent.

4. Don’t wear tight clothes and don’t tie your belt too tight.

5. Don’t eat too fast and don’t eat too much at each meal.

6. Chew gum at night to stimulate saliva production and neutralize stomach acid.

7. Eat less sour foods, such as grapefruit, orange, tomato, or vinegar; eat less spicy foods, such as pepper or chili.

8. Lean meat, low-fat foods and greasy foods (such as French fries) can cause heartburn, so try to eat less.

9. Avoid drinking coffee, cola, carbonated drinks, and eat less chocolate, mint, mustard, etc.

What to eat for excessive stomach acid:

First of all, if you often have excessive stomach acid, it is recommended that you eat more vegetables containing alkaline ingredients, such as spinach, rapeseed, cabbage, etc. In terms of pasta, you can also eat more porridge, steamed buns, noodles, etc. These foods contain alkaline ingredients, which can dilute stomach acid and neutralize stomach acid.

Secondly, patients with excessive gastric acid should eat more foods with high protein content, such as tofu, beef, milk, etc., and try to eat less irritating foods to protect the stomach wall, so that the stomach can absorb more protein.

Finally, friends who often suffer from excessive stomach acid can drink more tea, because tea can effectively regulate the effect of stomach acid. At the same time, black tea can also strengthen the stomach and help digestion. Some information shows that Pu'er tea can not only stimulate the appetite but also dispel wind and cold, so tea is a very good drink for patients with stomach problems.

Symptoms of excessive stomach acid:

First of all, the most direct symptom of excessive gastric acid is the rise of acid in the stomach. The patient will constantly swallow acid and feel nauseous after eating. Some patients will also have symptoms of heartburn and pain. This is because the patient's long-term indigestion and some chronic gastritis cause food to constantly stimulate the gastric mucosa and produce a burning sensation.

Secondly, some patients may experience excessive gastric acid secretion, resulting in stomach soreness and discomfort. This is because the patient may suffer from duodenal ulcers, which cause symptoms of acid reflux. Most patients will experience heartburn. This is because excessive gastric acid secretion causes sensitive stimulation to the gastric mucosa, resulting in food reflux. In fact, esophagitis is also a type of excessive gastric acid.