What to do if a pregnant woman has acid reflux

During pregnancy, pregnant women's stomachs will be disturbed to a certain extent because of pregnancy. Especially when pregnant women are getting bigger and bigger, their stomachs will be squeezed. At this time, they will not only lose their appetite, but also suffer from some stomach problems and even acid reflux. This situation is actually very bad for pregnant women. So what should pregnant women do if they have acid reflux during pregnancy?

What to do if you have acid discharge from your mouth during early pregnancy

Some pregnant women often experience heartburn in the early stages of pregnancy, always have sour water in their mouths, and feel very uncomfortable. The main reason for sour water to flow out of the mouth is that pregnant women have too much stomach acid which corrodes the stomach, causing acid swallowing, nausea, and vomiting, and may even cause serious consequences such as gastric ulcers or duodenal ulcers, which cannot be ignored. If you suffer from heartburn and sour saliva in the early stages of pregnancy, you can take omeprazole, metronidazole, and amoxicillin orally as prescribed by your doctor. Also, be careful not to eat spicy or irritating foods.

What to do if you have stomach acid during early pregnancy

Pregnant women with excessive stomach acid need to pay attention to a proper diet, eat small meals frequently, chew slowly, and avoid having too much or too late dinner. They also need to pay attention to their sleeping posture. Raising the upper body can reduce esophageal reflux. Choose loose and comfortable clothes to avoid increasing intra-abdominal pressure. Do not smoke and do not take medicine indiscriminately.

1. Eat a healthy diet

Do not eat too much to avoid increasing the pressure in the stomach and lifting the diaphragm. Eat small meals frequently, slow down your eating pace, and chew your food thoroughly.

Especially for dinner, you should avoid eating too much or too late. It is best to eat within 2 to 3 hours before going to bed so that you have enough time to digest the food.

Avoid foods and drinks that cause gastrointestinal discomfort, which usually include: carbonated drinks, alcohol (in any case, you can't drink alcohol during pregnancy), caffeine, chocolate, acidic foods (including citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes, mustard and vinegar, etc.), cooked meats, mint foods, and spicy, strong, fried or high-fat foods.

Chew a piece of gum after eating. Chewing gum stimulates saliva secretion, which helps neutralize stomach acid.

2. Sleeping posture

When sleeping at night, use a few more pillows or wedge-shaped cushions to raise your upper body. Raise the foot of the bed by 15 to 20 centimeters above your head and raise your upper body by 10 to 15 degrees, which can effectively reduce esophageal reflux. However, it is not advisable to raise the entire upper body by raising the pillow, because raising the pillow cannot lift the entire upper body. Instead, it may cause a bend between the esophagus and the stomach, affecting the flow of food into the stomach, aggravating esophageal reflux, and exacerbating heartburn.

3. Loose clothing

To reduce esophageal reflux, pregnant women should wear loose clothes, and tight clothes should not be squeezed around the waist and abdomen. Their bowel movements should be smooth, and they should actively prevent and treat respiratory tract infections to avoid increasing intra-abdominal pressure.