8 months pregnant heartburn

When a pregnant woman is eight months pregnant, she has entered the late stage of pregnancy. During this period, most pregnancy reactions will stop, and many women begin to stay at home to prepare for delivery. During this period, women's nutrition should not be taken lightly, because the baby still needs to absorb some nutrients, only in this way will it not cause premature birth. So what should pregnant women do if they have heartburn in the stomach acid when they are eight months pregnant?

What to do if you have heartburn in your eighth month of pregnancy

In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, some pregnant women will experience heartburn in the "pit of the heart". This is especially likely to occur when there is a change in body position during sleep at night (from sitting to lying), or when coughing or holding your breath to defecate.

Heartburn may be more severe after consuming acidic or spicy foods. Usually, it is often accompanied by belching, heartburn, and a feeling of discomfort in the upper and middle abdomen. The cause of heartburn is related to esophageal reflux, and the incidence rate increases with the increase of pregnancy months. This is mainly because the size of the uterus gradually increases, the intra-abdominal and intra-gastric pressures increase, and the gastric contents can easily flow back into the lower esophagus, causing food reflux. During reflux, gastric contents containing gastric acid irritate and damage the esophageal mucosa, causing reflux esophagitis, which produces a heartburn sensation. In addition, during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, the increased secretion of progesterone can affect esophageal motility and slow down the clearance of reflux products by the esophagus, which is not conducive to alleviating the symptoms of reflux esophagitis. When lying down, coughing, and straining to defecate, the abdominal pressure increases, which can also aggravate esophageal reflux. If you eat acidic or spicy foods again, it will further irritate the inflamed mucosa and aggravate the symptoms.

To prevent heartburn, you should pay special attention to your daily diet: do not eat too much, and do not drink a lot of water or beverages at one time, especially do not drink strong tea and beverages containing caffeine or chocolate, as they will aggravate the relaxation of the esophageal muscles. It is advisable to eat less spicy food, too cold or too hot food, because they will irritate the esophageal mucosa and aggravate the "heartburn feeling". Do not lie down immediately after eating.

In addition, methods to relieve "heartburn" include: raising the head and foot of the bed by 15-20 cm when sleeping, and raising the angle of the upper body. This can effectively reduce gastric reflux - just raising the pillow is not enough, because it is impossible to raise the angle of the entire upper body. Pregnant women with a history of constipation can eat more bananas and honey to make the stool softer and easier to pass. Strengthen physical fitness, prevent and treat respiratory infections, and avoid coughing.

Causes of heartburn in pregnant women

1. Eating too fast or too much: The main reason for heartburn for most people is eating too fast or too much. Many people do not chew their food slowly when eating, or even eat too fast. Some people eat without restraint and overeat. These bad eating habits can easily lead to heartburn.

2. Excessive stomach acid: Eating certain irritating foods, taking certain medicines, or suffering from certain stomach diseases will eventually stimulate the secretion of stomach acid, leading to heartburn. Eating strong alcohol, chili peppers, smoking, sweet potatoes, or non-steroidal drugs, as well as suffering from chronic gastritis or bile reflux gastritis, can all cause heartburn due to excessive stomach acid secretion.

3. Gastrointestinal diseases: Heartburn is often caused by stomach problems. Such as reflux gastritis and ulcer disease. In addition to experiencing heartburn and reflux symptoms, many patients also often feel increased saliva secretion and a bitter taste in the mouth. This is because the things refluxed from the stomach are highly acidic, and after they come up, the body's self-protection mechanism causes the body to secrete a large amount of saliva to neutralize the acidity - gastroesophageal reflux disease just takes advantage of this loophole.