What to do if you have acid reflux and heartburn in late pregnancy

It is common for pregnant women to experience symptoms such as stomach acid, heartburn and indigestion in the late stages of pregnancy. This is all caused by the progesterone in the body, which relaxes the cardia at the top of the stomach, causing a small amount of stomach acid to rush up into the esophagus, sometimes with partially digested food. This causes the phenomenon of acid reflux in the stomach. So, what should expectant mothers in the late stages of pregnancy do if this situation occurs? Let’s take a look.

To prevent excessive stomach acid and heartburn during pregnancy, you can start by adjusting your eating habits. Eating smaller, more frequent meals can prevent your stomach from becoming overfilled and pushing up against your diaphragm. Try to eat your main meals at lunch and eat dinner earlier so that your body has time to digest the food before going to bed. Avoid spicy, greasy, fried foods, and other foods that trigger symptoms. Sugar, tea, coffee, and certain food additives may also make your pregnancy acid reflux and heartburn worse.

1. Try the following measures:

1. Do not lie down or bend over within three hours after a meal;

2. Do not drink any beverages or food other than boiled water three hours before meals;

3. Eat less or no alcohol, chocolate, greasy food, pepper and other irritating foods, and do not smoke;

4. Raise the head of the bed by 2-3 inches when sleeping.

2. Suggestions for expectant mothers:

Eat small meals frequently and avoid foods that are too sweet, too spicy or too sticky. Do not lie flat on the bed or lie too low after meals and try to bend over as little as possible to reduce acid reflux. Keep your bowels open. If you find symptoms of gastric reflux, try to raise your upper body about 20 degrees.

3. Adjust the lifestyle of pregnant women:

Many seemingly normal lifestyle habits can aggravate acid reflux symptoms in pregnant women. Therefore, pregnant women should pay attention to the following points in their daily life:

1. Do not wear tight clothes or belts.

2. Try to reduce squatting, bending and other movements.

3. It is not advisable to lie down in bed immediately after eating. When you need to stay in bed, you can raise your pillow.

4. Try to eat small and frequent meals. Except for drinking water, do not eat 3 hours before going to bed.

5. It is not advisable to eat foods that can produce acid, such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc., nor is it advisable to eat foods with strong acidity, such as vinegar, lemon juice, etc.

6. Avoid drinking strong tea and coffee.