Will I have stomach acid during early pregnancy?

After pregnancy, the body is in a special critical period. At this time, the body may undergo many changes, especially some reactions that need attention. Then, there will be more stomach acid in the early stages of pregnancy. If there is too much stomach acid, you will feel nauseous and even have a loss of appetite. You often cannot digest some foods and have no appetite. There is a reason for this stomach acid situation that needs to be judged.

Causes of stomach acid during pregnancy

There are generally three reasons why expectant mothers have gastric acid reactions during pregnancy:

1. Normal morning sickness

After a woman becomes pregnant, changes slowly occur inside her body. About 45 days after conception, the secretion of gonadal hormones in the body increases under the influence of the chorion, while the activity of gastric acid and enzymes decreases. It affects women's digestive function and causes them to experience dizziness, fatigue, loss of appetite, etc., which is what we often call morning sickness. However, this is a normal physiological reaction for pregnant women and there is no need to be overly nervous.

2. Indigestion

After a woman becomes pregnant, her progesterone and estrogen levels surge, causing the sphincter (the place connecting the esophagus and the stomach, which controls the food we eat so that it goes down and not up) to relax, causing the food the expectant mother eats to easily come up, causing the acid in the stomach to reflux into the throat, esophagus, and even the mouth.

3. Uterine compression

The longer the pregnancy lasts, the bigger the pregnant woman's belly becomes, and the huge uterus will press on her intestines and stomach. Pregnancy also increases hormones in the body, causing a loose connection between the esophagus and the stomach, which in turn causes stomach acid to rise and a burning sensation in the chest.

Common symptoms of acid reflux during pregnancy

1. Acid Reflux

If a pregnant woman has abnormal digestive function, or suffers from chronic gastrointestinal diseases and reflux esophagitis, and her stomach acid is over-secreted and has no channel for excretion, undigested acidic substances in the stomach will rise, causing acid reflux in the pregnant woman.

2. Burning

Burning is a deeper reaction of acid reflux. When pregnant women have acid reflux, the acidic substances will irritate the esophageal mucosa and make their sternum feel like a burning heat.

3. Heartburn

Heartburn has a similar reaction to burning sensation, that is, there is a burning feeling in the heart. When pregnant women have heartburn symptoms, they should not drink more soy milk and milk, but eat more sweet potatoes, because protein and starch will stimulate the body to secrete more stomach acid, which will make the heartburn feeling stronger.

4. Heartburn

If there is too much stomach acid in the body, the gastric mucosa will become particularly sensitive to acidic substances. If the acidity is too high, the stomach will feel very uncomfortable and often have a burning sensation. This symptom is more common for pregnant women with poor digestive function, gastrointestinal diseases and reflux esophagitis.

What to do with stomach acid during pregnancy

1. Diet therapy

As the saying goes, "Every medicine is poisonous to some extent." For problems that can be solved by eating, expectant mothers should try not to use medication. To treat stomach acid and heartburn, eating some garlic can provide great relief. Of course, expectant mothers can also take garlic capsules, preferably garlic capsules rich in garlic hormones, because it can also relieve and reduce the symptoms of stomach acid in pregnant women. However, be sure to consult a doctor before taking it.

2. Herbal Remedies

Dandelion, chamomile and other herbs can be brewed into tea to relieve stomach acid and heartburn. However, be careful when drinking dandelion tea. If the pregnant woman suffers from high blood pressure or is taking antihypertensive drugs, drinking tea may affect blood sugar levels or reduce the effectiveness of antihypertensive drugs. There is also red elm herb that can be made into tea during pregnancy, and the effects are the same.

3. Aromatherapy Massage Therapy

To make your own massage essential oil, add one tablespoon of grapeseed base oil and four drops of lemon essential oil (or orange or neroli essential oil). Then mix these things together and use the mixed oil to massage the pregnant woman's chest and back. You can also drop it in the bathtub while taking a shower and then slowly inhale the steam with the smell of essential oil.