A great home remedy for heartburn in pregnancy is to eat 1 apple or 1 pear without peel at the time of heartburn and burning, as it will push the acid content of the esophagus into the stomach, decreasing the sensation of heartburn.
Some tricks that may be helpful in stopping heartburn right away are drinking small sips of iced water, being careful if the contents of the esophagus goes back to the stomach. Being seated also usually relieves heartburn, but if you feel your stomach is too full, lie down on the right side of your body to make it easier to empty your stomach.
To start the day well and avoid heartburn, the pregnant woman can take in the morning coffee, 1 cup of natural yoghurt sweetened with 1 tablespoon of honey, and eat 1 wholegrain toast or take a papaya vitamin with natural yogurt and eat 2 cracker cream cracker, for example.
What to do to relieve heartburn in pregnancy
Heartburn in pregnancy should be treated with antacids prescribed by the doctor, such as Magnesium Milk, but some simple tricks may help, such as:
- Eat small portions at a time;
- Do not drink liquids during meals;
- Avoid juices and give preference to fruits;
- Avoid wearing tight clothing during pregnancy;
- Avoid soft drinks with or without gas and all alcoholic beverages;
- Avoid foods of difficult digestion like the very fibrous ones like cabbage, celery, granola and heavy foods like stew, feijoada and barbecue;
- Avoid consumption of high-fat foods like butter, margarine, yellow cheese, ham, avocado, pasta, snacks, fried foods, and very spicy meals.
When heartburn is common even when following these recommendations, the obstetrician may prescribe Dimethicone, which is a medicine that facilitates digestion, combats gas and heartburn.
Although the heartburn of the pregnant woman is transient and passes after the baby is born and with weight returning to normal, esophagitis is a common consequence of the frequent contact of stomach contents in the esophagus that remain after childbirth, being a painful and difficult to treat. Learn other tips on: How to avoid heartburn in pregnancy.
Understand why pregnant has heartburn
Heartburn is a burning sensation in the stomach area that is directed to the throat, which can occur at any time of the day, being a frequent problem in pregnant women. It is usually caused by hormonal changes that hinder digestion and due to stomach compression, which happens to belly growth.
So to deal with heartburn it is recommended to eat small portions at a time, and go drinking small sips of water during the day. Wearing light clothing that does not pressure the belly and stomach area can also help decrease this discomfort.
Watch the following video and see other tips that can help relieve the symptoms of pregnancy:
Main causes of heartburn in pregnancy
The causes of heartburn are related to two reasons:
- Progesterone: The pregnant woman has heartburn because the progesterone in the blood relaxes the digestive system, making digestion more difficult, in addition, the whole digestive system works more slowly causing digestion to be slower and thus the food and the Hydrochloric acid gets longer in the stomach facilitating reflux and heartburn.
- Stomach Compression: Another reason for heartburn in pregnancy is because of baby's growth. As the baby grows, the stomach space gets smaller because it is pushed through the uterus and so the entire contents of the stomach back through the esophagus towards the mouth more easily causing the burning sensation called heartburn.
Although heartburn may be present in the lives of pregnant women from the onset of pregnancy, it is even more common and intense in the last few months of pregnancy, but usually passes soon after delivery without major complications.
However, in some cases, heartburn can be so intense and persistent that it can lead to esophagitis, a painful situation that can remain after childbirth and that should be evaluated by a gastroenterologist. Understand esophagitis.
