What to do if pregnant women have heartburn? Pay attention to these 9 points

Many pregnant women experience heartburn during pregnancy, fidgeting, nausea, discomfort, and irritability. These are manifestations of heartburn in pregnant women. What should pregnant women do when they have heartburn? What methods can be used to relieve it? Or what issues should be paid attention to in daily life? Let's take a look.

What to do if pregnant women have heartburn

1. Eat small and frequent meals with low fat and low sugar content to avoid overloading the stomach. Pregnant mothers should avoid overeating because the more stomach contents there are, the easier it is for them to reflux into the esophagus.

2. Eat less irritating foods, as they can irritate the esophageal mucosa and aggravate heartburn. Tea and coffee contain caffeine, which can relax the esophageal latissimus dorsi, and carbonated drinks can cause abdominal distension, which can aggravate acid reflux.

3. Do not lie down immediately after a meal. If you can stand for half an hour, it can speed up the passage of food through the stomach and reduce the burden on the stomach. Do not exercise within two hours after a meal, because exercising shortly after a meal may aggravate heartburn.

4. Do not eat two hours before going to bed and avoid lying in bed within 1 hour after a meal to prevent stomach contents from refluxing into the esophagus as the body position changes.

5. Drink a glass of milk or eat some low-fat ice cream before meals. Dairy products can form a protective film on the stomach wall to help relieve the burning sensation.

6. Keep bowel movements smooth. To reduce gastroesophageal reflux, pregnant mothers should try to ensure smooth bowel movements to avoid increasing intra-abdominal pressure. If pregnant mothers have a history of constipation, they can eat more bananas and apples to make the stool soft and easy to pass. Develop a good habit of going to the toilet regularly. Regular bowel movements are very important for health. Regular exercise, eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and drinking a glass of warm water early in the morning can all help prevent or relieve constipation.

7. Wear loose and comfortable clothes, especially do not let tight clothes squeeze the waist and abdomen. When the pregnant mother needs to lower the body, it is best to bend the knees instead of bending over.

8. If you feel heartburn when sleeping, you can raise the foot of the bed on the head side by 15-20 cm to raise the entire upper body by 10 to 15 degrees. This can effectively reduce the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux when lying flat.

9. Don’t smoke and stay away from secondhand smoke, because the ingredients in tobacco will accelerate the secretion of gastric acid, aggravating acid reflux and heartburn.

Why do pregnant mothers feel heartburn?

The main reason for pregnant mothers' heartburn is that endocrine changes during pregnancy cause gastric acid reflux, which stimulates the pain receptors in the lower esophagus and causes a burning sensation. In addition, the huge uterus and fetus during pregnancy put greater pressure on the stomach, and the gastric emptying rate slows down, so that gastric juice stays in the stomach for a longer time, which can easily cause gastric acid to reflux into the lower esophagus, making expectant mothers feel uncomfortable.

Tips

If the heartburn symptoms are really too severe, you can go to the hospital and ask the doctor to prescribe some drugs that are safe for pregnant women to relieve the symptoms of heartburn. However, it is recommended that you try not to take medicine if possible, as it will not do any good.

What fruits are good to eat during pregnancy

Second trimester: lemon, cherry, kiwi, orange, pear, crabapple

In the second trimester, the expectant mother's appetite is very good, the fetus is growing rapidly, and more nutrients are needed. At this stage, pregnant mothers can eat lemons, cherries, kiwis, kiwis, grapes, loquats, apples, crabapples and other fruits to supplement vitamins and folic acid. Cherries are ideal fruits for pregnant women. Cherries are very rich in iron. Eating about 12 cherries a day can effectively increase the absorption of iron, prevent iron deficiency anemia in expectant mothers, and is more beneficial to brain health. Kiwi Kiwi is rich in vitamins C, A, E, potassium, magnesium, cellulose and other nutrients. Expectant mothers can eat one kiwi a day, which can stabilize their mood, improve sleep quality, and effectively prevent constipation during pregnancy. Apple is the most popular fruit in daily life. It is rich in sugar and vitamins, trace elements, especially zinc. An apple a day is not only beneficial to the absorption of nutrients by expectant mothers, but also beneficial to babies. Begonia is a fruit rich in folic acid, which has the effects of promoting the production of body fluids and quenching thirst, strengthening the spleen and stopping diarrhea, and can treat indigestion. It is a good choice for pregnant women. However, begonia tastes sour, and pregnant women with gastric ulcers and excessive stomach acid should avoid eating it.