How to prevent heartburn during pregnancy

Video: Pregnancy Heartburn: Causes, Symptoms, and Foods that Help

Content

Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preventing Heartburn Naturally
Part 2 of 3: Avoid Junk Food
Part 3 of 3: Preventing Heartburn with Medication
Tips
Warnings

Many people experience recurrent bouts of acid reflux (or heartburn) during pregnancy because higher levels of estrogen and progesterone weaken the lower esophageal sphincter, causing gastric acid to enter the esophagus. In addition, the growing fetus presses on the stomach and pushes gastric juice into the esophagus, which also contributes to heartburn in pregnant women. Although acid reflux and heartburn go away after childbirth, learning to deal with them during pregnancy can improve your well-being and quality of life.

Attention:the information in this article is for informational purposes only. Before using any methods, consult your doctor.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Preventing Heartburn Naturally

1 Eat more often but in smaller portions. One way to deal with heartburn is to eat small meals throughout the day. Eat small meals every few hours instead of three large meals a day to avoid overeating and prevent pressure on the diaphragm and gastric acid from entering the esophagus. Eat and snack in small meals 5-6 times a day, about every two hours.
- At the end of the day, eat or have a light snack in the early evening at least 3 hours before bed. This gives the stomach enough time to completely digest the food and transport it to the small intestine.
- Aim to eat small meals of about 300 to 400 calories at a time. While you are pregnant, you need to put on a little extra weight because you are eating for two, but significant weight gain increases your risk of developing diabetes.
2 Take your time and chew your food thoroughly. Eat slowly and chew each bite well before swallowing to help improve digestion. If you eat quickly and don't chew your food too well, not enough saliva is produced in your mouth - this increases the strain on your stomach and increases the likelihood of indigestion and heartburn. In addition, if you eat slowly, you will feel full in time and avoid overeating.
- Eat in small chunks and chew for 20-30 seconds before swallowing to allow enough saliva to flow in your mouth.
- When food is chewed thoroughly, it is easier to swallow, and you can drink less water with food. Do not drink large amounts of liquid with food (50-100 ml is sufficient), otherwise it will dilute the digestive enzymes, which can cause indigestion.
3 Chew gum after meals. Chewing gum helps relieve heartburn by stimulating the production of saliva, which contains acid-neutralizing bicarbonate. A large amount of swallowed saliva helps literally "extinguish the flame", since saliva neutralizes gastric juice that has entered the esophagus. In this sense, saliva is a natural anti-acid agent.
- Do not chew mint or menthol flavored gum, as they can stimulate gastric acid production.
- Choose sugar-free xylitol chewing gum, an artificial sweetener that can kill tooth decay bacteria in your mouth. It also helps fight bacteria that cause stomach ulcers.
- Wait about 15-30 minutes after eating before using chewing gum, as food requires an acidic environment to digest and break down properly.
4 Drink some milk after meals. For normal digestion of food, there must be increased acidity in the stomach, but there should not be too much acid and it should not penetrate the esophageal sphincter and irritate the esophagus. Wait about an hour after eating and then drink a small cup of milk. Trace elements contained in milk (mainly calcium) neutralize gastric juice that has entered the esophagus and help soothe irritation.
- Drink skim milk, as animal fat can make heartburn worse.
- Sometimes sugar (lactose) and other substances in milk can cause heartburn, so try drinking milk, but skip this method if your heartburn worsens.
- Do not drink milk after meals if you are lactose intolerant (meaning your body is not making enough of the enzyme lactase), as bloating and stomach cramps can increase acid reflux.
5 Do not lie down immediately after eating. It is best to sit up straight when eating and avoid lying down immediately after eating.The upright position promotes the passage of food through the gastrointestinal tract due to the action of gravity. If you lie down, this effect disappears, and incompletely digested food, along with gastric juice, can leak through the esophageal sphincter into the esophagus.
- Heartburn, or a burning sensation in the chest, irritates the lining of the esophagus. Other symptoms of acid reflux include sore throat, difficulty swallowing, dry cough, and hoarseness.
- Wait at least a few hours before lying on the couch or bed. You can sit down and raise your legs - the main thing is to keep the upper half of the body upright.
- Do not eat large meals - large portions cause fatigue and the desire to lie down due to the fact that a large amount of insulin is suddenly released from the pancreas into the bloodstream.
6 Be active throughout the day. Although vigorous physical activity immediately after a meal increases the risk of indigestion and heartburn, gentle exercise, such as walking, promotes intestinal motility, makes it easier for undigested food to pass through the digestive tract, and prevents it from returning. After washing the dishes, take a leisurely walk for 15–20 minutes or do some light household chores.
- Exercising too intensely causes blood to drain from the digestive system into the muscles of the legs and arms, which impairs food digestion.
- Try to move more during the day rather than in the evening so that exercise does not interfere with your night's sleep.
- Light exercise promotes regular bowel movements, keeps waste products from lingering in the intestines, and prevents the build-up of gases that press against the intestinal wall.
7 Choose the right sleeping position. If you are experiencing bouts of acid reflux during pregnancy (or at other times), consider your sleeping position. To deal with heartburn, try lifting your upper body and head with pillows so that gravity prevents the food from lifting back up (although pillows may not be very effective because they are too soft). If you are uncomfortable sleeping in this position, sleep on your left side - in this position, it is more difficult for gastric juice to enter the esophagus.
- You can also lift your upper body with wedge-shaped polyurethane foam pillows. These pillows can be purchased at a health care store.
- Avoid lying on your side when using regular pillows or wedge pillows under your upper body, as this can irritate your mid-spine and ribs.
8 Reduce your stress levels. Stress and anxiety often increase gastric acid production and impair blood flow to the intestines, which can negatively affect food absorption, all of which can increase acid reflux. Therefore, try to cope with stress with relaxing techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, subject-specific imagination (symbol drama), yoga, and Taijiquan gymnastics.
- Various techniques for relieving stress and anxiety can also alleviate the symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn.
- Practice stress relief techniques after you get home from work or school, but before eating. You can also practice these techniques just before bed to help you fall asleep more easily.

Part 2 of 3: Avoid Junk Food

1 Refrain from fatty foods. Fried and fatty foods contribute to acid reflux and heartburn, as they take longer to digest and require more stomach acid to enter the esophagus. In view of this, give preference to lean meat and poultry, as well as low-fat dairy products. Try not to fry the dishes, but bake them.
- Avoid the following foods: French fries, most fast food items, potato chips, bacon, sausage, various gravies and sauces, commercial ice cream, and milkshakes.
- For the normal development of the child, he needs a certain amount of fat, which can be obtained from avocados, coconut products, nuts and seeds. These foods contain healthy fatty acids.
2 Avoid spicy and acidic foods. Spicy and acidic foods are another type of food that should be avoided, as they can irritate the esophagus when passing through the esophagus, and can provoke acid reflux when ingested. Don't eat hot sauces, cayenne pepper, chili peppers, salsa, tomato sauce, onions, garlic, and black pepper.
- Despite the great taste and health benefits, you should refrain from eating Thai and Mexican food if you have heartburn.
- Be careful with acidic citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits. Drink freshly squeezed juices, but do not consume them on an empty stomach to avoid heartburn.
3 Avoid caffeinated drinks. Caffeine is known to promote acid reflux as it stimulates gastric acid production. In addition, almost all caffeinated drinks are acidic, which also causes heartburn. Therefore, limit or skip coffee, black tea, hot chocolate, Coca-Cola, most soda or energy drinks.
- Coca-Cola and other sugary sodas can be harmful for heartburn because they are acidic and contain caffeine, sugar and gas. Gas bubbles stretch the stomach, thereby increasing the likelihood that gastric juice will pass through the esophageal sphincter.
- Caffeinated beverages should also be avoided because caffeine can impair circulation and thus limit the amount of nutrients a child receives.
4 Give up alcohol. Alcohol often causes heartburn because it is acidic and relaxes the esophageal sphincter. Pregnant women should completely abandon alcoholic beverages, as alcohol negatively affects the fetus, and its use can lead to such a developmental defect as fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol is unsafe in any quantity and at all stages of pregnancy, so it should be avoided.
- All types of alcoholic beverages, including wine and beer, are harmful to the child.
- If you do attend the holidays with friends and family, drink non-alcoholic cocktails, grape juice, or non-alcoholic beer.

Part 3 of 3: Preventing Heartburn with Medication

1 Take antacids after meals. These funds are the safest for pregnant women, since they are not absorbed into the bloodstream, that is, they remain in the gastrointestinal tract and do not enter the growing fetus. Such antacids as "Maalox", "Almagel", "Gastal", "Ramni", "Rennie" help to quickly get rid of heartburn. Take them 30-60 minutes after meals.
- Antacids do not treat an inflamed esophagus that is damaged by gastric fluid entering it, so use them only to relieve symptoms.
- Some antacids contain alginates, which form a foam in the upper part of the stomach that prevents gastric acid from entering the esophagus.
- An overdose of antacids can cause diarrhea or constipation, so be careful not to take antacids more than 3 times a day.
2 Try H blockers₂-histamine receptors. These drugs lower the production of gastric acid. The following H blockers are commercially available₂-histamine receptors: famotidine ("Kvamatel"), nizatidine ("Sirdalur"), ranitidine ("Ranisan"). Typically, H blockers₂-histamine receptors relieve heartburn more slowly than antacids, but usually their effect lasts longer, and they can reduce gastric acid secretion for up to 12 hours.
- Over-the-counter H blockers₂-Histamine receptors are considered harmless to pregnant women, although they are absorbed into the bloodstream and may affect the fetus.
- Stronger medications are available with a prescription, but if you are pregnant, talk to your doctor about the pros and cons, as vitamin B12 may be deficient.
3 Consider taking proton pump inhibitors. Another group of drugs that block the production of gastric juice are the so-called proton pump inhibitors. In addition, they help to heal the tissues of the lining of the esophagus. Proton pump inhibitors are more effective at inhibiting gastric acid production than H blockers₂-histamine receptors, and allow enough time for the inflamed esophagus to heal.
- Proton pump inhibitors include drugs such as lansoprazole (Epicur, Lancid) and omeprazole (Omez, Omeprazole).
- Taking proton pump inhibitors just before a meal will help you to release some stomach acid in your stomach, which is enough to digest food, and at the same time, you will avoid too high acidity.

Tips

Quit smoking - This bad habit increases your risk of acid reflux. You should not smoke during pregnancy as it is harmful to the development of the baby.
Don't eat chocolate, as it contains caffeine, sugar and fat - these ingredients contribute to heartburn.
Avoid wearing tight clothing that puts pressure on your abdomen, as they can aggravate acid reflux. Use loose clothing.
Do not take antacids with iron supplements, as they interfere with the absorption of iron in the intestines.