HOW TO PREVENT HEARTBURN DURING PREGNANCY

It is time to eat, but you are afraid of what will come next: burning, heaviness of the stomach, burning in the throat ... These annoyance is suffered by many women in pregnancy, and the truth is that they are quite unpleasant.

But, Can we do something to prevent heartburn during pregnancy? There are certain "tricks" that, hopefully (and if hormones are also put on our side!) Can help us avoid, or at least minimize, the discomfort caused by heartburn.

What is heartburn or heartburn?

Burning, heartburn or heartburn is a digestive discomfort that occurs when stomach acid passes into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation in the center of the chest and throat.

During pregnancy, the causes can be diverse:

The hormone progesterone makes the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach relaxes, allowing the acidic contents of the stomach to pass more frequently to the esophagus.
As the pregnancy progresses so does the size of the uterus, which ends compressing the stomach and making digestion difficult. This pressure suffered by the stomach can cause its contents to rise into the esophagus, and cause us that annoying sensation of "having food always in our mouth".

As a rule, heartburn usually occurs especially in the third trimester, although there are women who experience it before, and also some who are lucky not to have it.

In Babies and more, what will I feel? The most frequent discomforts in the third trimester of pregnancy

Tips to prevent heartburn during pregnancy

By leading a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy and incorporating proper eating habits, we can greatly prevent this digestive discomfort, or at least mitigate its symptoms a lot.

In addition, it is important to take into account the foods that we should avoid (since they contribute to increase stomach acidity), as well as follow some basic routines at mealtime that can be of great help.

Here we leave you some tips to prevent burning during the months of pregnancy, healthy tips that will help reduce discomfort.

Excess food is an important factor when acidity occurs, therefore you have to avoid "binge-eating" and copious meals. Also, keep in mind that the pregnant woman should not "eat for two", since the considerable increase in weight during pregnancy can lead to other related problems.

In Babies and more Avoid heavy digestions with the following tricks

Eat several times throughout the day and in smaller quantities. This will help you quench hunger and prevent you from craving the main meal of the day.
Eat calmly and without haste, taking the necessary time and in a quiet place. In addition, you must chew the food very well to facilitate its digestion.
Avoid those foods that raise the level of acidity, like the very fatty ones, the fried ones, the spicy ones, the very spicy foods, the citrus fruits… Likewise, drinks like coffee, soft drinks with caffeine or theine, very sugary drinks and with bubbles also favor the burning.
To avoid irritating the stomach wall, it is convenient avoid very hot or very cold foods.
Don't lie down if you just ate lunch or dinner, because the horizontal position will favor acidity. For the rest of the nap, try to sleep something built-in, helping you with pillows and cushions. At night, have dinner two or three hours before going to bed, and always light dishes.
Exercise regularly to maintain your ideal weight and take care of the level of anxiety, avoiding stress in pregnancy.
Use comfortable and baggy clothes, do not squeeze the belly.

Remedies to relieve heartburn

There are foods that can become great allies to reduce heartburn and heartburn, such as those with alkaline pH, such as fruits and vegetables (especially cooked to promote digestion), cereals and derivatives, and well-cooked legumes.

In Babies and more Acidity in pregnancy, how to relieve it?

It may also help to take a tablespoon of olive oil, since the oil acts in our stomach as a protective film, avoiding the effect of gastric acids and neutralizing discomfort and burning. However, it should be borne in mind that this remedy may not be liked by many pregnant women, especially sensitive to certain flavors.

On the other hand, it should be noted that traditionally milk has also been used to relieve heartburn, although its use is debatable according to different authors, since it can also stimulate the production of stomach acid.

Regarding drugs, we know that you should avoid taking them as much as possible, and especially not fall into self-diagnosis and self-recommendation. In addition, it is known that some antacids taken during pregnancy have been related to the onset of childhood asthma, so it is essential to always consult your doctor before starting to take any medication.

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