Every woman experiences heartburn during pregnancy. During pregnancy, burning starts from the mouth and continues to the stomach and intestines. One in every two pregnant women experiences this complaint.
Heartburn is one of the early symptoms of pregnancy. It usually starts from the second month.
WHAT CAUSES HEARTBURN DURING PREGNANCY?
From the beginning of pregnancy, your body secretes progesterone and relaxin hormones. This causes your muscle tissues to relax. This includes your stomach and intestinal muscles. As a result, the nutrients you consume move slowly through your body and cause bloating, gas formation and indigestion. Although this may be very uncomfortable for you, it is actually beneficial for your baby. This slowness helps your baby take in nutrients longer.
Burning occurs when the muscle ring separating the esophagus from the stomach expands, and the food and digestive juices in the stomach return from the stomach to the esophagus. These stomach acids irritate the sensitive esophagus and cause the burning sensation felt around your heart.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO RELIEVE HEARTBURN DURING PREGNANCY?
We can try various ways to control this problem during pregnancy.
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Half an hour before meals. Chewing gum afterwards will increase salivation. This will neutralize the acid in your esophagus. If mint gum increases inflammation, choose mint-free and sugar-free gum.
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Eat a few almonds with every meal. Almonds will neutralize your stomach juices. This will relax you and prevent heartburn.
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You can drink a small glass of almond milk after meals or when your heartburn starts. A spoon of milk with honey may also be good for heartburn in some pregnant women.
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Avoid foods that trigger indigestion. If a food you consume causes indigestion or heartburn, remove it from your diet. Foods such as spicy, fried, fatty foods, chocolate, caffeine, carbonated drinks, mint and citrus fruits are known to trigger heartburn. Stay away from these.
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Do not consume too much liquid while eating. It may cause heartburn. Consume the liquid you need between meals.
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Compliance Leave the meal at least two hours before the meal. Thus, your stomach will finish digestion before going to sleep and a comfortable sleep will await you. If you must eat, choose something light and that will not trigger your heartburn.
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Instead of eating three meals a day, make your meals smaller and increase their number. This will be the solution for many symptoms during pregnancy.
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Chew a lot while eating. Digestion begins in the mouth. When you chew a lot, you ease the stomach burden. Additionally, eating fast causes gas formation in the stomach. When you are very hungry and have to eat quickly, put small pieces in your mouth and chew for a long time.
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Prefer loose-fitting clothes. In particular, dress in a way that does not squeeze your belly or put pressure on your stomach.
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Sit upright while eating and stand upright for a while after eating. Lying on your back, slouching, and sitting horizontally causes your stomach juices to back up into your esophagus. Make sure your head is elevated while sleeping.
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Watch your weight. Try to gain weight slowly and moderately. Excess weight can put pressure on your digestive tract and trigger heartburn.
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Never smoke. If you haven't quit yet, another reason to quit immediately is heartburn.
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Stay away from stress. Stress compounds all your stomach problems. Find ways to relax you. Such as yoga, pilates.
CAN I TAKE MEDICATION FOR HEARTBURN?
Your doctor may prescribe medications in appropriate doses to relieve your heartburn. Do not use any medicine for heartburn during pregnancy that is not recommended by your doctor. Your doctor may suggest alternative solutions for heartburn that does not go away and bothers you constantly.
CAN I PREVENT HEARTBURN DURING PREGNANCY?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to prevent heartburn during pregnancy. However, indigestion and heartburn experienced during pregnancy are not a cause for concern. There are some precautions you can take to prevent this.
WHEN DOES HEARTBURN END DURING PREGNANCY?
Unfortunately, heartburn may be a symptom you will experience throughout pregnancy. If these complaints start from the 4th month, you are lucky. You will die. Starting from this month, the uterus begins to grow and puts pressure on your stomach. This is a reason for heartburn. You will get rid of this problem after birth.
PREGNANCY AND REFLUX
If you had reflux problems before pregnancy, heartburn is not a new situation for you. If you use a medication, be sure to consult your doctor whether you can use it during pregnancy. The measures you take to prevent heartburn may be a solution to reflux. If you started experiencing reflux during pregnancy and it happens more than twice a week, consult your doctor. He or she may recommend you a different treatment for this.
IS HEARTBURN DURING PREGNANCY RELATED TO THE BABY BEING BORN WITH HAIR?
The belief that heartburn during pregnancy is related to the baby's hair is based entirely on superstition. There is no logical explanation. What causes heartburn is something related to your hormones that increase during pregnancy.
I wish you a healthy pregnancy
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