Heartburn in pregnancy – how to relieve the annoying burning sensation?

Almost every mother-to-be complains of unpleasant burning and burning in the esophagus. In some pregnant women, heartburn appears even at the beginning of pregnancy and becomes more severe in the second and third trimesters. Nuisance burning can be tamed easily without harming the child. All you have to do is change your eating habits.

The culprits of heartburn in pregnancy are many. The culprits are not only hormonal disorders in the female body, but also improper lifestyle and daily diet. Although treatment options for heartburn are limited due to pregnancy, you can take control of it. It is worth knowing whether the use of heartburn medication is safe for a pregnant woman?

Heartburn in pregnancy – why it occurs

Bothersome discomfort for the mother-to-be is caused by several factors. One of them is progesterone, which lining the uterine mucosa. As it grows, it relaxes the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, and this is why the food content enters the esophagus. As a result, an expectant mother may develop heartburn in early pregnancy. Mild heartburn at the beginning of pregnancy is not yet so troublesome. It can be alleviated by changing eating habits.

Heartburn Symptoms:

• Persistent burning and burning in the esophagus or throat,
• retrosternal pains,
• A sour aftertaste in the mouth,
• constant bouncing,
• vomiting.

Heartburn in pregnancy is exacerbated by poor diet. It is particularly troublesome if the mother-to-be eats a lot of fatty and spicy foods, and in the second and third trimesters, when the stretched uterus causes pressure on the stomach. The solution to the problem may be to change the lying position to the left side. The pressure will then be less, and the sour taste in the mouth will not be so strongly felt.

See also: 24 week of pregnancy – positioning and weight of the baby

Ways to get heartburn during pregnancy

If a woman is in doubt about what for heartburn during pregnancy will be safe for her and the baby, she should talk to her doctor or pharmacist. It is not advisable to use pharmaceuticals on their own. Specialists will help select medicines for heartburn in pregnancy that will not endanger the health of the baby. The most commonly used and safest are aluminum-based lotions. These types of substances also contain heartburn pills for pregnancy, which can be sucked several times a day. There are also effervescent lozenges available at the pharmacy, which work very quickly to bring relief.

Troublesome discomfort can be alleviated by using home remedies for heartburn in pregnancy. These can be infusions of herbs, such as chamomile or mint. Ginger root infusions, ginger cookies or adding ginger to food are also recommended for heartburn. Pregnant women need to know that ginger root can be consumed as long as they do not have high blood pressure during pregnancy. 

Baking soda is also useful. Dissolve a teaspoon of soda in a glass of boiled water. Soda for heartburn in pregnancy is commonly used, but it should not be abused. Excess substances in the body cause diarrhea.

Another method is a glass of water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a tablespoon of honey. The solution should be drunk at the onset of the first symptoms of heartburn. In emergency situations, you can also eat a handful of almonds. They have an antacid effect on hydrochloric acid in the stomach.

The key element to get rid of heartburn in pregnancy is diet. In the daily menu, the mother-to-be should avoid foods that are too fatty or spicy, increasing the secretion of gastric juices. Meals should not only be easily digestible, but also small and frequent. Overeating is completely inadvisable. 

To avoid heartburn, you should also avoid:

• Eating out for the night,
• sweets with a high fat content,
• smoking cigarettes (during pregnancy this should be obvious, but unfortunately some moms smoke),
• tight clothes,
• Sleeping in an inappropriate position (e.g., too low).

For heartburn in pregnancy you can drink equally milk, natural buttermilk, kefir or yogurt. They will act ad hoc on burning and burning in the esophagus. Flaxseed, which has properties that coat the stomach mucosa and soothe the ailment, will also work. They can be drunk with milk and honey.

Many women wonder if heartburn can be a symptom of pregnancy. The ailment should not be considered a symptom of fertilization. Progesterone also increases in the second half of the cycle, and you may then experience the same discomfort. Heartburn can also be a symptom of reflux, an affliction associated with the backflow of food content into the stomach, which should be treated.

Read also: Diet during pregnancy – what harms the baby? What to eat during pregnancy?