How to get rid of heartburn during late pregnancy and before childbirth? The burning sensation can be very intense if

14.05.2019

Pregnancy is not only a pleasant, but also a very important period in a woman's life. The health of the fetus depends on how the expectant mother eats, whether she adheres to the recommended regimen, therefore, pregnant women carefully observe all the changes that occur in their body. The most common complaint at any stage of pregnancy, according to gynecologists, is heartburn. This is a burning sensation that occurs behind the chest and is localized in the posterior wall of the esophagus, which has an upward flow - from the epigastrium to the lower larynx.

In some cases, heartburn can be so painful that a woman's appetite disappears, sleep is disturbed, her mood changes, which together negatively affect the condition of the child and the expectant mother. Such sensations reach their maximum intensity in the third trimester.when the weight of the fetus is about 1.5 kg (at 30 weeks), and the uterus compresses all nearby organs, including the stomach. Not all drugs for heartburn can be taken during pregnancy, so expectant mothers who are faced with this problem must first find out the causes of the pathology and try to eliminate them using available methods.

Heartburn can appear not only during pregnancy, but also in perfectly healthy people if they make mistakes in their diet and abuse foods that can provoke the secretion of hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid is necessary to maintain the acid-base environment of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as the oxidation of gastric juice, which is produced after eating food for its digestion. If a person consumes a large amount of foods that increase the acidity of the stomach, hydrochloric acid begins to corrode the epithelial membrane of the stomach, which is manifested by heartburn, pain in the upper abdomen, and nausea.

Heartburn - why it occurs

To reduce the likelihood of heartburn and improve well-being, a pregnant woman should avoid the following foods:

products with a large amount of chemical additives (sausages, potato chips, croutons, cottage cheese and yoghurts with a long shelf life);
carbonated drinks;
fatty sauces (cream sauce, mayonnaise);
confectionery and pastries with the addition of margarine and butter creams;
spices, herbs and condiments (especially seasonings containing food additive E 621);
fried foods;
fatty meat (lard, bacon, brisket).

Foods containing vinegar can also cause heartburn, so pregnant women should exclude pickled and canned vegetables from the menu. This does not mean that you cannot eat half a pickled cucumber if you really want to, but you should not constantly consume such products until the birth of a child and the end of lactation.

Note! Black and green tea in large quantities can also cause an unpleasant burning sensation behind the breastbone, so the main drinks in the third trimester of pregnancy should be compotes from fresh and dried fruits, berry fruit drinks, teas from chamomile, linden flowers, mint. These drinks have a tonic, vitaminizing and calming effect. Ordinary drinking water is also helpful. It is better to refuse coffee and cocoa during pregnancy.

Causes and provoking factors

In addition to the diet, there are a number of other reasons that can provoke heartburn after 30 weeks of pregnancy. One of them is mechanical compression of the esophageal sphincter, as a result of which the contents of the stomach flows back into the esophageal cavity, burning its walls. To reduce the risk of mechanical heartburn, after a meal, you should not make sudden movements, take a horizontal position, bend over (for example, washing floors). It is best not to leave the table right away, but to sit for a while and read your favorite book. You should also not overeat - if a woman imposes large portions on herself, the likelihood of heartburn will be more than 90%, especially in the last stages of gestation.

Other causes not related to diseases of the digestive system are listed below.

Wearing tight clothing

Clothes for a pregnant woman should always be loose-fitting so that its elements do not put pressure on the stomach. This is very important, since an increase in intra-abdominal pressure caused by compression of the vessels and arteries of the peritoneum is fraught with not only heartburn, but also more serious consequences, the most common of which is fetal hypoxia. If a woman constantly wears tight and tight clothing, the child develops chronic oxygen deprivation, which can lead to the following complications:

malformations of the heart muscle and respiratory organs;
pathology of the central nervous system;
diseases of the hematopoietic system;
disturbances in the functioning of the excretory organs (intestines, bladder, ureters, kidneys).

Important! If in the early stages of pregnancy a woman can wear familiar clothes, then, starting from the twentieth week, the wardrobe should be updated. All clothing must be made of hypoallergenic materials. It is best to purchase it from specialized departments.

Taking medications

Heartburn can be a side effect of certain medications. To find out whether the drug can cause an increase in the secretion of hydrochloric acid, you must carefully read the instructions before use. If you cannot do without the use of a specific medication, you should consult your doctor and additional therapy with antacids allowed during pregnancy.

Stress

Stress is one of the main causes of digestive distress in pregnant women. The emotional background during pregnancy changes - this is facilitated by fluctuations in hormones necessary for the development of pregnancy and the growth of the fetus. Pregnant women often suffer from emotional lability (sudden mood swings), they have increased anxiety, a feeling of fear arises, which is especially intensified after 30 weeks of gestation, as a woman increasingly begins to worry about how the birth will take place, whether the baby will be born healthy and whether she will have time get to the selected hospital on time.

It is necessary to deal with stress in a comprehensive manner.... Frequent walks in the fresh air, a relaxing shower (baths in the third trimester are contraindicated), herbal teas with honey can help in this. With too pronounced psychoemotional disorders, a woman needs the help of a psychologist or neurologist.

Unhealthy sleep

A short or, conversely, too long sleep duration negatively affects the general well-being of a woman and the work of the digestive organs. For a comfortable sleep, it is better to go to bed at the same time (no later than 22 hours). It is useful to take a walk 2 hours before bedtime - oxygen improves blood circulation in the tissues and helps to fall asleep quickly. The quality of bed linen is of great importance - it should be cotton; it is better to use mild detergents without a strong odor for washing.

Advice! Sleep posture also matters. Pregnant women in late pregnancy are advised to sleep on their side with their upper leg lifted. For this, special maternity pillows, which you can buy at any store, are perfect.

How to deal with heartburn: medications

Although there are few contraindications for heartburn medications, not all of them can be used during pregnancy. The table below lists the medications that are approved for use after 28 weeks of gestation, as well as recommendations for the dosage regimen.

Table. Heartburn medications for use after 28 weeks of gestation.

How to use	Contraindications	The cost
Keep 1-2 tablets in the mouth until completely dissolved. Use when symptoms appear. Re-admission is possible in 2 hours. The maximum daily dosage is 11 tablets.	Severe kidney pathologies, increased calcium in the blood, calcium deposits in the kidneys.	170 rubles
15 ml 3-4 times a day 1-2 hours after meals (one dose must be drunk before bedtime).	Hypophosphatemia, severe kidney disease, fructose intolerance.	161 rubles
2-4 tablets after meals. You can take the drug up to 4 times a day for no longer than 7 days in a row.	Phenylketonuria	153 rubles
20 drops 3 times a day (with water).	Traumatic brain injury, calculous type gallbladder inflammation, brain diseases.	564 rubles
1 sachet (diluted in 60 ml of water) 3 times a day.	Fruit sugar intolerance, intestinal obstruction, glucose-galactose malabsorption syndrome.	140 rubles

Folk remedies during pregnancy

If heartburn in a pregnant woman is not associated with diseases of the digestive tract, you can use traditional medicine recipes for treatment, many of which are quite effective. In the absence of the desired result within 5-7 days, the use of medications is indicated.

Cold milk

Milk is one of the most effective foods for quickly treating heartburn during pregnancy. To quickly achieve the desired result, it is best to consume cold milk. Its amount should be at least 500-600 ml per day (about three glasses). This method can be used by anyone who does not suffer from lactose intolerance or chronic constipation.

Advice! Sunflower seeds, raw carrots, green apples have a similar effect.

Kissel

Kissel is a well-known folk remedy for combating heartburn, not only during pregnancy, but also for pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by acidity disorders. For the preparation of jelly, starch is used, which creates a protective film on the surface of the mucous membranes of the stomach and esophagus due to the release of a large amount of mucus. You need to take it half a glass 2-3 times a day (after meals).

Note! Pregnant women suffering from heartburn are not recommended to use berries for cooking jelly, since many of them (currants, cranberries, lingonberries) contain a large amount of acids that can provoke new bouts of heartburn. It is best to cook jelly from green or yellow fruits: pears, apples, apricots.

Mineral water

To neutralize the excess of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, you can use alkaline water, for example, "Borjomi", which is produced in Georgia. Before use, some of the gases should be released from it so as not to provoke flatulence and bloating. It is better to drink water slightly warmed up in 100 ml 4-5 times a day in between meals.

Fresh beetroot juice helps to quickly deal with severe heartburn caused by overeating or eating fatty foods. Beets, like carrots with potatoes, contain a lot of starch, so they quickly envelop the stomach, eliminating unpleasant symptoms. It is necessary to prepare juice from fresh beets. A single dose is 100 ml. If the heartburn persists, you can drink the same amount of juice after 2 hours.

Heartburn is not the worst, but very unpleasant pathology, common in women in the third trimester of pregnancy. There are many safe and effective medicines and folk methods that can help you cope with the problem in a couple of days. If heartburn recurs very often, while the woman eats properly, moves and rests enough, it is necessary to consult a doctor and exclude diseases of the digestive system, which can be aggravated by pregnancy.

Video - Heartburn during pregnancy

It is unlikely that any of the pregnant women will become worried and worried if they feel heartburn. Almost every expectant mother knows that heartburn and pregnancy are inextricably linked, and only exceptional lucky women manage to carry a baby without ever experiencing this most unpleasant sensation.

The fact that heartburn during pregnancy is considered absolutely normal and, as a rule, poses no danger either to pregnancy, or to mom, or to baby, is a well-known fact. And yet women do not sit quietly: burning painful attacks pester with their frequency and intensity, and they have to look for ways to alleviate their condition.

Why does heartburn occur during pregnancy and what to do in such a situation - these questions are of interest to all women during pregnancy.

Causes of heartburn during pregnancy

Maybe you would immediately like to hear a simple and effective way that would solve the problem of how to get rid of heartburn during pregnancy. But it won't. Firstly, there are very different methods of dealing with heartburn, and in any case you will have to look for “your own”, effective specifically for your body. Secondly, only by understanding what heartburn is, and why it occurs, a woman will be able to reduce its manifestations (it is unlikely that she will be able to completely get rid of it).

Early heartburn

Sometimes, sour, burning eructations appear along with other signs in early pregnancy. Already now, from the first weeks, the level of the hormone progesterone in the female body is rapidly increasing, and therefore the pregnant woman observes certain changes in herself. One of these can be heartburn.

Under the action of progesterone, soft tissues are softened, including the muscles of the lower esophageal sphincter - a ring that, when contracted, keeps food entering the stomach inside the stomach, preventing its reverse release. Due to the fact that muscle tissue relaxes during pregnancy, the esophageal valve does not close tightly - gastric juice and food particles are thrown into the esophagus, the walls of which are not designed for an acidic environment. Gastric juice burns the mucous membrane, causing a sensation of severe burning and even pain, which is often accompanied by nausea - this is how heartburn manifests itself.

By the way, for the same reason - relaxation of smooth muscles - constipation occurs during pregnancy, the movement and digestion of food slows down, heaviness in the stomach may appear, etc.

Heartburn in the third trimester

As for heartburn during pregnancy, it is mainly due to two reasons. We have already said about the first, but the second becomes more relevant in the second half of pregnancy, when the fetus and uterus are actively growing. They free up space for themselves inside the peritoneum, while constricting the surrounding internal organs. Together with the rest, the stomach is also under pressure - this also leads to heartburn. By about 25 weeks of gestation, intraperitoneal pressure begins to increase. The situation is aggravated by the bearing of multiple pregnancies and the transverse presentation of the fetus - the stomach in these cases suffers even more. Often, a burning sensation appears or intensifies when taking antispasmodics, including herbal ones (for example, mint tea).

Meanwhile, other factors can also provoke and intensify this unpleasant phenomenon:

abuse of fried, spicy, fatty, sour foods;
overeating;
fresh sweet pastries and ice cream;
sour fruits and berries;
drinking coffee, strong sweet tea;
black bread;
carbonated drinks;
physical exercise;
smoking, etc.

If we cannot influence the first two reasons - the activity of progesterone and compression of the stomach - then the way of life and nutrition is in our sphere of influence.

How to deal with heartburn during pregnancy: treatment

Knowing the causes and understanding the mechanism of occurrence of such a symptom, we can understand what to do with heartburn during pregnancy and what not to do.

First of all, it is necessary to correctly compose your daily diet so that the dishes and products included in it do not contribute to the appearance of a bitter-sour burning belching.

It is better to completely abandon or at least limit fatty, fried, spicy, peppery, smoked, sour foods and foods. Reduce the amount of coarse fiber consumed (this is cabbage, onions, radishes, radishes), mushrooms, nuts, mustard and other sauces, tomatoes, oranges. The emphasis should be placed on steamed dishes, it is good to use viscous cereals, jelly, low-fat boiled fish, cottage cheese, sour cream, butter for heartburn. Bread is best eaten white and not soft.

Diet food will help to improve well-being and health in general, will bring up the right eating habits, will be an excellent preparation for the upcoming period of breastfeeding and will help not to gain excess weight, which is also important.

The menu should also exclude coffee, fresh pastries, in some cases - chocolate, ice cream. It is necessary to take food slowly, chewing well, in small portions, without loading or stretching the stomach, but often, approximately every 2 hours. In this case, it is important that the last meal took place a few hours before bedtime, and no matter when you ate, you cannot go to bed immediately after that: stay upright for a while so that the food has time to sink into the stomach.

Don't slouch. At a later date, due to heartburn, you may even have to sleep half-sitting, or at least raise the head of the bed.

Try not to bend over unnecessarily and wear clothing that does not squeeze the stomach area. Excess weight during pregnancy can also lead to frequent heartburn, so weight gain should be strictly controlled. It is also necessary to establish regular bowel movements, because straining with constipation increases intra-abdominal pressure and can provoke heartburn.

Be sure to drink a sufficient amount of liquid, but in no case during or immediately after a meal, but only in between meals. If you suffer from heartburn, and you have not yet found your effective method of how to get rid of it, then just try to drink warm boiled water. However, it is cold water that helps someone. And also the "Borjomi" mineral water can extinguish the "fire".

However, this technique will not be effective for everyone and not always. It often happens that the remedies for heartburn during pregnancy, which helped a woman before, after a certain period of time lose their effectiveness, and you have to search and experiment again, and therefore, having an arsenal of simple, affordable and effective methods in stock will certainly not hurt.

Folk remedies for heartburn during pregnancy

And, of course, we first of all resort to traditional medicine recipes. Let's say right away that there will be no talk of phytotherapy or aromatherapy today. Let these areas be able to give good results in the treatment of heartburn, but there are many contraindications and warnings to the use of certain herbs and essential oils during pregnancy. Therefore, such treatment should be prescribed strictly on an individual basis, taking into account the duration of pregnancy, health status and individual characteristics of the pregnant woman's body.

More relevant are the simple tips and recipes used by the people for many centuries, which for different women during the period of carrying a baby proved to be effective in combating heartburn:

Sunflower or pumpkin seeds (preferably raw, not fried) - eat, carefully peeling, in small quantities.
Almond Kernels - Eat a few.
High quality vegetable oil or butter - just eat a teaspoon.
Apples. It happens that the woman's body itself requires them, and then it turns out that they also help from heartburn.
Fresh milk, cream and other dairy products.
Raw carrots or cucumber, previously peeled.
A crust of white bread, better stale, not from a fresh roll.
A piece of chocolate (but in others, on the contrary, it contributes to the appearance of heartburn).

Sometimes even chewing gum can eliminate such an unpleasant phenomenon. For every organism, this may turn out to be a completely unexpected product or drink.

Heartburn during pregnancy and soda

Many women, the old fashioned way, make a fizzy from soda and vinegar, or simply drink a glass of warm water with soda dissolved in it. Such a recipe is indeed able to eliminate heartburn for a while, but doctors do not recommend it to anyone, and even forbid pregnant women.

The fact is that the effect of soda with heartburn is deceptive: the combination of soda with hydrochloric acid leads to the formation of carbon dioxide, and this reaction provokes the release of the next portion of hydrochloric acid. Thus, when drinking baking soda, heartburn will occur more and more with increasing intensity.

But it is even worse that soda penetrates the mother's bloodstream, disrupting the water-salt balance in her body and leading to a delay in fluid tissues, the formation of edema.

Rennie for heartburn during pregnancy

Of course, it is better to find a simple safe way to deal with heartburn during pregnancy with folk remedies. But, firstly, this is not always possible, and secondly, in different life situations it becomes necessary to eliminate heartburn quickly, simply and conveniently - that is, with the help of a pill.

There are not so many drugs approved for use by pregnant women that can fight heartburn. But Rennie collects the most positive reviews from both doctors and women themselves. This is a drug from the group of non-absorbable antacids that absorbs hydrochloric acid and covers the walls of the stomach with a protective film - heartburn disappears within 1-2 minutes after taking the pill. This group of drugs includes Almagel, Maalox, Talcid and others.

And even such a drug should not be abused: contact his help only in case of urgent need and remember that more than 16 tablets per day should not be taken in any case. Such caution is mainly due to the content of calcium carbonate in Rennie's composition, and its excess, as you know, leads to hardening of the baby's skull bones, which complicates childbirth. It also contains magnesium carbonate, which is why progressive modern gynecologists still prefer to do without such medicinal prescriptions. Please note that it is impossible to combine Rennie's reception with iron preparations (and others too): the latter is less absorbed in such an ensemble.

In addition to Rennie, homeopathic remedies are also a good choice of medicine for heartburn and other unpleasant symptoms: Nux vomica, Pulsatilla, Sodium chloride, Causticum - a professional homeopathic doctor will help determine the choice and treatment regimen.

Heartburn during pregnancy: signs

In no case do not self-medicate - coordinate all actions with your doctor.

While there are many ways to relieve heartburn, sometimes nothing at all helps. There is no other choice but to courageously wait for the birth - then relief will come.

In the meantime, you can have a little fun: heartburn during pregnancy and signs - at the end of our today's article.

It has long been popular among the people that heartburn occurs in women carrying thick or long-haired babies. Allegedly, it is the fetal hair that causes a burning sensation inside. Another version: that just at the time when the expectant mother develops heartburn, her baby's hair and marigolds begin to grow inside the womb.

Modern doctors categorically do not share such theories: there is no scientific confirmation for them. But pregnant women love to discuss this topic with each other and compare how it was. Why not?...

Especially for - Margarita SOLOVIEVA

Pregnancy is, on the one hand, happiness for every woman. But, on the other hand, there are a lot of problems. Including health. The enlargement of the uterus at the end of the gestational period leads to a change in the relative position of the internal organs, both in the abdominal cavity and in the cavity of the small pelvis and chest.

Some women suffer from severe heartburn at the end of pregnancy.

At the end of pregnancy:

It becomes harder for a woman to breathe (the uterus compresses the diaphragm, the ability of the chest to expand is reduced).
Posture is impaired (the center of gravity of the body is shifted, the muscles are in constant tension).
There are problems with urination (the uterus presses on the bladder, reducing its volume, the urge to urinate appears much more often than before).
Frequent dizziness appears (especially in the supine position, since the uterus compresses the inferior vena cava, blood flow to the heart is disrupted).

In addition, the pregnant uterus significantly alters the motor-evacuation ability of the gastrointestinal tract. This leads to the occurrence of conditions for abnormal movement of food, the throwing of stomach contents into the esophagus and the occurrence of heartburn. In the general population, the incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease reaches 45%. According to other studies, the greatest prevalence of this problem is observed in the United States (29%), Sweden (17%), Great Britain and Spain (10% each).

Heartburn in the third trimester of pregnancy occurs with an even higher frequency than in non-pregnant women of the same age and men.

The frequency of its occurrence significantly increases if a woman has problems with being overweight, takes certain medications (calcium channel blockers, β-blockers), has an addiction to coffee, chocolate, fatty foods or fruit juices. If, before pregnancy, symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux have already been observed, then the last trimester is accompanied by a significant increase in its manifestations.

Disease mechanisms

Reflux occurs when cardia is insufficient

The main manifestation of gastroesophageal disease in pregnant women is heartburn. Heartburn means an unpleasant sensation, discomfort, burning sensation behind the lower and middle third of the sternum, which can rise from the upper abdomen up to the neck. In gastroenterological science, several key causes of heartburn and other reflux symptoms have been identified:

Inability of the lower esophageal sphincter to fully perform its function.
Throwing the contents of the duodenum and stomach into the esophagus.
Decrease in the rate of normal clearance of the esophageal mucosa.
Reducing the ability of the mucus of the esophageal glands to neutralize gastric acid.

In the body of a pregnant woman, the prerequisites for all the listed disorders develop. For most women, heartburn appears in the early stages of pregnancy. However, by the 3rd trimester, its frequency and intensity increase significantly. Given the extreme prevalence of heartburn during pregnancy, many women and obstetricians-gynecologists do not consider it a serious problem. Moreover, it is believed that this is a normal and expected phenomenon. Some scientists propose to single out a separate symptom - heartburn of pregnant women, as one of the usual manifestations of bearing a fetus.

Pregnancy has a serious impact on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Hormonal changes in the body lead to a decrease in the mechanical function of the intestine - peristalsis (due to a decrease in the sensitivity of intestinal cells to serotonin, histamine). The general tone of intestinal smooth muscles also decreases under the influence of high levels of progesterone. In addition, progesterone reduces the anti-inflammatory effect of cells in the gastrointestinal tract and exacerbation of previously compensated diseases (chronic gastritis, pancreatitis, colitis) occurs. The increase in intra-abdominal pressure leads to a disruption in coordination between the work of the stomach, small and large intestines.

Progesterone reduces the tone of the NPS

Changes in the composition of the normal microbial flora of the gastrointestinal tract deserve special attention. Hormonal changes that began in the first trimester reach their peak by the end of pregnancy. There are disturbances in water-electrolyte and carbohydrate metabolism, which has a beneficial effect on the growth of microorganisms, which contribute to an increase in acidity in the upper parts of the digestive system. Together with mechanical disturbances in the functioning of digestion, this leads to an increasingly frequent occurrence of heartburn symptoms.

What is accompanied by heartburn?

Changes in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract during pregnancy are manifested not only by heartburn. This symptom is most noticeable. However, a number of other manifestations are observed, which should be paid attention to and coordinated correction of the state of the body together with an obstetrician-gynecologist and a gastroenterologist.

With a significant violation of the state of the digestive tract, vomiting may join heartburn in the third trimester. Its severity varies considerably: from single episodes to extremely severe, accompanied by constant nausea, repeated, daily vomiting.

If vomiting is not controlled by anything, leads to a violation of general well-being, a decrease in the daily volume of urine, then you need to urgently seek medical help.

Often, the symptoms of gastroesophageal disease in pregnant women are superimposed on other diseases that have the same causes and require full and timely treatment. Symptoms from the hepatobiliary system come to the fore here. Compression of the biliary tract by an enlarged uterus leads to the occurrence of cholestasis in pregnant women. It is manifested by the appearance of a feeling of heaviness in the right hypochondrium, bitterness in the mouth joins the heartburn, yellow coloration of the sclera and skin, skin itching may appear. If before pregnancy there was chronic cholecystitis, then during gestation it often worsens and the question arises of the need for surgical treatment.

Cholestasis of pregnant women is most often manifested during the third trimester.

How can heartburn be complicated?

In most cases of pregnancy, heartburn is temporary. She gets in trouble until her root cause disappears. That is, before delivery. However, there are a number of situations in which it is impossible to choose a wait-and-see tactic, but more decisive measures should be taken.

First of all, we are talking about the indomitable vomiting of pregnant women. The relationship between the frequency and severity of heartburn and vomiting in the third trimester of pregnancy has not been fully established. However, it remains an undeniable fact that these two symptoms go hand in hand. Severe vomiting is accompanied by the loss of large amounts of fluids and electrolytes. This leads to dehydration and a decrease in the concentration of chlorine ions in the blood. These shifts can negatively affect not only the well-being of a woman, but also the condition of her child.

Despite the fact that in most cases after childbirth, heartburn and other manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease disappear on their own, in some women these symptoms persist. In this case, it is said that pregnancy triggered the development of reflux. In the future, a woman may suffer from heartburn and other dyspeptic disorders for a long time.

How to fight and how to treat?

The main goal of heartburn treatment is to stimulate the body's protective factors from the aggressive effect of gastric juice on the esophageal mucosa and to reduce the degree of manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux. The details of how to treat heartburn during pregnancy in the third trimester should be discussed on a case-by-case basis by the attending physician. Universal recipes are not suitable for every woman.

Treatment should always begin with training in food hygiene and behavior. In most cases, you can get rid of heartburn during pregnancy if you do not lie down or bend over for 2-3 hours after eating. It is also recommended to sleep with a slightly raised head end of the bed.

The selection of drugs from the group of H2-histamine blockers, proton pump inhibitors or antacids should be performed by the doctor after a full examination, having weighed all the risks for the mother and child.

Heartburn during late pregnancy - manifests itself very often and is observed in a large number of expectant mothers. Some women experience similar discomfort throughout the entire nine months of carrying a baby.

In most cases, the appearance of such a symptom is due to physiological factors rather than pathological ones. This is often due to irrational nutrition and the significant size of the baby, which strongly compresses the internal organs and leads to their displacement.

Treatment of heartburn at 40 weeks of gestation is somewhat different from the treatment of a similar symptom in the early stages of gestation. The fairer sex is allowed to take certain medications, as well as use traditional medicine.

Etiology

A large number of predisposing factors can cause discomfort and discomfort in the chest, but the leading one is the dysfunction of the esophageal sphincter. Active intrauterine growth of the fetus leads to stretching of the walls and weakening of the valve muscles. This is due to the growing uterus, which presses on nearby organs, including the stomach, and under the pressure of the uterus, gastric juice has no other way out but to penetrate back into the esophageal cavity and irritate the mucous membrane of this organ. It follows from this that heartburn is rather mechanical in nature.

Nevertheless, there are several more reasons that lead to the appearance of heartburn in the last period of bearing a child:

frequent episodes of overeating. Many people mistakenly believe that a pregnant woman should eat a lot, and this is one of the main reasons for the formation of such a sign;
addiction to junk food, namely to too fatty and spicy foods, as well as smoked meats, sweets and highly salted food;
the habit of performing active movements or taking a horizontal position of the body immediately after eating;
drinking a lot of carbonated drinks or strong coffee during a meal;
wearing by a pregnant woman overly tight clothing that squeezes not only the fetus, but also the stomach;
addiction to bad habits, which in itself carries enormous harm to the health of the expectant mother and baby;
hormonal changes - during pregnancy, a woman's body produces large amounts of progesterone. This hormone, which is necessary for the full development of the fetus, has a relaxing effect on the sphincter;
an increase in intra-abdominal pressure - pregnancy, this is one of the few phenomena that can lead to a similar process;
wrong or uncomfortable sleeping position;
the influence of stressful situations, as well as anxiety before future childbirth;
taking some groups of drugs. Despite the fact that there are several medicines approved for use by women during pregnancy, non-compliance with the dosage and their prolonged use can cause heartburn.

In addition, some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, occurring in a chronic form and aggravated during the period of gestation, can cause heartburn in late pregnancy. Among such diseases, one can distinguish peptic ulcer of the duodenum or stomach, as well as gastritis, regardless of etiology.

Symptoms

Symptoms that may accompany heartburn in the third trimester of pregnancy practically do not differ from the signs of a similar process in the earlier stages of bearing a baby.

The main manifestations include:

a feeling of intense or moderate heat and burning in the chest region, which can spread throughout the esophagus and go down the throat;
pain syndrome of varying intensity;
belching with an unpleasant sour smell;
the appearance of a bitter taste in the mouth;
attacks of severe coughing;
profuse sweating;
increased gas formation;
a feeling of heaviness and fullness in the stomach. This is due to the fact that during pregnancy, the processes of food digestion are significantly slowed down;
violation of the process of defecation, which is expressed in the alternation of constipation and diarrhea.

Such symptoms can be expressed in a significant degree of intensity, which depends on how conscientiously the expectant mother follows the preventive recommendations.

Treatment

Neutralization of belching at 39 weeks of gestation is carried out in several ways:

taking approved medications;
observance of food rules;
using traditional medicine recipes.

If such an unpleasant manifestation as heartburn gives a woman significant discomfort, then the doctor may prescribe the use of certain medications, namely:

Rennie is one of the safest medicines that can be taken by pregnant women, regardless of the length of time. Such a substance is made on the basis of magnesium and calcium carbonate;
Almagel is an antacid composed of aluminum and magnesium. The duration of its action is one and a half hours, which is why the drug will help neutralize moderate heartburn, but is not suitable for long-term use;
Maalox - a distinctive feature of such a medicine is that it can ease the pain that is often accompanied by heartburn;
Phosphalugel - besides the main action, it is a sorbent, which is why it is not suitable for long-term use. Side effects include constipation and flushing of substances useful for the body from the body;
Iberogast is a herbal preparation. However, it should be used only when it is impossible to use other medicines, because it is produced as an alcohol tincture;
Gestid is one of the few drugs that is suitable for frequent use and is easily tolerated by the body, since it has practically no side effects;
Gaviscon.

Such medicines are aimed at reducing the acidity of gastric juice. In addition, they envelop the mucous membrane, do not harm the child, since they are not absorbed by the blood, and also do not change the acid-base balance. Despite the fact that such drugs are allowed for heartburn at 38 weeks of gestation and later, you should not take them on your own.

Traditional medicine is widely used to relieve the manifestation of heartburn while carrying a baby. These treatments include:

Milk is an effective remedy
for heartburn during pregnancy

freshly squeezed potato juice;
milk;
grated carrots;
raw change of pumpkin and sunflower;
medicinal tea based on chamomile and ginger;
flaxseed jelly;
aloe juice with honey;
decoction of heather and fennel;
carefully washed and chopped boiled egg shells;
centaury and calendula;
chamomile and mint;
chopped peeled nuts;
alkaline waters without gas.

Prevention

In order to avoid the occurrence of heartburn during pregnancy in the third trimester, it is best for females to follow these rules:

eat food often, but in small portions;
chew food thoroughly;
enrich the diet with vitamins and nutrients;
live a healthy life;
be outdoors more often. Walking after meals is especially important;
completely exclude spicy, fatty and salty foods, as well as sweets and confectionery from your diet;
try to eat the last time two hours before bedtime;
sleeping is best on your back, so that the head and shoulders are slightly higher than the body and lower limbs;
wear only loose clothing that will not press on the stomach;
drink fluids separately from meals;
minimize the use of medications.

Since the causes of heartburn, the degree of its manifestation and concomitant symptoms differ, then the elimination of this manifestation in pregnant women will be individual in nature.

Similar materials

Heartburn and belching in most cases bother people of any age group and gender immediately after eating. Their occurrence can provoke a wide range of factors, ranging from the consumption of a large number of fatty foods and ending with pathologies on the part of the digestive system.

Most pregnant women know what heartburn is, especially in the third trimester. If a burning sensation begins in the esophagus, this causes concern in women. The main reason for the appearance of an unpleasant sensation lies in the reverse throw of a semi-digested food lump from the stomach into the esophagus. The aggressive acidic environment irritates the lining of the esophageal walls, causing heartburn. Therapy with medicines and folk remedies is based on relieving discomfort, relieving burning sensation.

Hormonal fluctuations in expectant mothers often provoke heartburn.

Causes

Heartburn can occur at different times of pregnancy, and each time the discomfort manifests itself in a different way. The provocateur of heartburn in the first and second trimester is the process of relaxation of the circular muscle valve, which blocks the entrance from the esophagus to the stomach. Usually the sphincter is tense, but the intense production of progesterone, which is responsible for muscle relaxation, contributes to its stretching. In this state, it loosely covers the opening, so food can fall back into the esophagus.

As the uterus grows and pregnancy progresses to the third trimester, another problem is added. The fetus becomes large enough, so it puts pressure on the stomach and nearby organs. Food, especially when overeating, is simply squeezed by the uterus back into the esophagus, provoking its irritation by the acidic environment and the appearance of burning. The burning sensation can become unbearable if:

pregnancy - multiple;
there is polyhydramnios;
a child of an especially large size.

The provoking factors that cause heartburn at 28-40 weeks of gestation are:

Overeating. In the later stages, large portions should be avoided. It is better to eat often and fractionally, in small portions.
Abuse of junk food, as well as fatty, salty, smoked, sour, spicy.
Excessive activity immediately after eating. Especially heartburn in the third trimester will torment if you bend sharply, start lifting weights.
Rest lying down immediately after eating. In this position, food is easily thrown back into the esophagus due to the contractile abilities of the working stomach and the relaxation of the sphincter muscle.
Drinking alcoholic beverages, soda. The corrosive components of liquids themselves are irritating.
Abuse of muffins, black bread, sour berries, vegetables and fruits.
Wearing tight clothing or a special bandage. When the abdomen and chest are squeezed from the outside and increased intra-abdominal pressure, the organs are under stress, signaling this with heartburn.
Acute chronic pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis, ulcer.

Signs

Heartburn torments a pregnant woman at 28-40 weeks immediately after a meal. The discomfort can last anywhere from 5 minutes to several hours. The attacks are constantly repeated, exacerbated. Sleep is disturbed due to nighttime burning sensations. Common symptoms of heartburn during pregnancy:

frequent belching with a sour or bitter taste in the mouth;
burning sensation along the entire length of the esophagus;
chest pain;
bloating;
paroxysmal dry cough;
the woman is often nauseous, then vomiting appears.

Each pregnant woman has a different severity of these symptoms. This largely depends on the observance of the rules of a healthy diet, the manifestation of moderate physical activity.

Heartburn and nausea in third trimester pregnancy

Toxicosis with heartburn, when the 36-38 week of pregnancy occurs, causes concern, because often these symptoms are accompanied by various diseases of the internal organs: the gallbladder, liver.

Nausea with heartburn can be a sign of preeclampsia - a symptom complex of complications of a physiologically ongoing pregnancy. Additional symptoms of the condition are:

a sharp increase in body weight;
severe swelling;
a sharp jump in blood pressure;
pathological changes in the composition of urine.

Women are at risk for the development of late gestosis if:

history of miscarriages and abortions;
there are chronic diseases;
there is a Rh-conflict in the blood of the mother and the fetus.

Nausea with heartburn in the last weeks of gestation can be caused by:

poisoning;
overdose of medications for pregnant women, for example, containing iron.

If, according to the results of analyzes and ultrasound, pathologies are not diagnosed, it is accepted

The reason for the discomfort in expectant mothers may be the peculiarity of the course of pregnancy.

the decision about what causes the burning sensation physiological characteristics of the pregnancy. The growth of the uterus with the fetus significantly pushes the rest of the organs and presses heavily on the stomach. Therefore, when eating and after a meal, a woman is often nauseated, tormented by heartburn, and bouts of vomiting are possible. Also, the uterus presses on the diaphragm, causing shortness of breath.

It is believed that nausea and increased burning sensation by 38 weeks of gestation indicates the imminent onset of labor.

If heartburn is not caused by a pathology, the pregnant woman can cope with the discomfort on her own. To get rid of discomfort in the last weeks, it is enough to follow general recommendations and take preventive measures. Tips to eliminate or reduce heartburn in the last weeks of pregnancy:

Good nutrition with healthy products.
Fractional food intake in small portions.
Limiting physical activity immediately after a meal.
Drinking water and other drinks between snacks.
Wearing loose, non-abdominal clothing made from natural fabrics.
Reducing the use of painkillers like No-Shpe. These medications weaken the muscle tissue in the GI tract, which makes reflux heartburn worse.
Rest and sleep on a double pillow.

As an invariable preventive measure to prevent the appearance of a burning sensation, adherence to the rules and diet, which are as follows:

Minimal use of salt in cooking.
Refusal from junk food, including chocolate, peanuts, citrus fruits, smoked meats, canned food.
Enrichment of the daily diet with meat and fish. These foods supply the body with iodine and fatty acids, which stabilize the heart and circulatory system.

If heartburn is especially severe, in the last month it is recommended to eat steamed vegetables and fruits baked in the oven, chopped in mashed potatoes.