Reflux during pregnancy is mainly characterized by the symptom of pyrosis, which begins at any time during pregnancy and worsens with the baby’s increase in size, this problem arises from hormonal changes that slow intestinal flow and by the growth of the fetus, which compresses the stomach and pushes food upwards, causing reflux.
Treatment to stop reflux during pregnancy involves changing your diet, quitting smoking, avoiding bedtime immediately after meals, taking medications, and taking some allowed teas, such as ginger tea and chamomile.
Symptoms of reflux during pregnancy are the same as the causes of the disease in all people, such as:
These symptoms tend to become stronger and more common after the 27th week of pregnancy, and women who have already had this problem or who have been pregnant are more likely to develop reflux.
Treatment of reflux during pregnancy mainly includes changes in diet and lifestyle, however, medications may also be indicated:
Dietary changes include eating small amounts of food at each meal, increasing the number of meals per day to maintain adequate caloric intake.
In addition, chocolate, mint, coffee, pepper and acidic foods such as orange and pineapple should be avoided as they relax the esophageal muscle, facilitate the return of food and irritate the stomach.worsening symptoms of the disease.
It’s important to know which foods cause symptoms to remove them from the diet, as harmful foods vary by person’s body.See more tips in Reflux Diet.
In addition to taking care of your diet, it’s also important to quit smoking and avoid bed immediately after meals, and wait at least 2 hours.
In case of night reflux, the head of the bed should rise between 5 and 15 cm, as this inclination prevents food from returning from the stomach.
Some magnesium or calcium-based medications may be used during pregnancy to combat reflux symptoms, such as bisured magnesia pills, magnesia milk, or Mylanta plus.
However, it is important to remember that all medications should be taken according to medical advice.In addition, pregnant women should avoid using medicines with baking soda as they increase water retention.
Alternatives such as acupuncture and aromatherapy, which use lemon and orange essential oils to massage the chest and back or to exhale ambient vapors, can be used to treat reflux naturally.
Another alternative is to consume infusions of mint, chamomile, ginger and dandelion, remembering that dandelion is contraindicated in cases of diabetes, as it interferes with medications.See the full list of teas banned during pregnancy.
The following video provides dietary advice to combat reflux, but it’s important to remember that weight loss is not recommended during pregnancy.
If in addition to reflux you also suffer from gastritis, see here how to treat this problem.