During pregnancy, expectant mother awaitsa lot of different surprises. And as pleasant, and not so. And one of these surprises is heartburn. And there is a very widespread opinion that heartburn appears in the second half of pregnancy. However, this is no more than just a myth. Thousands of women will tell you that they have experienced such a phenomenon as heartburn during pregnancy in the early stages. And heartburn during the expectation of the child may appear even in those women who previously had no idea about such a problem. But during pregnancy, they get a wonderful chance to personally become familiar with all the "delights" of heartburn. Of course, from this few people enjoy this phenomenon. That's why today we will try to figure out why this heartburn arises and how to fight it. 
Causes of heartburn and its symptoms
First, let's find out what heartburn is. In fact, it is casting the contents of the stomach - in particular, hydrochloric acid - into the esophagus. This phenomenon is called reflux. Under the influence of gastric juice, irritation of the esophagus walls and subsequent inflammation occurs. On long term pregnancies, the appearance of heartburn is easily explained by the increasing uterus in size, which strongly presses on the stomach. And why does heartburn occur in the early stages of pregnancy? After all, even the old popular belief does not explain this. Do you know about the popular belief? It used to be believed that heartburn appears in the period when the crumbs are growing hairs? Although, of course, this is no more than prejudices that do not have any scientific basis. Modern science, however, explains the appearance of heartburn in the early stages of pregnancy by a banal change in the hormonal background of a future mother. In particular - a strong increase in the level of progesterone. This hormone is necessary for the normal course of pregnancy and fetal development. For example, it is he who is responsible for relaxing the smooth muscles of the uterus in order to exclude the possibility of developing a tone and, as a result, spontaneous miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy. However, the action of progesterone extends not only to the musculature of the uterus, but also to all other organs. So, the tone of the sphincter, which is located between the stomach and esophagus, also decreases. As a result, the contents of the stomach are thrown into the esophagus and, as a consequence, heartburn occurs. And the higher the level of progesterone, the more expectant mother annoy heartburn. Future mothers characterize heartburn as a burning sensation in the chest and / or throat, most often very painful. Moreover - sometimes heartburn is a kind of trigger mechanism, provoking the appearance of severe nausea and vomiting. As one future mummy put it - the feeling, like you're a fire-breathing dragon from a fairy tale. Do you also know this feeling? Do not tolerate it - because heartburn is quite realistic to keep under strict control. Of course, if you know how to do it right. This is what we will tell you right now. 
Compliance with the therapeutic diet
Probably, no one needs to explain how importantfor the future mother, proper nutrition. However, very often women neglect the diet, finding various unconvincing excuses and excuses. But irrational nutrition can not only harm the baby and lead to the development of vitamin deficiency in the mother, but also provoke the development of severe and painful heartburn. And the woman will have to revise her diet. So is it worth bringing to this? First, clean up your diet:
- Meal time
If you are used to the whole day before pregnancystarve, catching a bun on a run or a cup of coffee, and in the evening from the heart to gorge on, during pregnancy you will have a hard time. After all, such a diet is inadmissible in any case - food should be fractional. Portions put small, but eat often - then the load on the stomach will be very low, and you will not feel hungry. Eat slowly, chewing food carefully. Doctors give one universal advice, helping to prevent the occurrence of not only heartburn, but also toxicosis. In the evening, cook and put something light around the bed - for example, cookies or nuts. In the morning, without getting out of bed, eat them - just a small amount, no more than 20 grams. After that, lie down for another 10 minutes. And you should not eat later than two hours before going to bed. If the feeling of hunger is very strong, you can drink a glass of yogurt or eat 100 grams of fat-free cottage cheese. By the way, cottage cheese during pregnancy is an indispensable product - it relieves heartburn and nausea, and from the lack of calcium, the future mother and her baby are insured.
- List of Prohibited Products
Strictly watch what you eat. If you do not want to become a victim of not only heartburn but also gastritis, exclude certain foods from your menu. First, end up with all products containing artificial preservatives and colorants. Secondly, do not eat spicy, salty and smoked foods, fatty foods. In addition, we will also have to give up sweets - chocolates, cakes and sweets are strictly forbidden. Of course, for many future mothers, this is not so simple - they are so fond of pampering themselves with something sweet! However, you can always find an alternative - for example, during pregnancy, you can use in reasonable amounts of pastilles, marmalade, marshmallows, dried fruits. Fruits and vegetables are also very necessary for the future mother - they contain a huge amount of vitamins, minerals, micro and macro elements. However, not all fruits and vegetables are so useful - many are quite capable of provoking the development of severe heartburn. Take care that they are not too acidic, or, conversely, sweet, because this increases the acidity of gastric juice. Keep track of what you are drinking. The future mum can not drink any carbonated drinks - no mineral water, no lemonade. Coffee, sweet and sour juices are also strictly forbidden. Doctors recommend future mothers compotes of dried fruits, fruit drinks, pure drinking water. Do not drink water at the time of food intake - this at times increases the likelihood of developing severe heartburn.
- Featured Products
But do not sit the same future mother hungry? Of course not. There are a number of delicious foods that are also extremely useful for the health of mom and baby. For example, all types of fermented milk products - of course, except for containing artificial colors and preservatives of yogurts and curd desserts. All varieties of fish, poultry and meat, which the future mother uses for food, should be low-fat. And all the products should either be boiled, baked in the oven, or cooked for a couple - fried is strictly contraindicated. Try to reduce the consumption of animal fats to a possible minimum - they are highly undesirable. As, incidentally, and all kinds of sauces - mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and others. Completely eliminate, no matter what was seasoning and spices - you can leave only salt, and even in very limited quantities. Salt is not the only heartburn can provoke, but also the development of edema. Agree, the prospect is not a pleasant one. Try to eat after meals for at least 15 minutes - this will halve the risk of heartburn.
Other measures to prevent heartburn
So, we understood the food. What other measures can prevent the occurrence of heartburn in the first half of pregnancy? They are not so much, but all these measures are extremely effective and tested by many women:
- Pose during sleep
Try not to sleep on your back - it is in this positionThe throwing of the contents of the stomach into the esophagus occurs most often. In the event that you are used to sleeping on your back, the first time will be very difficult. Experienced moms advise sewing in the back pajamas tennis ball - on your back you can not exactly sleep. Of course, a couple of nights torment, but then get used to and do not turn over on your back. By the way, it will be very useful to you later, when the tummy grows up. It is during this period with a pose for sleep that complications begin - on the abdomen the future mother can no longer sleep, she can not simply sleep on her back. In the position on the back, the uterus, increasing in size, presses on a large vein located directly under the uterus. This can lead to unpleasant consequences. During sleep, you need to lift your shoulders and head - you can use a pillow, because you hardly have a bed with a raised head. Such a position of the body reduces the likelihood of pelting the contents of the stomach into the esophagus. So, the risk of heartburn is much less. And during a day's rest - while reading or watching TV - try to occupy a similar position.
- clothing
Pay attention to the clothes that you wear. As a rule, comfortable and spacious dresses and overalls appear only closer to the second half of pregnancy. And in the first, while the tummy is not yet noticeable, the future mother manages with her usual clothes. But, as a rule, it becomes more tight only in a month - one and a half. A squeezing of the abdomen and chest inevitably leads to the transfer of gastric juice into the esophagus. Therefore, make sure that all the clothes you are wearing are spacious, nowhere pressured and does not constrain your movements. Perhaps you will have to buy something more spacious or borrow for a while with your sister or girlfriend, if you do not have extra money. But do not suffer discomfort. After tightening the stomach can lead to more sad consequences than the occurrence of heartburn. For example, it is possible to increase the tone of the uterus. So, there is a risk of spontaneous abortion. Although, of course, this happens in extremely rare cases. 
Health care
Absolutely all these measures, of which we aretold, safe and, moreover, useful for the future mother and her baby. As a rule, in the overwhelming majority of cases they help to cope with attacks of heartburn. But in rare cases, the problem still exists. Of course, you can put up with heartburn, comforting yourself that during pregnancy it happens to many. Like, a baby will be born, and you can forget about heartburn, as if about a bad dream. But is it worth it? Of course not! The future mum needs exclusively positive emotions, which are unlikely to be obtained from heartburn. It is much more correct and reasonable to seek medical help from a doctor. The doctor will help you choose the drugs that effectively suppress heartburn. As a rule, antacids are used for this. They are safe for the health of the future mother and baby, and relief is brought almost instantly. This is due to the fact that the drugs act locally - directly in the stomach, do not suck in the blood, they do not get to the baby. The principle of action of these drugs is simple - they neutralize the hydrochloric acid of gastric juice. So, they stop heartburn. Most often, for the treatment of heartburn, pregnant women use such drugs as maalox, geviscon, and almagel. But drugs containing sodium and magnesium in their composition, future mothers are strictly counter-indicative. That's why pharmacological drugs should be prescribed only by a doctor - self-medication can harm. In very rare cases, even strong antacid medications are completely powerless - heartburn persists. As a rule, heartburn in such cases is extremely strong and painful, depriving the woman of sleep and rest. In this case, doctors resort to radical methods of treatment - prescribe special drugs. In any case, you will hardly manage without a visit to a doctor. Positive to you of pregnancy and easy sorts! We advise you to read:
