First of all, we need to know the meaning of acidity. It’s naturally a kind of heartburn that we feel in our chest. This burning sensation has more or less no relation with our heart. It is a feeling that makes a person uncomfortable. It happens with both men and women. We would speak about home remedies for acidity during pregnancy in this article.
What actually causes acidity during pregnancy?
Normally when we have food or some kind of liquid, we all know that it first enters the esophagus which is the tube that connects the mouth and the stomach. From there it goes through a kind of muscular valve known as oesophageal sphincter abbreviated as LES.So a pregnant woman surely needs to know how to get rid of heartburn during pregnancy fast.
This LES works as a door by allowing food to come in and then closes to avoid the stomach acids from coming back up.During pregnancy, due to hormonal changes taking place in a woman’sbody, it is very common that the muscles including the LES relax down, due to which the stomach acids start coming back up.
Acid reflux in early pregnancy happens frequently when a woman lies down or she has had a large meal. During the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy, the uterus starts expanding. As a result, the stomach is physically pressurized to make more room in the abdomen. Due to this, much of the food and acid move back into the esophagus.
Home Remedies for Acidity During Pregnancy:
- Raw apple cider vinegar: Most people might consider it strangely to consume 1 teaspoon vinegar during heartburn. But it’s true. Vinegar helps in increasing the acids so that it later results in relief. It should be made sure that the vinegar is raw and in an amber
- Fresh lemon drink: 1-2 lemons must be squeezed with 200 ml water with some honey. It helps in increasing the digestive juices and bile so that it is balanced with the low stomach acids.
- Ginger tea: Ginger tea must be taken moderately after boiling it for 9-10 minutes. It has a drawback too that it leads to contractions if taken daily.
- Coconut water: Many times, people suggest coconut water during heartburn. This is because it is a really great natural acid neutralizer which helps in reducing acidity.
Acid reflux during pregnancy:
Acidity is a common problem faced by many pregnant women, which is why home remedies for acid reflux during pregnancy are highly recommended. However, even men face this problem. So it should not always be mistaken for pregnancy. In case you have nausea or a missed period, it is advisable to have a pregnancy test.
During pregnancy, there are much more chances for heartburn or acid reflux. Although, it is not necessary that every pregnant lady goes through this, when such an issue arises, one can always consider home remedies for acidity during pregnancy to address them.
It depends on many factors such as diet, exercise, or our daily habits.This happens during the first trimester when the esophagus moves the bolus very slowly into our stomach due to which even the stomach takes a long time to digest it. It has an advantage in that it allows a lot of nutrients to be absorbed for the fetus and the sad point is that it causes heartburn.
In fact, during the third trimester, the baby grows to that extent that it pushes the stomach away from its original position leading to acidity.Given below are some home remedies for acidity during pregnancy which can be made handy by just altering our lifestyle a little.
DOs during heartburn:
- Always try to consume smaller amount of meals which can be digested easily.
- Remove laziness by not directly moving into bed after our meals. Try to sit upright for some time because lying down may bring what we have eaten back up, leading to vomiting.
- It is always advisable to eat a couple of hours before going to bed so that by the time you lie down, your food gets digested.
- Whenever you lie down to sleep, push a couple of pillows underneath your head. That usually helps in combating acidity.
- Always stay hydrated by drinking water every now and then.
- After having a meal, chew a naturally sweetened gum as chewing stimulates our salivary glands by further neutralizing the acids.
- These are some alkalizing foods which form a major part of home remedies for acidity during pregnancy: Avocados, almonds, green leafy veggies, herbal teas as said earlier like ginger tea, lemon tea, or peppermint.
DONTs during acid reflux:
- We must not wear fitting tight clothes if we go through heartburn as it exerts pressure on our organs leading to frustration and a lady gets uncomfortable.
- It is always recommended to stay hydrated. But here, drinking water during meals is to be avoided because it dilutes the digestive juice.
- Avoid eating these kinds of acidic food: Chocolates, sugar, alcohol, drugs, onions, coffee, tomatoes, citrus fruits, and fizzy drinks. There are many more which can be added to this list.
- If a pregnant lady is taking iron supplements, it is advisable to stop it as it causes heartburn.
So, how to get rid of heartburn during pregnancy fast?Many people know that heartburn – or as we commonly call it -acidity, is a nightmare for pregnant ladies. They feel as if some kind of hot acidic lava is burning in their chest leaving a pungent taste in their mouths. Acid reflux in early pregnancycan often start in the 1st trimester itself. Here, hormones play a very significant role in heartburn.
The hormone known as progesterone relaxes the valve from preventing the acids to pass back into the esophagus, further allowing the acids to irritate the lining. As the fetus grows, it occupies much more place in the abdomen. It kind of compresses all the organs responsible for digestion, including the stomach and the diaphragm, making it easy for the stomach contents and acids to move back to the esophagus. This becomes frequent during the 3rd trimester.Home remedies for acidity during pregnancyminimize the ill-effects and discomfort of this process, making it a little bearable, to say the least.
CONCLUSION:
Above all, there are many home remedies for acidity during pregnancy to get rid of heartburn during pregnancy as well as for acid reflux during pregnancy. Most of the times, women with healthy and normal pregnancies will be able to find easy, convenient, and effective measures to fight with acidity. Having these home remedies for acid reflux during pregnancy also helps in providing nutrients to the women’s body as well as the baby.
