Heartburn is very common during pregnancy . In fact , more than half of pregnant women reported experiencing symptoms of severe heartburn during the second and third trimester .
Heartburn or heartburn and burning in the chest area occurred because acid reflux into the esophagus . Heartburn is generally triggered by stomach acid levels are already high , coupled with wrong eating habits .
The condition is not without risk . Dr. Manny Alvarez , an expert in obstetrics from the United States , saying , heartburn can interfere with the absorption of certain nutrients such as iron are essential for pregnancy because it can help increase the production of hemoglobin that carries oxygen to the fetus .
Therefore, heartburn should not silenced , but need to be treated . Even so , pregnancy is a crucial time so that not all treatments are safe for consumption . So what about the heartburn medicine ?
Alvarez explained , there are two treatment heartburn , acid neutralizing first and the second decrease acid production . According to him , both are safe to eat it in moderation . Alvarez but rather suggest the drug is only used as a complement of the following measures :
- Consumption of almonds
- Drinking coconut water or ginger tea
- Consumption of apple cider vinegar
- Sit or stand up after eating
- Position the head higher when lying down
- Avoid foods trigger heartburn such as spicy foods , and too much fat
According to Dr. Gita Pratama , midwifery expert from Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital ( RSCM ) Kencana , enlarged uterus in pregnant women to trigger heartburn . As the uterus enlarges , he said , could increase pressure on the stomach . Pressure is then made up of stomach acid up into the esophagus .
"Therefore , heartburn usually occurs when the pregnancy is the third trimester . 's When the uterus is large enough and is able to put pressure on the organs in the abdominal cavity and chest , " he said when met some time ago in Jakarta .
Furthermore, he explained , heartburn during pregnancy also occur due to changes in hormone levels . An increase in the hormone progesterone makes the digestive system relax so easy to stomach acid up into the esophagus .