CHENNAI: Let me start with a story. There was a wonderful young woman, who got pregnant and through the nine months of the pregnancy, she had no issues at all. Did not have any sleepless nights, no digestion issues, no swelling on feet, no nausea, no vomiting, no aches, no pains and then at the end of the beautiful nine months, the labour pain came as if gentle breeze was waving across and the baby was born. Just like that.
How easy it would have been if this were true!
Pregnancy is generally embedded with issues small and big. It starts from the first days of detection of pregnancy and lasts throughout the nine months and sometimes extends into the post-delivery period. One of the most common troublemakers is acid reflux.
It is a common term used to describe the discomfort one feels due to excess production of stomach acids or due to increase in the back pressure owing to the growing baby. The most common way a pregnant woman complains about the same are: feeling full, chest burning, burping/belching etc.
The symptoms are generally worse immediately after eating something or while remaining longer time with an empty stomach. There are many lifestyle modifications you can practice to bring down the episodes and the severity of acid reflux.
DO not self-medicate
If these routine ways of home remedies do not offer you significant help or if you start experiencing any increasing symptoms like severe vomiting, stomach pain or weight loss, make sure you bring it to the attention of your doctor
Eating habits
A very common advice given is to reduce the consumption of spicy and oily food
Also eating short frequent meals help: it’s a myth that you need to eat more just because you are pregnant. You need to eat based on your daily requirements
Reduce the consumption of drinks containing caffeine
Preferably give a gap of 1-3 hours between the last meal and sleep
Posture Correction
Sit upright while you eat
Minimal head elevation while you sleep
Change habits
Drink about 3+ litres of fluid daily
Walk around for atleast 15 minutes after each meal
Stop smoking
Avoid alcohol
(The writer is senior consultant, OBG and foetal medicine, MaaKauvery, a unit of Kauvery Hospital, Electronic City)