What to do if you have indigestion during pregnancy

After pregnancy, a woman's body will secrete some progesterone and a large amount of estrogen. If these hormones act on the gastric mucosa, they will cause abnormal gastric function. This is why various pregnancy reactions occur, such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, etc. A large number of pregnant women will experience indigestion after pregnancy. Let’s take a look at what to do if you suffer from indigestion during pregnancy.

After a woman becomes pregnant, the placenta secretes human chorionic gonadotropin, which inhibits the secretion of gastric acid. The decrease in gastric acid secretion greatly reduces the activity of digestive enzymes, thereby affecting the appetite and digestive function of pregnant women. At this time, pregnant women will experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Pregnant women generally experience morning sickness. During the 40th to 80th day of pregnancy, they experience mild nausea and vomiting on an empty stomach in the morning, which disappears naturally afterwards. It may also last for a period of time and the patient may lose appetite.

However, after research by some scholars, it is believed that morning sickness in pregnant women is actually a detoxification process and a positive response to avoid the invasion of harmful substances. During the 20th to 60th day of pregnancy, the embryonic tissue cells differentiate and form organs. During this period, pregnant women are particularly sensitive and have a keen sense of smell. The smell and taste of certain foods will cause nausea. Some researchers have also found that at this time, the time food stays in the pregnant woman's stomach is prolonged. Once there are trace amounts of harmful substances, they will "vomit them out" to ensure the healthy growth of the embryo and prevent deformation.

Therefore, pregnant women should have a correct understanding of pregnancy reactions, eliminate fear and tension, and keep themselves in a good mood. The diet should be light and delicious, avoid greasy food, and eat more foods rich in vitamins and inorganic salts. Some women like to eat sour food during pregnancy. This is because sour taste can stimulate the secretion of gastric juice, increase the activity of digestive enzymes, promote gastrointestinal motility, increase appetite, and facilitate food digestion and absorption. The symptoms of nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy can be improved to varying degrees.

From a nutritional point of view, pregnant women like to eat sour foods, which can also meet the nutritional needs of the mother and fetus. Generally, the fetal bones begin to form 2 to 3 months after the woman's pregnancy. The main component of bones is calcium, but in order for calcium salts to be deposited to form bone, acidic substances must also be present to help the growth and development of fetal bones.

Iron is an essential raw material for pregnant women and fetuses to produce hemoglobin. Iron deficiency anemia is prone to occur during pregnancy because iron can only be absorbed by the human body in the gastrointestinal tract after being converted from trivalent to divalent iron, and this conversion can only be completed in an acidic environment. From this perspective, eating sour foods can also help pregnant women correct or prevent anemia during pregnancy. Sour foods generally contain more vitamin C, which plays an important role in the formation of cell matrix of the fetus, the production of connective tissue, the growth and development of cardiovascular system, and the establishment of hematopoietic system.

Therefore, pregnant women can provide more vitamin C for themselves and the fetus by eating sour foods.