The most common pregnancy ailments.

Heartburn, nausea, bloating, constipation in pregnancy - how to get rid of them?

Every mother-to-be hopes to avoid them. Unfortunately, hormones are to blame for everything, and their secretion intensifies precisely from the moment of conception. Hormones perform very important functions, and are responsible, among other things, for preparing a woman's body for the development of the fetus and childbirth. Fortunately, there are ways you can cope with them yourself, but you also need to know when to see a doctor. Our nutritionist Ms. Natalia Parulska, M. D., tells us about this.

Nausea and vomiting

They usually appear around the 4th week of pregnancy, usually in the morning, when the woman is still fasting (they can also occur during the day, such as under the influence of the smell of perfume, exhaust fumes, tobacco smoke, etc., or stress). Although they usually do not pose a threat (their occurrence is associated with an increased concentration of chorionic gonadotropin and sex hormones in the blood, which can act as an irritant to the gastric mucosa), it is worth trying to mitigate their course. In case of very intractable vomiting, see a doctor, as it can lead to dehydration, weight loss and anemia.

• Eat frequent (5-6 times a day) small meals by volume.

• Eat your first meal while still in bed, it can be warm milk, warm water, a dry snack or a banana.

• Dry snacks, e.g., rice wafer, rusk, dry breakfast cereal, biscotti can be eaten during the day.

• Eat your last meal, preferably protein, about two hours before bedtime, such as cottage cheese, yogurt, hard-boiled egg, a few slices of cold meat, tofu.

• Don't sip your meals (drink still water in small sips throughout the day), or alternatively drink chamomile infusion or ginger tea (scraped shavings of fresh ginger are poured over boiling water and steeped for a few minutes).

• Avoid carbonated beverages, coffee, tea, citrus, fried foods, hard to digest foods.

•  You may find it helpful to chew on almonds when you feel discomfort or every 2-3 hours.

Heartburn

It can occur both at the beginning of pregnancy (elevated progesterone relaxes the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract) and in later months, when the enlarging uterus puts pressure on the stomach and intestines. It can manifest as a burning sensation behind the sternum, bitterness in the mouth, belching and even acidic vomiting.

• Take care of a healthy diet so that weight gain is even.

• Eat frequent (5-6 times a day) small meals by volume. Eat slowly, chewing each bite thoroughly.

• Do not eat immediately before bedtime, eat your last meal a maximum of 3 hours before going to bed.

• Warm milk or almonds chewed every few hours can help.

• Avoid hot, spicy, canned and fatty foods. Eliminate coffee, strong tea, sweets, sodas and fruit juices from the carton, and citrus. Avoid mint and ginger, which can aggravate the discomfort.

Flatulence

They are the result of excessive gas accumulation in the stomach and intestines due to: the effects of progesterone, which relaxes the smooth muscles, hurried eating and drinking (swallowing air), low secretion of gastric juice and digestive enzymes, and fermentation of certain products in the intestines.

• Eat frequent (5-6 times a day) small meals by volume. Eat slowly, without rushing.

• Avoid eating dry pulses, such as beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils.

• Avoid onions, garlic, leek, brassica vegetables, such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli.

• Avoid foods that are hard to digest, fried foods, sweets and fermented dairy products.

• Don't sip your meal when you eat fruits or vegetables.

Constipation

They are very common in pregnancy because progesterone slows down the digestive process and weakens intestinal peristalsis by relaxing smooth muscle. In addition, the enlarging uterus begins to put pressure on the rectum. Low physical activity, a diet low in dietary fiber and fermented dairy products, and not drinking enough fluids contribute to constipation.

• Increase your intake of whole-grain pasta, brown rice, coarse groats, e.g. buckwheat, pearl barley, whole-wheat sourdough bread, Graham, whole-grain, flakes, e.g. wheat, oatmeal, muesli, wheat bran.

• Drink at least 2.5 - 3 liters of water every day.

• Increase your intake of fermented dairy products: kefir, buttermilk, yogurt, curdled milk.

• Drinking water with lemon and honey, sparkling water on an empty stomach, or adding dried prunes to dishes can help.

• The use of teas and laxatives is contraindicated. Perhaps you should consider changing to another iron preparation if you are introduced to iron supplementation.

The storm of hormones gives you not only in the first trimester. Remember that you are not alone. There are many places where you can go for support and professional knowledge. Specially for pregnant women there are classes and thematic workshops, individual meetings with midwives, consultations with a nutritionist. In a group it will be easier for you to get to that happiest moment, when you will cuddle your baby in your arms.