Acid rise, heartburn, GERD, heartburn…: these digestive disorders affect nearly half of future mothers at the end of pregnancy. Benign but painful, they can cause real discomfort on a daily basis. Update on the causes of these acid refluxes and the various means of limiting them.

We speak of acid reflux when part of the stomach contents rise up into the esophagus and sometimes into the mouth where it leaves a bitter and unpleasant taste. This acidic gastric fluid can attack the walls of the esophagus and cause a burning sensation (heartburn) from the throat to the bottom of the breastbone. These acid refluxes are sometimes accompanied by bloating, belching, epigastric pain.

These digestive disorders are common in the third trimester, but they can appear earlier in pregnancy. . With the uterus compressing the stomach more and more, symptoms tend to worsen over the months, reaching their peak in the last few weeks before childbirth. They usually stop spontaneously after childbirth.

Different factors promote acid reflux during pregnancy, starting with the hormonal climate. With their relaxing action on the tissues, progesterone and relaxin cause a relaxation of the cardia, this small muscle which closes the top of the stomach. Less tonic, the cardia no longer plays its role of “anti-reflux valve” and then allows the acidic gastric contents to rise into the esophagus.

These same hormones also cause the muscles of the stomach to relax with the consequence of a reduction in contractile movements of the stomach. Digestion therefore becomes slower, gastric emptying is less successful. Especially since the uterus and the baby put increased pressure on the stomach. These various factors cause the contents of the stomach to tend to move up into the esophagus.

Stress, fatigue, lying down can worsen the symptoms.

In first intention it is advisable to adopt some hygieno-dietetic measures. When it comes to food, each mother-to-be has her own sensitivity. It is up to everyone to try to identify the foods that cause heartburn in her. In general, certain foods are known to promote heartburn:

• spicy or fatty dishes;
• coffee, tea;
• sodas and soft drinks;
• the sweets ;
• foods that ferment (cabbage, onion, garlic, pulses, etc.).

Other foods, on the other hand, would limit acid reflux:

• in general, all alkaline foods (most fruits and vegetables);
• the potato, alkaline, is known to be effective in buffering gastric acidity. Apart from its classic forms (with the exception of fries, which are fatty, to be avoided), the mother-to-be can also consume it in the form of juice, or even a tablet of dehydrated juice;
• certain fruits contain a quantity of digestive enzymes which promote digestion, and therefore gastric emptying: pineapple, papaya for example.

On a daily basis, various small gestures help, through a mechanical effect, to limit acid reflux:

• split their meals into 3 small meals and 2 or 3 snacks;
• avoid lying down after a meal;
• elevate the head of the bed a few tens of centimeters or sleep with a few cushions behind your back;
• wear loose, comfortable clothing to avoid compressing the stomach;
• engage in regular physical activity such as walking to stimulate digestion;
• use relaxation techniques (breathing, meditation, relaxation therapy, yoga, etc.) to reduce stress, an aggravating factor for acid reflux.

homeopathy Safe during pregnancy, homeopathy is an interesting resource against acid reflux in pregnant women. To relieve heartburn, always take Robinia pseudo-acacia 5 CH, 5 granules before each meal, before bedtime and each time the acid reflux is felt. Then according to the symptoms add:

• if the burns are very intense: Iris versicolor 5 CH et Sulfuricum acidum 9 CH, 5 granules of each 3 times a day and during symptoms;
• in the event of bloating and associated belching: Potassium CARBONICUM 9 CH, 5 granules at bedtime and during symptoms;
• in case of pain in the left side and worsening with sugary foods: Argenticum nitricum 7 CH, 7 granules during symptoms;
• in case of worsening at bedtime and improvement by heat (hot drink, hot water bottle): Arsenicum album 7 CH, 5 granules at bedtime and during symptoms;
• in the event of associated stomach pain: Phosphorus 5 CH, 5 granules during symptoms;
• in the event of associated nausea and vomiting: Creosote 5 CH, 5 granules during symptoms (1).

Herbal medicine Lemon balm or Roman chamomile herbal teas help reduce stomach acidity and aid digestion. The decoction of marshmallow root or flax seeds will act as a mucilage: in contact with water they form a gel that lines the wall of the esophagus. Seek advice from your pharmacist, herbalist or herbalist.

Osteopathy can help limit acid reflux by helping, with manual manipulations, the body to better adapt to the changes induced by pregnancy.

acupuncture allows to treat the ground by restoring the circulation of chi, the vital energy. It could thus help to limit the various ailments of pregnancy, including acid reflux. Due to a lack of medical evidence, however, this indication is not part of the recommendations of the High Authority of Health for the use of acupuncture during pregnancy (unlike nausea and vomiting of pregnancy and the breech version) . Consult a doctor, gynecologist or midwife graduated from the acupuncture IUD.

On the side of grandmothers’ remedies baking soda (food) would help neutralize stomach acid. Mix ½ teaspoon with a few drops of lemon juice (which unlike its acidic flavor is not acidifying but alkaline) in 100 ml of lukewarm water and drink this decoction during the day (2).

If the hygieno-dietetic measures and alternative medicine are insufficient, it is possible to resort to allopathy while taking care to avoid self-medication – basic rule throughout pregnancy – because some specialties are contraindicated during pregnancy.

Antacids can be offered to women whose gastroesophageal reflux disease persists despite hygiene and dietetic measures. Gastric antisecretories (H2 antihistamines) are effective; their use is reserved for cases where antacids are ineffective. Proton pump inhibitors are avoided and used only when necessary (3).