The annoying heartburn during pregnancy usually appears suddenly and its duration can vary between a few minutes and a few hours, it is also a variable disorder that occurs at different times of pregnancy and depending on the gestation time, this will also be more or less intense. In the heartburn there are different stages to consider for a better understanding of the problem.
The first would be when progesterone, a hormone that produces the placenta and is responsible for relaxing the muscles of the uterus, also affects the cardias (valve that communicates stomach and esophagus), this incidence causes it not to close properly and the consequence is the rise of gastric juices.
The juices rise until they come into contact with the mucosa of the esophagus and we already have those acute burning right in the pit of our stomach. To this fact it is necessary to combine the slow gastric emptying caused by progesterone and that favors a long digestion. Pregnancy progresses and burning also, according to research carried out, mothers suffering from heartburn begin with a 22% intensity during the first three months, 39% the next three and finally up to 72% in the last trimester. This is due to the fact that the increase in the uterus pushes the stomach upwards and the cardias compresses and elevates its position causing gastric juices to rise more rapidly towards the esophagus.
We can only advise an adequate lifestyle that allows as much as possible to prevent these annoying burning, a healthy and balanced diet but fragmenting the meals, not drinking much during the meal, not napping after eating, etc.
