Do you know when the joy and euphoria from the news of pregnancy gradually gives way to signs of early toxicosis? Nausea during pregnancy after eating, aversion to food - every second girl suffers from this. We will tell you how to deal with the signs of early toxicosis and prevent gastrointestinal disorders.

Digestive problems during pregnancy

During pregnancy, the body experiences enormous stress associated with changes in hormonal levels and increased stress on various organs and systems. This also applies to the digestive system. Loss of appetite, aversion to any food, nausea are frequent companions of expectant mothers in the early stages of pregnancy. Later, constipation and increased gas formation may occur. In the later stages, heartburn causes great discomfort after eating, which is associated with pressure from the uterus on the stomach.

Digestive problems can be caused by various factors, but most often they arise due to an incorrect diet, poor diet, or exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Digestive problems can lead to abnormal development of the fetus, premature birth and even termination of pregnancy.

Therefore, if after eating you experience bitterness in your mouth, frequent belching, or a sour taste, you should definitely consult a doctor who will help determine the cause of these manifestations and prescribe safe medications.

Nausea after eating during pregnancy

Many women in early pregnancy experience nausea before, during or after eating. These problems cause expectant mothers a lot of inconvenience in their daily lives, since they can appear not only in the morning, but also throughout the day.

Morning sickness during pregnancy

Morning sickness during pregnancy occurs around the 6th week after conception and continues until the 4th month of pregnancy. Most often it disappears at 12-14 weeks of pregnancy. Why this happens: the level of estrogen in the body increases sharply, which helps to slowly cleanse the stomach.

Nausea in the evening during pregnancy

Evening nausea during pregnancy plagues many girls. There are many reasons:

• fatigue,
• unhealthy diet
• stress.

Nausea at night during early pregnancy can also be caused by reasons such as increased anxiety and the body getting used to the fact that a little person is developing inside.

Why do you feel sick during pregnancy?

The most common causes of nausea during pregnancy are hormonal changes, gallbladder dysfunction, or poor liver function. Emotional factors can also influence a woman’s nausea after eating, since stress is a common accompaniment of toxicosis. Sometimes I feel nauseous not only after eating, but also from the smells of various foods, perfumes, cosmetics and other things. All these are signs of early toxicosis.

• If you often feel nauseous even from the sight or smell of food, your doctor may prescribe medications that are safe for pregnant women to help cope with this unpleasant symptom of early toxicosis.
• If you not only experience vomiting after eating (up to 10 times a day or more often), but also your general condition has worsened and you feel weak, you should immediately consult a doctor who will find out why you are feeling sick, prescribe an examination and treatment that is safe during pregnancy.

Digestive disorders can cause great harm to the mother and fetus. If diarrhea or vomiting after eating is a consequence of food poisoning, then it cannot affect the course of pregnancy. But if these phenomena are frequent, there is a risk of pathologies in the fetus.

Heaviness in the stomach after eating

A common problem is also heaviness in the stomach after eating during pregnancy. If you adhere to proper nutrition, you can avoid problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Heaviness in the stomach after eating during pregnancy is usually caused by overeating, eating heavy, difficult to digest food. Therefore, it is very important to follow a diet. You need to eat little and often. Divide your menu into 5-6 meals. In this case, the last meal should be three hours before bedtime. If you stick to this eating plan, you will not feel hungry throughout the day and reduce the risk of overeating.

Stomach hurts after eating

• If your stomach hurts and becomes distended after eating, this may indicate intestinal disorders. Many women suffer from flatulence during pregnancy, which is associated with changes in the position of the internal organs of the abdominal cavity and changes in hormonal levels. A special diet and medications containing lactic acid bacteria and prebiotics will help eliminate abdominal pain after eating, associated with increased gas formation. You can only take them strictly after consulting a doctor.
• If your stomach hurts after eating, gastritis may be the cause. In pregnant women, this disease occurs quite often, which is associated with deterioration of the gastric mucosa. If the pain is chronic, you should definitely consult a doctor who will prescribe treatment.
• If your stomach hurts after a heavy meal or a long break between meals, do not panic. The reason for this is a natural process. The growing uterus puts pressure on the peritoneal organs, which causes discomfort, which usually goes away on its own.

Food is not digested during pregnancy

Another problem that a woman may encounter during pregnancy is when food is poorly digested. This phenomenon may also be associated with changes in hormonal levels; gastritis and bacterial infections of the inner mucous membrane of the stomach can also affect it.

All functional digestive disorders during pregnancy, which are manifested by nausea, lack of appetite, bloating, belching (aerophagia), heaviness after eating, heartburn, increased salivation and other uncomfortable manifestations of the gastrointestinal tract are united under the general name - dyspepsia. How to understand that there are problems and how they manifest themselves?

Problems associated with malnutrition during pregnancy

• If for some reason, for a long time, the expectant mother forgets to eat on time due to haste or lack of appetite (which is often found in expectant mothers in the first trimester), if she eats hastily, without chewing her food thoroughly, heaviness in the abdomen may occur after eating , nausea, belching, stomach pain, and the woman gets the impression that the food seems to be lumpy.
• Sometimes a pregnant woman cannot switch to a healthier diet in time and continues to habitually consume large amounts of foods or drinks rich in sugars that cause fermentation. This condition is manifested by symptoms such as rumbling in the stomach, increased gas production (flatulence), and frequent watery stools.
• If you abuse meat and fish products in large quantities for a long time, combined with a lack of fruits and vegetables rich in fiber, you may experience heaviness in the stomach and dark stools with a putrid odor. In addition, toxic substances formed during incomplete breakdown of proteins will cause general intoxication of the body, resulting in headache, weakness, and apathy.

Why does heartburn occur during pregnancy?

Heartburn during pregnancy is one of the most common stomach disorders. It manifests itself in a burning sensation in the pit of the stomach, which may be accompanied by pain in the chest, obsessive coughing, hiccups, increased salivation, rapid satiety, distension and fullness of the stomach, and sour belching.

It develops when the acidity of gastric juice increases, as well as when stomach contents reflux into the esophagus. It can occur in the presence of diseases such as gastritis with high acidity, peptic ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease or reflux esophagitis (a condition in which there is a regular reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus). Reflux esophagitis develops frequently - in almost every second pregnant woman (mainly in women who have given birth several times). This is due to the fact that during pregnancy the concentration of the hormone progesterone in the blood increases, which helps relax the smooth muscle organs, including the lower esophageal sphincter. In this case, the obstacle to the reflux of gastric contents back into the esophagus disappears. In addition, as the uterus grows, intra-abdominal pressure increases, which also contributes to the entry of stomach contents into the esophagus.

Problems associated with enzyme deficiency

The cause may be a disruption in the production of digestive enzymes by the stomach, pancreas, small intestine and gall bladder. This can occur with inflammatory diseases of these organs, as well as with impaired bile secretion. In this case, there is a decrease in appetite, an unpleasant taste in the mouth, nausea, abdominal discomfort, a feeling of a full stomach with a small meal, quickly passing attacks of spastic pain in the intestines, flatulence, and frequent stools.

Infectious problems during pregnancy

After food poisoning and intestinal infections, as well as with the development of dysbiosis, a pregnant woman may also experience manifestations of dyspepsia. This occurs due to the fact that in these diseases the mucous membrane of the digestive organs becomes inflamed and the activity of beneficial intestinal microflora decreases, which is accompanied by impaired digestion and absorption of all nutrients from the intestine. As a rule, such dyspepsia is manifested by a lack of appetite, rapid satiety, flatulence and frequent loose stools.

How to improve digestion during pregnancy?

Consult your doctor to determine the cause of your concerns. If you have indigestion during pregnancy, you should contact a gastroenterologist, who will refer you to other specialists if necessary. In this case, you may be prescribed additional tests and examinations.

We are revising our menu. It is necessary to limit or avoid the consumption of foods that provoke heartburn: citrus fruits and other sour fruits and juices from them, spicy vegetables (radish, radish, fresh onions), carbonated drinks, coffee, strong tea, cocoa, too salty or sweet dishes, spicy , smoked and fried foods.

From the menu you need to remove foods that contribute to increased gas formation in the intestines: beans, peas, beans, fresh bread (especially hot), pears, fresh white cabbage, corn, grapes, fresh figs, and it is also better to replace whole milk with fermented milk products.

It is necessary to strictly control that low-quality or stale products do not get into the food, which can provoke food poisoning and, as a result, dyspeptic symptoms. It is advisable to prepare dishes in small portions - for one meal. Freshly prepared food should be stored for no more than 2 hours on the stove, and in the refrigerator for no longer than 24–36 hours, depending on the type of product.

Correcting errors related to power mode

In the first half of pregnancy, it is recommended to eat 4 times a day, while the maximum amount of food should be for lunch - 45–50% of the energy value of the diet, for the 1st and 2nd breakfast - 15–20% and for dinner up to 20% . And in the second half of pregnancy, it is better to switch to 5-6 meals a day - you can additionally give yourself an afternoon snack and a small snack between breakfast and lunch.

Avoid overeating - eat in small portions so as not to overload the digestive system.

In the evening, eat your last meal 2–2.5 hours before bedtime and not very heavily, while eliminating difficult to digest (for example, meat), fatty and fried foods. But a baked apple or some steamed vegetables will be beneficial - it can prevent nausea the next morning and prevent constipation.

Avoid eating at night.

We control behavior at the table. Chew your food very well. This is necessary in order to facilitate the work of the digestive glands and speed up the process of digesting food: the breakdown of carbohydrates begins in the mouth under the action of salivary enzymes, in addition, food thoroughly crushed in the mouth is more easily absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, which prevents dyspeptic symptoms. On average, for solid foods, 30 to 40 chewing movements per bite are optimal. And for semi-liquid food (for example, porridge, soup) - about ten.

Avoid chewing with your mouth open, talking while eating, or eating too quickly. You should not eat while standing or on the move, hastily throwing food into yourself, as in this case the swallowing of air increases, which creates an “air pocket” in the intestines and is manifested by aerophagia (accumulation of air in the intestines and bloating, accompanied by belching). In cases where the expectant mother is very worried about nausea in the morning, it is recommended to opt for semi-liquid meals and eat better while reclining on high pillows. To combat morning sickness (without even getting out of bed), you can also eat light yogurt or an apple, a couple of nuts, a few crackers, etc.

Additional Helpers

The following tips will help you cope with digestive problems:

• Try to relax after eating: it is better to rest a little for half an hour or take a quiet walk in the fresh air for at least 20–30 minutes.
• You should not lie down in a horizontal position immediately after eating, as this will create the preconditions for acidic gastric contents to reflux into the esophagus and cause heartburn.
• Also, immediately after you have eaten, you should not begin active physical activity (fast walking, running, gymnastics, swimming, etc.), since this causes a sharp outflow of blood from the gastrointestinal tract to the muscular system, which provokes stagnation food, its fermentation and putrefaction in the intestines. In addition, too sudden movements and fast running can cause stomach cramps and pain in the liver area. You can start active physical activity only 1–1.5 hours after eating.
• Choose a comfortable wardrobe so that your stomach is not pinched with elastic bands, belts or tight belts, as this will lead to compression of the area in the area where food passes from the stomach to the intestines and disrupt digestion.
• Keep your emotions under control, try to avoid worries, stress and overwork. The fact is that in such conditions, the neuroendocrine regulation of the production of digestive enzymes changes, appetite is disrupted and food will not be fully digested.
• It is useful to do self-massage of the abdomen - light strokes clockwise to light relaxing music.
• After prior consultation with your doctor, use herbal teas from chamomile, dill, mint, lemon balm, cumin, etc. to improve digestion.

6 reasons for digestive problems in expectant mothers:
1. Eating disorders (irregular meals, with long intervals, poorly chewed food, abuse of certain types of foods: simple carbohydrates, animal proteins or fatty foods).
2. The relaxing effect on the intestinal muscles of progesterone, the main hormone of pregnancy, often leading to irregular and untimely emptying of the intestines, increased fermentation processes in it and increased gas formation. In the second and third trimesters, the development of digestive disorders in pregnant women is further facilitated by the increased size of the uterus, which compresses the intestines and disrupts its functioning.
3. An increase in the content of hydrochloric acid in the stomach and, as a result, the occurrence of heartburn. This happens because during pregnancy, against the background of altered hormonal levels, the acidity of the stomach increases.
4. Insufficiency or low activity of digestive enzymes.
5. Gastrointestinal infections and other diseases (gastritis, enteritis, colitis, etc.).
6. Intestinal dysbiosis.

Herbal recipes to normalize digestion

Brew 1 tsp. cumin, anise or fennel seeds crushed in a coffee grinder with a glass of boiling water. Leave the infusion for 15 minutes. The action of these herbs will help relax the smooth muscles of the intestines, which prevents flatulence, and also improves the production of digestive enzymes, normalizes stool and reduces nausea.

Brew a mixture (1 tsp) of crushed chamomile flowers, mint leaves and dill seeds taken in equal quantities with a glass of boiling water. After 30 minutes of infusion, drink warm as tea 2-3 times a day, half a glass. This drink is especially effective for bloating and a feeling of heaviness in the stomach (when it seems that food has stopped being digested and is sitting in the stomach).

You can drink such teas both before meals (15–20 minutes) and during meals, drinking small sips of food.

Annoying “digestive” problems are common companions for expectant mothers. How to deal with them?

1

If nausea or vomiting occurs 1-2 times a day, it means that we are not talking about early toxicosis, but about a sign that indicates pregnancy. Then you most likely do not need the help of a doctor. It’s another matter if vomiting attacks occur 4-8 times a day, and any piece of food or sip of water makes you run to the toilet. In this case, you need to consult a doctor - due to vomiting, dehydration may occur, which as a result will have a negative impact on the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Nausea usually goes away by the beginning of the second trimester of pregnancy (it “finishes” by the 14th week), when the placenta begins to work at full strength and becomes a kind of barrier between the woman and the child, due to which some problems from direct “communication” between the expectant mother and the baby are smoothed out . In addition, hormonal changes at the beginning of anticipation cease to be news to the body.

Solution

If we are not talking about toxicosis, a few simple rules will help you:

• Eat often, in small portions, and what you want. Eat a cookie or an apple before getting out of bed and have a light snack before bed.
• Drink herbal tea (for example, mint, ginger), do not eat spicy and fatty foods, and also avoid strong odors, stuffy and smoky rooms.

2

Gastroesophageal reflux makes itself felt by bitterness in the mouth and heartburn. The mechanism of its appearance is as follows: stomach acid, which is produced to digest food, is thrown into the esophagus, instead of remaining in the stomach. Towards the end of pregnancy this happens more often, especially when lying down, because the uterus puts pressure on the stomach.

Solution

• Eat something sweet or sour as soon as you feel like it.
• Eat lightly, 3 hours before bedtime.
• Keep your dinner light: for example, fried chicken with a generous amount of sauce is not the best option.
• Expectant mothers who have experienced a reflux “attack” at night are better off sleeping while reclining, with their backs resting on pillows. If these sensations bother you frequently, your doctor will prescribe a safe antacid agent.

Do you think that pain can only be relieved with the help of medications? Do not take them on your own. You can dispose of only one drug – paracetamol – without your doctor’s knowledge. Take it no more than 1-2 times a day.

3

Heaviness, heartburn and abdominal pain during pregnancy are due to the fact that the gastrointestinal tract is now working under serious overload.

Solution

• The doctor, on the one hand, will offer you medicine, and on the other hand, will advise you to follow a simple diet.
• Try to eat often (4-5 times a day), but in small quantities. In the evening, especially before bed, avoid heavy foods: remember that sauces, fried foods, spicy foods, and coffee often cause heartburn and a feeling of heaviness in the stomach. Stewed, baked or steamed foods help smooth them out.
• Anise seeds, cumin or dill will help you improve digestion (they need to be brewed in a thermos and drunk in small portions throughout the day).

4

Are trips to the toilet “big” not always successful? This problem is largely related to the hormone progesterone. It relaxes the smooth muscles of the body of expectant mothers - the whole calculation is that there are a lot of them in the uterine wall, which means that she will not be able to suddenly contract them. This way the baby is protected from any surprises. But progesterone acts blindly, and the intestinal muscles also fall into its sphere of influence. The latter begins to “be lazy”: the movement of food through it slows down, and after eating, its owner begins to feel bloated and sometimes have annoying difficulties.

Solution

• Eat more foods that are rich in fiber: fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains.
• If the difficulty is complicated by colic, no-spa will help relieve it.
• The following will help you prevent intestinal problems: fluid (drink about 2 liters of water per day); food that contains a lot of fiber; fermented milk products enriched with bifidobacteria and lactobacilli; mild laxative (prescribed by your doctor).
• Make sure that the intestines are emptied of their contents at the same time.
• Move more, do gymnastics, swimming.

Pregnancy and the birth of a child are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful events in the life of any woman, any family. At the same time, doctors often call pregnancy “the great provocateur.” During it, the work of almost all organs and systems is restructured, they begin to experience increased stress. Often new health problems appear and existing ones worsen.

The digestive system is not left out either.

Oral cavity and “strange” taste habits

Often pregnant women are “craving” for salty foods and ice cream - there are many jokes about this. During pregnancy, changes in taste and smell often occur. Because of this, a woman’s taste preferences change. They often get quite strange. If you are drawn to objects that are not entirely edible (for example, clay, chalk, bricks), be sure to tell your doctor about it. This may be one of the symptoms of iron deficiency anemia.

A pregnant woman produces a large amount of saliva and it becomes more acidic. This increases the risk of tooth decay. For many women, the gums swell, become more sensitive, and may bleed.

This insidious progesterone

Some features of digestion in women during pregnancy are associated with the fact that their body begins to produce large amounts of the hormone progesterone. It causes relaxation of smooth muscles located in the walls of internal organs, including the intestines. This leads to two main problems:

• Heartburn. At the junction of the esophagus and the stomach there is a muscle sphincter. Normally, it prevents gastric contents from refluxing into the esophagus. But under the influence of progesterone it relaxes. In addition, the enlarged uterus puts pressure on the stomach from below. When hydrochloric acid, which is in the stomach, enters the esophagus, heartburn occurs. Sometimes during pregnancy, part of the stomach protrudes into the chest - a diaphragmatic hernia occurs.
• Constipation. Under the influence of progesterone, the muscle fibers in the intestinal wall relax, it begins to contract less intensely, and feces move more slowly. The intestinal wall has time to absorb more water, and the stool becomes denser. Because of this, the passage of stool is impaired. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the intestine is compressed by the pregnant uterus. To help cope with constipation in a pregnant woman, you can use Microlax ®, a laxative with a high safety profile, which is available in solution and administered as microenemas. If the problem persists for a long time, you need to visit a doctor as soon as possible - problems with stool can be a symptom of some serious diseases.

A pregnant woman may experience nausea and vomiting. They occur especially often in the morning. As a rule, these are symptoms of early pregnancy toxicosis. If they occur, you need to tell your doctor about it.

How does digestion change in the intestines during pregnancy? Should a pregnant woman “eat for two”?

There is a widespread belief that during pregnancy a woman needs to eat much more - after all, she must provide nutrients not only to her body, but also to the body of the child. Scientists from Imperial College in the UK recently proved that this is not so.

During pregnancy, the intestines enlarge and reorganize their work so that the body can obtain more energy from the same amount of food. By the way, this explains why it is so difficult for many women to return to normal weight after childbirth.

What happens to the liver and pancreas?

Some features of digestion in pregnant women are associated with changes occurring in the liver and pancreas. The load on the liver always increases - it has to neutralize metabolic products produced by the body of the woman and the fetus. If pregnancy proceeds normally, the composition of bile remains virtually unchanged. Typically, it slightly increases the level of bile acids, which play an important role in the absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins. During pregnancy, there is an increased risk of developing gallbladder disease.

The load on the pancreas also increases. She is forced to produce more of the hormone insulin in order to provide it to the body of the mother and child. During pregnancy, the risk of developing pancreatitis, an inflammatory process in the pancreas, increases.

Many disorders of the digestive system during pregnancy are temporary, functional in nature. And yet, you should always treat any unpleasant sensations that arise carefully and immediately tell your doctor about them. After all, both the health of the woman herself and the health of her child may depend on this in the future.