Vomiting, heartburn, high blood pressure! How to prevent these troubles during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, the production of the placenta and the adjustment of sex hormone levels in the body cause a series of changes in various systems of the body, some of which are physiological and some are pathological. So what should we do about these pregnancy reactions?

Early pregnancy vomiting

Most pregnant women will experience nausea and vomiting of varying severity in the early stages of pregnancy. This is normal and not pathological. At this time, you should pay attention to mental relaxation. Mild morning sickness does not require treatment. Family members can give her more spiritual encouragement and cook some of her favorite and easy-to-digest dishes. However, be careful to avoid high fat. Eat small, frequent meals. Pregnant women should avoid the smell of cooking fumes as it can easily induce and aggravate nausea and vomiting.

Vitamins B1, B6, and C are effective for preventing mild morning sickness, so you may want to take them. If necessary, you can take some sedatives in small doses for a short period of time as prescribed by your doctor. If nausea and vomiting are severe and affect eating, or even cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, you should seek medical attention.

Heartburn

In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, some pregnant women will experience heartburn in the "pit of the heart". This is especially likely to occur when there is a change in body position during sleep at night (from sitting to lying), or when coughing or holding your breath to defecate. Heartburn may be more severe after consuming acidic or spicy foods. Usually, it is often accompanied by belching, heartburn, and a feeling of discomfort in the upper and middle abdomen. The cause of heartburn is related to esophageal reflux, and the incidence rate increases with the increase of pregnancy months. This is mainly because the size of the uterus gradually increases, the intra-abdominal and intra-gastric pressures increase, and the gastric contents can easily flow back into the lower esophagus, causing food reflux. During reflux, gastric contents containing gastric acid irritate and damage the esophageal mucosa, causing reflux esophagitis, which produces a heartburn sensation. In addition, during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, the increased secretion of progesterone can affect esophageal motility and slow down the clearance of reflux products by the esophagus, which is not conducive to alleviating the symptoms of reflux esophagitis. When lying down, coughing, and straining to defecate, the abdominal pressure increases, which can also aggravate esophageal reflux. If you eat acidic or spicy foods again, it will further irritate the inflamed mucosa and aggravate the symptoms.

To prevent this, eat small meals frequently and avoid full meals. Develop good bowel habits. Pregnant women with a history of constipation can eat more bananas and honey to make the stool softer and easier to pass. Strengthen physical fitness, prevent and treat respiratory infections, and avoid coughing. Do not eat 2 to 3 hours before going to bed. Avoid stimulating foods and drinks, including coffee and strong tea.

Pregnancy-induced hypertension

After pregnancy, blood volume increases, resulting in an increase in the amount of blood flowing through the kidneys and the glomerular filtration rate (about 30% increase). The fallopian tubes also become thicker and longer, the smooth muscles relax, and the peristalsis decreases. In addition, the compression of the uterus on the fallopian tubes causes urine stagnation in the renal pelvis and bilateral ureters. By the time the pregnancy is full-term, urine can accumulate to about 200 ml, which is physiological hydronephrosis. Sometimes urination may be slow or urine may even flow back into the bladder. Data suggests that E. coli can be found in the urine of about 10% of pregnant women. This urine reflux can cause acute pyelonephritis in pregnant women. In early pregnancy, the bladder is compressed and there is often a feeling of urinating; in late pregnancy, edema will also occur; during labor, the bladder is congested and edematous, which can easily lead to local damage and infection.

If it is only pitting edema of the lower limbs and the blood pressure is normal, it is still a physiological phenomenon. If there is also edema on the face or upper limbs, it is a pathological phenomenon and is often an early change of pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome. If in addition to edema, high blood pressure and proteinuria also occur, it is pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome. In severe cases, patients may experience convulsions, coma, heart and kidney failure, which may endanger the lives of mother and baby.

Prevention: Do a good prenatal check-up, eat light meals, and seek medical attention as soon as possible if any abnormality is found.

After delivery, with the expulsion of the placenta, the hormones secreted by the placenta suddenly decrease and disappear in the body, and the various changes caused by pregnancy gradually recover within 2 to 6 weeks after delivery.