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It’s one of the commonest worries during pregnancy.

The good news?

Heartburn has nothing to do with your heart, and in many cases it’s a normal part of pregnancy.

Here’s why it happens, what triggers it, and what you can do to get some relief. Read!

Q: Good morning, please ma’am during pregnancy, for someone having continuous heart burn for the first month. What can she use?

A: Heart burn really has nothing to do with the heart…I bet all of you knew that, aye?😃

It is usually felt as a burning sensation in the chest which feels worse on bending down or lying down.

Okay, why and how does this happen?

You know that the stomach produces acid to help with food digestion, right? Have you ever wondered, how come this acid isn’t all up in your mouth all the time?

Well, that’s because there’s a ‘lock’ or control at the junction of the esophagus and the stomach which prevents the acid in the stomach from coming back up into the esophagus. This ‘lock’ is called the Lower Esophageal Sphincter.

This lock can get strained if the esophagus opens too often or if there is too much food in the stomach…so, if you regularly over-eat, you might want to re-think that 😀 A major no-no is a very heavy meal just before you lie down. It’s almost certain you may have a heart burn 😀

There are also conditions like pregnancy (as in this case) and obesity that make this sphincter stay open for prolonged periods as a result of pressure on the abdomen and there are also foods that encourage this. Examples of these ‘foods’ are fatty foods, alcohol, chocolate and coffee, onions, tomatoes, peppermint and spicy foods. In pregnancy, the hormonal changes and the pressure of the growing womb on the stomach contribute to heart burn.

Heart burn in pregnancy is more likely to occur in women who had heart burn before pregnancy, women who have been pregnant before and women in the last stages of their pregnancy.

So, I suggest you keep a food diary over a period of time and try to figure out the trigger foods. Remember that being over-weight could be a problem or even over-eating.

Prevention involves avoiding or reducing your intake of trigger foods (quite a number are actually healthy 😀) maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding heavy meals just before bedtime, avoiding alcohol or smoking, sitting up straight when eating, eating smaller meals and avoiding tight clothes that may also put pressure on your abdomen.

Treatment is targeted at the acid and healing the esophagus. So, drugs used can stop acid production, reduce acid production and cause healing of the esophagus or neutralize the effect of the acid. Your doctor will prescribe what works best for you.

I came across this fascinating fresh orange juice machine in a grocery shop and couldn’t resist trying it!

Sure, I know you can squeeze your own orange juice at home…but I’ve never seen one in a grocery shop.

It reminded me that healthy living doesn’t always have to be complicated. Sometimes the healthiest choices are also the simplest.

One important point though: freshly squeezed orange juice still contains natural sugars. So, moderation is key! Also, try eating the whole fruit sometimes because it contains fibre that helps slow sugar absorption.

Have you ever seen one of these machines?

#HealthyLiving #Nutrition #OrangeJuice #HealthyEating #Spain #DrKetch #HealthyLivingWithDrKetch

“Morning sickness” is one of the biggest lies ever told to pregnant women.

Because for many mums…It doesn’t happen only in the morning.

It can happen morning, afternoon, evening…and even wake you up at night.

If you’re pregnant and wondering whether what you’re experiencing is normal or you’re watching someone you love go through it, this post is for you.

Read on!

Q: Hello Doc, I am roughly two months or thereabout pregnant. I last saw my period in December. I have been vomiting constantly and at every time of the day. I was given an injection in the hospital but most at times I still feel like throwing up after eating and I usually feel very weak. Do you have any advice for me and what is the right time to go for a scan cos my tummy isn’t protruding?

A: Morning sickness during pregnancy can be really trying! I know…I suffered through it! Oh boy! Thank God I’m over all of that now…I’m a grandmother in waiting 😀

Now, for the rest of you who still have to go through this, I’ll share some tips.

The standard teaching is to try eating some bland foods like Crackers biscuits or dry toast. That personally didn’t work for me. I preferred tart things…which some may want to avoid. I loved lemons during my pregnancies. They were the one thing guaranteed to ‘wake up’ my mouth and chase nausea far away. I also had a particular brand of very tart bubble gum, I indulged in 😀 These were key for me because, though I didn’t have the real bad case of morning sickness that sent you to the hospital, brushing my teeth in the morning always sent me into a bout of retching/vomiting. So, I always had a ready supply of the gum or lemon/lime to pop into my mouth once I was done brushing/retching! Not a very pleasant memory ;D

So, if lemons work for you to prevent nausea, go for it. Remember that moderation is key. A few drops (one or two) in a glass of water are enough to provide that tart kick that sends nausea far away. There is a catch here though…remember the heart burn associated with pregnancy. The acid content of lemon might make the heart burn and any pre-existing gastro-esophageal (stomach and esophagus/gullet) problems worse. So, this is all the more reason to be very moderate or stop if it exacerbates an already bad case of heart burn. Wherever and whenever in doubt, please be sure to see your doctor.

Other tips:
• Eat little amounts of food frequently as an empty tummy increases the likelihood of throwing up. Remember this is not an excuse to binge and over eat 😀
• Avoid fatty and greasy foods.
• Avoid smells that trigger nausea
• Cold foods may be preferable to hot as the former does not give off smells that may cause you to feel queasy.
• Get loads of fresh air and rest
• And drink sufficient fluids daily

More importantly, women going through this need love and support more than ever. If you can’t stand cooking now, because of this, get help etc.

On when to do a scan, it depends on what you want the scan for, If it’s for dating the pregnancy, the last menstrual period is best for this. That is the first day of the woman’s last normal menstrual flow. However, if she is not sure of her dates, then a scan can be used. To date pregnancy, a first trimester scan gives the most appropriate approximation. The earlier it is, the more accurate it is likely to be.

Have a good day everyone 😀