Prolonged Postpartum Acidity

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I have been suffering from prolonged and consistent acidity for 3 years postpartum. It started impairing my sleep at night. One day, I decided to sit up for a while rather than turning sides all night. This helped me go back to sleep. So I decided to try that on a daily basis. While I was awake in the middle of the night, I decided to do a Google search on acidity after delivery. And what were my findings?

Google search says, that acidity in my postpartum body, which continues for years, can be due to a weak pelvic floor. Well, I do have a weak pelvic floor. And so do many postpartum moms. Solving the weak pelvic floor seems to be the answer to all my problems including urine incontinence, back pain, etc. My priority of focusing on the pelvic floor and Diastasis Recti has increased even more.

Here’s some more research on immediate solutions:
Taking antacids is not the correct solution. While many women continue to take antacids many years after delivery, it’s blocking the acid production of the body. This means your food is not digesting well, leading to deficiencies of minerals, vitamins, and vitamin B12. Guess what, I am suffering from sodium deficiency and have recovered from vitamin b12 deficiency by taking supplements. And I avoid antacids until it becomes too much to handle.

So, low stomach acid which I got due to acid-blocking medicines not only gave me poor protein digestion but also vitamin b12 deficiency. In the long run, taking antacids can lead to autoimmune diseases. Stomach acid helps kill food bacteria. No surprise, I have recently recovered from typhoid. And all this while, it led me to think as to why I was solely undergoing this in my family.

So, the conclusion is that I am going to hold on to the internet research for a while ( or try to ) and focus on my pelvic floor. How? By treating my DR. Yes, diastasis recti is a thing. If you don’t already know, it's time for your Google search. Believe me, healing DR can do wonders for your body. I have not healed it well, but started the journey some time back. Felt amazing and stopped it due to my weak body which I came to know is typhoid after a while.

If not antacids then what? Solving DR and weak pelvic floor will not come in a day. So how to solve acidity in the short run?

1. Mindfully eating.
2. Focusing on food juices like curry, and soups.
3. Not becoming too full.

This article is more of a get-started guide, which gives directions on acidity which has started to interfere with my daily life such as hindrance during sleep. I do suggest that you get started for now.

Start with the kegel exercise immediately after reading this article. My gynaecologist has recommended it; a very simple and 2-minute exercise. Good luck on your journey to reduce stomach acid!

About The Author:

Jasmeet Kaur