How Do I Treat Heartburn During Pregnancy
When youre growing a human being, you dont have time for that yucky acid reflux. But your usual go-to methods for treating it may not be safe for your unborn baby.
Instead, here are some of the safest and best ways to get rid of heartburn when youre pregnant:
If You’re Taking Prescription Medicines
Speak to your GP if you’re taking medicine for another condition, such as antidepressants, and you think it may be making your indigestion worse. They may be able to prescribe an alternative medicine.
Never stop taking a prescribed medicine unless you’re advised to do so by your GP or another qualified healthcare professional who’s responsible for your care.
What Medications Are Safe To Take During Pregnancy
Over-the-counter antacids such as Tums, Rolaids, and Maalox may help you cope with occasional heartburn symptoms. Those made of calcium carbonate or magnesium are good options.
However, it may be best to avoid magnesium during the last trimester of pregnancy. Magnesium could interfere with contractions during labor.
Most doctors recommend avoiding antacids that contain high levels of sodium. These antacids can lead to a buildup of fluid in the tissues.
You should also avoid any antacids that list aluminum on the label, as in aluminum hydroxide or aluminum carbonate. These antacids can lead to constipation.
Finally, stay away from medications like Alka-Seltzer that may contain aspirin.
Ask your doctor for the best option. If you find yourself downing bottles of antacids, your heartburn may have progressed to gastroesophageal acid reflux disease . In that case, you may need a stronger treatment.
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Dont Eat Close Too Bedtime
One of the best ways to get rid of heartburn pregnancy fast is to eat your last meal of the day earlier and wait a few hours before going to bed.
A July 2020 study in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology found that eating less than two hours before bedtime was a significant risk factor for frequent heartburn and reflux-related insomnia.
What Causes Heart Burn During Early Stage Of Pregnancy
There are different reasons for heartburn, which is also called as acid indigestion.
- The change in hormones creates a feeling of burning in the esophagus.
- While heartburn is frequent in the first trimester for few, the other set of women feels the trouble in the second and third trimester.
- The increase in the uterus size pushes the acids of the abdomen resulting in heartburn.
- If you are having issues with gallstones, then this could also cause heartburn. Get a doctors opinion and relieve yourself from heartburn.
- Pregnancy brings in massive changes. As a result, the valve amidst the stomach and esophagus relaxes, causing acids to splash back up.
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Heartburn During Pregnancy Remedies
Preventing heartburn is the best way to deal with it! Here are some helpful tips for avoiding heartburn:
- Eat five to six smaller meals throughout the day rather than three large meals
- Wait an hour after eating to lie down
- Avoid spicy, greasy, and fatty foods
If you are experiencing heartburn, there are a few natural ways to relieve the symptoms:
- Eat yogurt or drink a glass of milk
- Try a tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm milk
Over-the-counter antacids may prove helpful in relieving your heartburn, but do not take antacids without speaking to your healthcare provider. Some antacids contain high levels of sodium, which can cause fluid buildup in body tissues. Some also contain aluminum, which is not considered safe for pregnancy.
If your heartburn is severe, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication for you.
Want to Know More?
Heres What Other Mamas Have To Say About Relieving Heartburn During Pregnancy Naturally
I asked the moms on my Facebook page about their go-to natural remedies for pregnancy heartburn, and here is a sample of their responses.
- Apple cider vinegar, pickle juice, digestive enzymes! Katie Keepman
- An apple in the morning and right before bed. Elsa Silva
- It may sound weird, but I would either drink a little pickle juice, or eat a spoonful of peanut butter and within about 5-10 minutes was gone. Jessica Fields
- Baking soda in a little bit of water helped! Was it gross? A little, but still more enjoyable than heartburn! Erin M. Strand
- Maybe not the healthiest, but I always had ginger snaps next to my bed. I ate one or two at night for the heartburn and another one or two in the morning for the nausea. Sarah Gilroy
- I didnt treat my heartburn with any natural remedies, but did learn that bad heartburn can often present itself as nausea/morning sickness! Women who experiences bad nausea/MS should consider your remedies as well! Renee Jillian
- So far, wearing hazelwood helps some. Not perfect, but helps a little. Susan Miller
- I had heard to eat a few green olives. So when a pregnant friend was needing relief, I suggested her to try itand it works!!! Shawna Beaubien
- Liquid slippery elm works instantly! Ashly Burke-Goike
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Tips For Nighttime Heartburn Relief
1. Sleep on your left side.This position seems to help reduce nighttime heartburn symptoms, says David A. Johnson, MD, internal medicine division chief at Eastern Virginia School of Medicine, Norfolk, Va. To remember which side to sleep on, Johnson offers this memory trick: Right is wrong.
2. Lose weight, even a little. Heartburn often just gets worse as you gain weight, but losing as little as two and a half pounds can help reduce heartburn symptoms, Johnson says.
3. Sleep with your upper body elevated. When you lay flat in bed, your throat and stomach are basically at the same level, making it easy for stomach acids to flow up your esophagus, causing heartburn. You can elevate your body in two ways:
- Put the head of your bed on 4- to 6-inch blocks.
- Sleep on a wedge-shaped pillow thats at least 6 to 10 inches thick on one end. Dont substitute regular pillows they just raise your head, and not your entire upper body.
4. Wear loose-fitting clothes. Tight clothes, especially near your waist, can put pressure on your stomach, leading to heartburn symptoms.
6. Steer clear of late-night meals or big meals. Avoid eating meals two to three hours before bedtime to reduce stomach acid and allow the stomach to partially empty its contents before you sleep, suggests the American Gastroenterological Association. Because large meals put pressure on your stomach, try eating a smaller meal in the evening to help prevent nighttime heartburn symptoms.
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Best Cures For Heartburn During Pregnancy
What can you do about this common pregnancy side effect.
When you’re pregnant, your body undergoes lots of changes to grow a healthy baby. One of the unfortunate side effects can be heartburn. If you know what might be causing your heartburn and ways you can help stop it, you may find some relief.
Heartburn actually has nothing to do with your heart, but is a burning pain in the chest. It happens when the acid from your stomach backs up into your esophagus-the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach. Heartburn can affect anyone, but heartburn during pregnancy is especially common. “Eighty percent of women will experience heartburn at some point in their pregnancy,” says Erin Bassett-Novoa, M.D., a family doctor in Lawrence, Mass., who provides prenatal and obstetric care. Heartburn happens during pregnancy because of the increasing size of the uterus and a surge in hormones, including progesterone. “The uterus pushes up, increasing pressure on the stomach,” says Bassett-Novoa. The bigger Baby gets, the more pressure is exerted on the stomach, which is why most women experience the worst heartburn in the second and third trimesters. In one study of more than 600 pregnant women, 72 percent experienced heartburn in the third trimester.
Acidic foods
Heartburn is caused by acid going from the stomach back into the esophagus, so eating acidic foods only exacerbates the problem. Limit canned tomatoes and tomato sauces, vinegar, acidic dressings and citrus fruits.
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Make Ginger Tea To Relieve Heartburn
If you want to get rid of nausea accompanying your heartburn, just make a cup of fresh ginger root tea that will soothe your stomach and give you the much-wanted comfort. If nausea and heartburn become a regular feature of your life, you may also consider having a cup of fresh ginger tea before your meals. This helps your stomach in settling down as ginger acts as an acid buffer.
Get this:
Use Carom Seeds To Relieve Heartburn
Carom seeds or ajwain as they are known in India is an age-old remedy for heartburn and other gastric problems. It is one of the finest Ayurvedic remedies for heartburn and gas. Carom seeds have anti-acidic properties and thus act as natural antacids. Thymol present in carom seeds act against acidity and gives you relief from heartburn. It also soothes the mucous membrane of your stomach.
Ways to Use Carom Seeds for Heartburn
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Symptoms Dwindle In The Second Trimester
Many of the body changes and symptoms of pregnancy you experience in the first trimester will start to fade once you reach the second trimester. Talk with your doctor about any symptoms that interfere with your daily life. Together, you can find relief and comfort for your pregnancy.
To receive week-by-week guidance about early pregnancy symptoms and more, sign up for our Im Expecting newsletter.
Discuss H2 Blockers With Your Doctor
If an antacid isn’t working, it may be time to consider stronger medications.
Your first option will likely be an H2 blocker like Tagamet or Zantac. These drugs suppress stomach-acid production. All four H2 inhibitors on the market are now available without a prescription and considered to be safe during pregnancy. But talk to your doctor before taking them.
“They really work,” says Einarson. “You only have to take one or two a day.”
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Chew Gum After Eating
Chewing gum increases saliva production which helps to neutralize acid, soothe the esophagus, and wash the acid back down into the stomach.
It also encourages frequent swallowing which can clear reflux from the esophagus more quickly.
In fact, a November 2005 study in the Journal of Dental Research found that chewing sugar-free gum 30 minutes after a meal can reduce heartburn.
Avoid peppermint-flavored gum, however, which can make heartburn worse.
Heartburn During Pregnancy And Your Babys Hair
If you heard that heartburn during pregnancy means your baby will be born with a full head of hair, you may have wondered if its true or its simply an old wives tale.
While some experts say this is another pregnancy myth, a December 2006 study in the journal Birth found there may some truth to it.
Of 28 pregnant women in the study, 23 who had moderate or severe heartburn gave birth to babies with average or above average amounts of hair.
Whats more, 10 out of 12 of the women who had no heartburn during pregnancy had babies with less than average or no hair at all.
Whether heartburn has something to do with the amount of hair your baby will have or not doesnt really matter but its still fun to imagine what your baby will look like when you finally get to meet him.
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Acid Reflux During Pregnancy Third Trimester
So acid reflux is whats physically and mechanically happening when acid from your stomach is going back up going up into your esophagus which is the tube that connects from your throat down through your diaphragm to your stomach.
The primary symptom of acid reflux is the experience of heartburn. So often people use them interchangeably, but thats the difference between the two. One is the condition and the other is a symptom of that condition.
If youre suffering from it right now, you probably could not care less but now you know. So what causes acid reflux and therefore that burning sensation in the chest that we call heartburn although it has nothing to do with your heart, is primarily that the valve thats supposed to be preventing the acid from going up into your esophagus is not doing its job. This is called the cardiac sphincter, its also called the lower esophageal sphincter.
During pregnancy, the hormone progesterone causes that valve that sphincter to relax so that in itself may cause the reflux and the heartburn even early in pregnancy. Especially if thats something you are already kind of prone to. And then later in pregnancy, this gets seriously exacerbated by the increasing pressure in the developing baby below.
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What Causes Acidity In Pregnancy
When youre pregnant, your body produces increased amounts of progesterone a hormone, which among other things, relaxes certain muscles in your body. This muscle relaxing effect also affects the valve which keeps the stomach contents from moving back to the oesophagus. As a result, the valve allows the acids in your stomach to sometimes move back towards your oesophagus, which irritates the lining of your oesophagus and gives rise to heartburn. Heartburn is likely to increase during your third trimester, since your enlarged uterus presses against your stomach. This places more stress on the valve that regulates its contents, resulting in the reflux that causes heartburn. The good news is that you can both treat it and reduce its occurrence by following some simple tips.
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Can I Take Over
Nonprescription heartburn relievers, such as Tums® or Maalox®, can help you feel better. But talk to your healthcare provider before taking antacids. They may contain high sodium levels, which can cause you to retain water. Some also have aluminum in them, which isnt safe to consume during pregnancy. Your provider can recommend an antacid thats safe during pregnancy.
How To Get Rid Of Heartburn
June 27, 2018 By Sara
Here you finish your meal, and there you get that burning pain in your chest. This is the dreadful feeling of heartburn truly justifying its name. You feel as if your heart is burning along with that very painful feeling just behind your breastbone. And if you think you can get some relief by lying down or bending over, you are just making it worse.
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Effective Ways On How To Get Rid Of Heartburn During Pregnancy Fast
We know that you are already itching to know how to get rid of heartburn during pregnancy fast.
As you already know, heartburn is a digestive problem that causes pain in the stomach area. Potentially, it can affect your pregnancy if ignored. Apart from drugs, there are also several alternatives to medicine for its effective cure. Continue reading to learn about the best way to get rid of heartburn when pregnant.
Stay Sway From Trigger Foods
While discovering how to get rid of heartburn during pregnancy fast, the first thing you should do is to identify and avoid foods that trigger or intensify your heartburn. If you notice that you experience stomach issues, acid reflux or heartburn when you eat certain foods, remove them from your menu until you deliver.
Certain common foods known to cause or increase heartburn or stomach acid are spicy or highly-seasoned foods, processed meats, caffeine, citrus, mint, fatty or fried foods, garlic, chocolate, onions, alcohol, and carbonated beverages. Research or contact your doctor for foods that wont cause heartburn during pregnancy.
Eat Smaller Food Portions All Through the Day
Another best way to get rid of heartburn when pregnant is to consume small food portions throughout the day. This means that you should skip the usual three large square meals for smaller meal portions with snacks.
Dont Drink Liquids Along With Food
Sit Straight While You Eat
Eat Slowly and Chew More
Sleep With Your Head Elevated 6 to 9 Inches