Happy and Healthy Pregnancy Series: Heartburn

How do you like that? A ‘series’. That means I’m going to post more. No more being lazy.

I am so incredibly thankful for all the moms on the pM Facebook page and those that have left comments on the blog with suggestions to help with pregnancy-related heartburn.

I suspect that most pregnant women experience heartburn at some stage of their pregnancy, mostly in the third trimester as baby starts to take over your insides and everything gets squished. Others, like me, start experiencing it early in pregnancy. Why? The hormone progesterone (which is found in abundance in pregnant women) causes the valve between the stomach and esophagus to relax, letting acid into the esophagus and causing irritation.

I had terrible heartburn (the same as now) when I was pregnant with #2. I LIVED on Pepcid AC, starting in my first trimester and throughout my pregnancy. I also ended up with KIDNEY STONES in my seventh month of pregnancy. One got large enough that I had to have it surgically removed two weeks after I delivered my baby. I don’t EVER want to go through that again, especially while pregnant. So, here I am in a quest to find some more natural relief methods.

Chewing Gum ~ Stimulates saliva production which can help neutralize excess stomach acid. Use sugar-free so you don’t rot your teeth out.

Papaya Enzyme ~ Papaya helps aid in digestion. Chewable tablets are easily found in grocery or drug stores.

Milk ~ Drinking too much at one time may not be beneficial. If that makes your heartburn worse, try drinking a few ounces every hour or so. And how about a bowl of cereal with milk before bed? (Thanks Cherie!)

Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar ~ Take one tablespoon and mix it with something else so you can get it down (water/honey). You don’t want this stuff on your teeth over long periods of time, so if you use it, make sure you brush right away and/or use a straw to drink it.

Almonds ~ Eat three almonds after each meal.

Ginger ~ I have some Ginger Tea I’m going to try. There are other ways to get Ginger as well. Click HERE for more info.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Heartburn Tea ~ Ingredients include marshmallow root, lemon balm, chamomile, spearmint and red raspberry leaf. I’m HIGHLY tempted to buy some of this.

Kombucha ~ A beverage that is full of probiotics and digestive enzymes. Check out THIS blog post at Passionate Homemaking for details.

Ice Cream ~ I suppose this would only work if you have occasional heartburn. With my all-day heartburn I may end up the size of a small bovine…though I may enjoy pregnancy a bit more. LOL.

There are also lifestyle/nutritional changes one can make … Eating smaller meals, not drinking anything around meal times, avoiding trigger foods such as acidic and fatty foods as well as caffeine and propping yourself up with pillows in bed.

I’m planning to start using some of these methods ASAP and will update you all later as to what’s worked best for me. Did I miss anything? Have any of these remedies worked for you?

I am not a medical doctor, nor do I have any medical training. The remedies offered above are from my own personal research. If you are unsure about any of these remedies, please check with your own healthcare provider before using them.

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