During pregnancy one of the most annoying symptoms is heartburn, this can happen early and all the way through your pregnancy. 80% of all pregnant women are affected by heartburn or acid reflux, if this is you here are natural home remedies to help bring relief and get rid of your heartburn fast.
Having heartburn is the worst at any time but during pregnancy when you are already uncomfortable it is horrible to deal with if you are sick and tired of having heartburn keep reading, I have the solution that will help you get relief fast. I was miserable during my pregnancy because of heartburn and I finally had enough and used some of these remedies that I will now share with you.
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Home Remedies for Heartburn that Bring Relief During Pregnancy
When you are pregnant there are many things you have to stay away from because they aren’t good for you or the baby, so what is the best thing to take for heartburn while pregnant. Let’s take a look and see why you get heartburn and what options you have.
According to healthline.com the reason that you get heartburn in the first place is due to the relaxing of your esophagus muscles allowing acid to rise up your throat, this can be especially painful when lying down or right after eating.
As your uterus grows to accommodate your sweet baby it puts more pressure on your stomach which can cause acid being pushed up your esophagus and give you terrible acid reflux. So what can be done about this?
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Ways you can Relieve Heartburn
- Eat smaller meals – your digestion has slowed down so eating smaller meals more frequently may help along with drinking fluids between meals rather than during them.
- Wait at least 3 hours before lying down – Giving your body time to digest food before laying down may cut down on your heartburn.
- Avoid acidic foods – some food causes heartburn such as tomatoes, chocolate, citrus fruits, spicy food, and even carbonated drinks and caffeine.
- Drink Milk – by drinking milk or having some dairy it will help neutralize the acidity in your stomach, I used to drink a gallon of milk a day when I was pregnant to help calm the heartburn.
- Wear comfortable loose clothing – if your clothes are to tight it will put pressure on your stomach and make your heartburn worse, especially a tight bra (will make your symptoms far worse).
- Tea – drinking chamomile tea with some honey may help calm your heartburn. My favorite is this Pink Stork heartburn lemon mint tea.
- Sleep on the left side – when trying to sleep at night, lay on your left side this helps so that your stomach is lower than your esophagus. For more information on pregnancy sleep, you may want to read this article on how to sleep while pregnant.
- Eat slower – allow your body to digest the food by not scarfing it down but rather chewing every bite slowly so your stomach isn’t overloaded with food all at once.
- Elevate Body – have a pillow or something behind you to elevate your body at night.
- Avoid Fatty Foods – these are known to flair up stomach acid and cause heartburn.
Other Natural Ways to Relieve Heartburn
You can also try these natural remedies to help you avoid heartburn or at least stop it in its tracks when it rears its head. One of these was my go-to for heartburn and it worked like a charm!!
- Ginger – try drinking ginger ale or sucking on ginger candy, this also works really well for morning sickness. If you need help with morning sickness you may want to read this article on How to Deal With Morning Sickness So You Can Enjoy Being Pregnant
- Apple Cider Vinegar – dilute a teaspoon in water and sip it slowly, this works for some people but not for me.
- Baking Soda – this is what I used and it worked like a charm, just a pinch of baking soda dissolved in half a cup of water. If you are on a sodium-restricted diet I do not recommend doing this, always ask your doctor before trying any natural remedies.
- Acupuncture – many women that have used this during pregnancy report being able to sleep better, overall improvement in symptoms and heartburn.
- Essential oils – a few drops of ginger, lavender, or peppermint oil on a cloth or in a diffuser are said to have calming effects on heartburn for some people. If you choose to do so make sure to use quality oils and never take them by mouth or you could get really sick from them.
- Licorice – taking a licorice root has helped some people, it is believed that it helps increase the mucous coating of your esophagus lining. Talk to your doctor before taking it.
Final Thoughts on Home Remedies for Heartburn During Pregnancy
With any natural remedy, I want to remind you that you need to check with your doctor before trying these. Everyone’s body reacts differently to supplements and you may not find relief using these home remedies or they could cause you harm by reacting with a condition you have.
I found relief with a combination of these remedies during my last pregnancy, by waiting a few hours before laying down and then elevating my head and laying on my side I avoided heartburn at night time, drinking milk worked really well along with eating smaller more frequent meals, avoiding the foods that triggered my heartburn and using a little baking soda when the heartburn got bad on occasion.
Try some of these and see if you can combine a few of them to give you relief if you can find ways to keep it from starting you may be able to avoid it most of the time. Talk to your doctor if you can’t find a way to overcome your acid reflux and heartburn, she may be able to prescribe something that will work for you or may know of other ways to relieve your heartburn.
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