Heartburn

Pregnancy Challenges
Written By Margie Wallis

Heartburn in Pregnancy: A Quick Guide

Heartburn in Pregnancy: Quick Guide

Indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux—whatever you call it, it’s miserable. Here’s what’s happening in pregnancy and what actually helps. [Read to the end for suggestions ranging from lifestyle through Over the Counter Medications.]

Why Pregnancy Causes Heartburn

During pregnancy, hormones soften your tissues so your uterus can grow. That same softening affects the valve at the top of your stomach, making it slower and allowing acid to splash upward.
Stomach acid is meant to be very acidic (pH 0–2) so it can break down food and minerals. In pregnancy it often weakens (pH 3–5), so the valve doesn’t close tightly and acid escapes into the esophagus.

Why Antacids Aren’t Always Helpful

Antacids (like Tums) are alkaline, so they neutralize acid and can decrease the burn when reflux happens. But they also:
• Make digestion less effective (you need strong acid to absorb nutrients like iron)
• Add extra calcium that can contribute to placental calcifications
• Treat the symptom but not the cause

Non-Medical Relief Options

• Eat small, frequent meals
• Avoid lying down for 45–60 minutes after eating
• Keep dinner small and earlier in the evening
• Reduce triggers: tomato, citrus, spicy foods, mint, chocolate, caffeine, fried foods
• Go for a walk after dinner
• Elevate the head of your bed or use a wedge pillow

Supplements & Simple Daily Hacks

• Apple cider vinegar before meals
• Sip lemon water during the day
• HCL supplement (available on FullScript)
• Magnesium L-threonate
• ½ cup almond milk for quick relief
• A handful of almonds after meals
• Chew gum after eating
• Peppermint or ginger tea before bed

Medication Options (If Needed)

Antacids (Immediate Relief)
• Tums, Mylanta, Maalox
Avoid products with aspirin or magnesium trisilicate.

H2 Blockers (Daily Prevention)
• Famotidine (Pepcid) 10–20 mg once or twice daily

Proton Pump Inhibitors (Stronger Control)
• Omeprazole (Prilosec) once daily

Call Your Midwife If…

• Nothing brings relief and it affects your nutrition
• Pain is sudden or severe
• You also have upper-right abdominal pain, persistent headache, vision changes, or vomiting (possible preeclampsia or gallbladder issues)

Margie Wallis

It's normal to feel both excited and anxious as you anticipate the birth of your baby! Frisco Birth Center specializes in guiding expectant families through pregnancy and birth so you feel safe, confident, informed and nurtured from your first prenatal appointment through the first weeks of your baby's life. Birth where you feel most comfortable — your home or our cozy home-like birth center in Old Town Frisco. We offer holistic care, body, mind and heart, blended with the tools of modern midwifery so you and your baby have evidence-based care in a supportive, comforting environment. With the Midwifery Model of Care, you are the center of our focus. Birth can be better.

https://FriscoMidwife.com
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