Natural Remedies for Heartburn

I had terrible heartburn with all 3 of my pregnancies. It wasn't until the end of my 3rd that I finally found the best (and only) real solution. It doesn't taste the best, but trust me, it works. You just mix a teaspoon or so of baking soda in some water and drink it down. I always made it more concentrated so I could just get it down in 2 gulps. It works like magic and this is what people used before we had all this other stuff like tums, mylanta, etc. And none of them work anyway :)

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This is going to sound odd - it did to me when someone told me this. Heartburn was explained as your stomach trying to create enough acid to digest the food in your stomach. Try pickles/pickle juice. The pickle juice apparently acts as an acid and helps your stomach digest food. Well - I tried it and I was VERY skeptical. It does work most of the time. I'm 34 wks pregnant and tried it around 30wks when the heartburn was getting worse.

I don't know if it will work for you but I'm guessing it's worth a shot!

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Good morning, C., Ever since I started taking flax seed, I don't get heartburn anymore.I used to almost live of tums, especially at night, but i am heart burn free, I think all women get heart burn while they are pregnant, I did with all 3 of my pregnacies, while pregnant with my second child, water gave me heartburn, Flaxseed is really good, you can get it at any healthfood store and walmart, I use the organic flaxseed, it cured many things for me. J.

1 mom found this helpful

Red Hots! Those tiny cinnamon candies work wonders. I've been using them for myself and my pregnant clients for years and years and they seem to work for everyone.

Last week I was at a birth and had a client who suddenly got terrible heartburn while pushing out her baby. She asked the doctor for something and the doctor told her that by the time she could get something to her, the baby would be born so there was nothing the doctor could do to help. I handed her 2 Red Hots and the doctor laughed and said that would make it worse, but it completely stopped my client's heartburn in less than a minute :) The doctor was amazed!!!

Whatever solution you find, be sure to bring it with you when you are in labor!

Good luck and happy birthing :)

Just take TUMS--they saved me during my pregnancy. It's not a prescription and is just calcium so it is good for you and the baby and you can eat as many as you want! Don't believe me? Check out the side effects on this site: www.safefetus.com

I drank milk or cream for my heartburn (plus lots of Tums). That seemed to help.

Good luck and congratulations! I had my first child at 40 also! Rest as much as you can now... you're going to be tired!

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar! It works instantly for me. The brand I buy is by Braggs.

Baking soda. the tip of a spoon and then onw or two sips of water.

Hello C., I just want to say congratulations!!! It is brave to start at 40, I am also 40 and still trying to have another baby. Heartburn is such a factor in how you feel, but this too shall pass. I would love to say leave out Milk for a while, keep meals small, and try sleeping with your head slightly elevated. (Like when you have a cold.)
God bless you and your child, stay away from the meds if you can. Tums are safe, but leaving out acid foods and milk helped me.
M. in San Diego
MOPS Coordinator

Hello C.,
My son right now is 3 years old. While I was pregnant with him I suffered horrible heartburn, the best remedy for me was drinking milk. That was a recommendation that my doctor gave me instead of taking medication and it worked perfectly. I honestly never drink milk regularly, but I would put it on some ice and it worked wonders for the heartburn. Hope it works for you.
J.

I taught birthing classes for over 10 years, and worked as assistant midwife also.
Please don't be alarmed, but just be sure Dr has had a good listen to your heart. I'm just saying, most certainly it is heartburn, but be sure in case!
Otherwise, as many other women responded, I personally lived off costco sized Tums and also the papaya enzymes from Trader Joe's.
Blessings from heaven as your family grows!
Most warmly,
L.

I found papaya enzymes that were effective, I didn't develop it till later in the pregnancy. Also you can try alkaline water which helps balance the acidic levels. I would be more than happy to give you a gallon to see if it helps. I know my mothers acid reflux has gone away with the alkaline water.

R. R.
www.ionwayspro.com
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You should double check if it is really heartburn. I to had the same problem for about a year,everyday I could feel it coming and by 2:00am it would hit me so bad until 6:00am and i was taking and trying everything.Till one early moring on July 8, it was so bad that I went to the hospital, did some test, catscan,ultrasound and found out that I had galstones.I had to go through surgery for it, some friends that I know just took meds. to break it down to pass it of when tey use the bathroom. It all depends how big and how many. I know everyone is different but you should talk to your doctor about it.. The doctor who did my surgery said that women at this age gets it.

A teaspoon of Balsamic Vinegar. It burns for a second : )

Hi, When I was pregnant with my 3rd, David, our little surprise, at age 42, I had the worst heartburn. I would be awake all night sometimes coughing since it triggered my asthma. I tried a lot of things, and ended up resorting to the prescription at the end. Try alltoids (the little peppermints) in the red box, also ginger tea made from fresh ground ginger. It worked at first when I was first and second trimesters, but my last trimester was awful. I hardly slept. They say that if you have alot of heartburn, your baby will have lots of hair and boy did he ever and still does!! Who knows if that is true? Well, good luck , I hope one of those will work for you. God Bless you and Congrats!

Hi C.,

I can totally relate with your heartburn issues. I had horrible heartburn throughout my pregnancy. I remembering telling people that a sip of water would give me heartburn and at night it got so bad, I couldn't lay down on my back right away when I got in bed. I had to prop a pillow up behind me, so I was partially sitting. M y child is now 4 and my pregnancy was normal other than the heartburn.
I used Maalox and it seemed to help, however, I really wanted to try something more natural, but just didn't konw of anything and neither did my resources (family and friends). I guess the up-side to having the heartburn was that I couldn't overindulge in food and I had to stay away from rich foods, so I ate smaller portions, healthy/natural foods (mostly) and spread my meals out throughout the day.
I hope this information is helpful and in addition to the heartburn advice, if you are interested in adding Omega-3's and Antioxidants to your diet without risking your health and the health of your developing child, check out Moxxor (www.mymoxxor.com/pamwagoner). It's the most powerful conenctrate of Omega-3's & Antioxidants on the planet and it's 100% natural. Moxxor is comprised of a concentrate of polyunsaturated fatty acids extracted from the greenlip mussel (indigenous to New Zealand, where Moxxor's organic mussel farm resides). Unlike fish oil it contains NO heavy metals, won't thin your blood, won't give you fish burps (if you take fish oil, you know what I mean) and is recommended by OBGYNs to take before, during and after pregnancy and breast-feeding as it supplies your body with ALL essential fatty acids (including DHA) needed for proper brain development and function. The antioxidants found in Moxxor come from the sauvignon blanc grapes of the South Island of New Zealand where the unique atmospheric conditions cause the seed to have greater levels of super antioxidant OPC than any other known fruit or berry, and are free from genetically modified material, heavy metals, arsenic and pesticides. Moxxor grape seed extract is 3 times more effective than Acai Berry and 47 times more effective than Goji Berry. The mussel oil in Moxxor has an anti-inflammatory value that is 158 times more effective than fish oil and 395 time more effective than flax seed oil. You would have to take an entire bottle of fish oil to get the value in 2 small Moxxor (and that doesn't even touch on the antioxidants).
I am giving 4 a day to my child, who suffers from ADHD and PDD (a spectrum disorder). Since taking this product for 4 weeks he has begun to show signs of improvement. His teacher told me last week that she's seen a development of maturity in him over the last few weeks and wants to move him up to the next level class (this is HUGE). I've been taking Moxxor for 4 weeks and my embarassing eczema of 13 years is nearly GONE!!! Just wanted to take a moment to share this with you and any other Mammas looking for a natural approach to wellness.
All my best to you during this exciting time of your life... enjoy the journey and continue to strive for a healthy, natural path to happiness!! -P.

I followed my doctor's orders carefully and didn't eat or drink anything for at least an hour before going to bed; I also sleep with my head elevated whenever that is an issue, and I do some exercise after dinner rather than feel tempted to eat. You may already be doing this, but it really made a difference for me. My doctor's advice (above) was given just a couple of years ago and I've had no problem since--except when I overindulge in greasy, spicy food and alcohol.
R.
(a grandma who had really BAD heartburn with my first child--also gained a lot of weight 40 lbs. Had none with the second--exercised and gained only 20 lbs.)

When I was pregnant I suffered from BAD heartburn too. My friend said that green apples can take away heartburn and let me tell you it not just green ones, all kinds of apples will work. I lived on apples throughout my pregnancy. Bless you as you endure on this beautiful journey. My husband and I are praying to be starting this journey once again ourselves, Lord willing.

Dear C.,
Warm Congrats! I'm a Speech Pathologist and Orofacial Myologist. I copied some dietary guidelines for you from the American Speech Hearing Association. Hope you find some of them useful in conjunction with your doctor's recommendations,and/ or as a non-medicinal alternative.

Eat light meals at least three hours prior to a performance, intense vocal activity, reclining or sleeping
Avoid ingestion of alcohol, caffeinated beverages, decaf coffee, carbonated beverages, and citrus juices
Eliminate fatty, fried, spicy, and acidic foods from the diet
Avoid acidic medications such as aspirin and vitamin C
Take medications as directed
Elevate the head of the bed by at least six inches
Take antacids when acute symptoms appear
Avoid chemically filled environments
Avoid mints, chocolates, or nuts
Eat slowly

xoxo

Take lots of calcium before bed and with no food. Make sure you don't take too much vitamin D. That helped my heartburn during pregnancy. Good luck!

Baking soda and warm water

Hi,

The only advise I can suggest is to have Tums nearby at all times. I would take 2-3 before bedtime to help get farther through the night. You may also try going to the chiropractor for an adjustment since that may be part of the problem. (You will probably still have heartburn, but less.) :)

Ask your doctor about Dandelion Root tea. Also chewing gum may help. Lastly, a spoonful of balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar.

Yeah, that's not too fun.

I used to drink milk and have ice cream...plus used to fall asleep sitting up sometimes. Good luck!

-M

Baking soda, A little bit on a teaspoon into about 1 1/2 - 2 ounces of water. Stir it around good and shoot it down. It is nasty but in a few minutes you will let out some huge burps and feel tremendous! Hope it works for you! I have terrible heartburn with my second child especially. However I use it all the time still. Even when I have just a hint of heartburn coming on... it nips it in the bud!!

Get a wedge for the bed. It's like a really big foam wedge that you put under your head and upper back. That kept me from choking in the middle of the night. Also, there is nothing wrong with taking Tums. I actually get the Rite-Aid brand of Ultra Strength antacid as a generic for Tums. It tastes the best.

I use papaya enzyme plus,from vitiamin world.
I chew 2 or 3 of them...

My doctor said to take TUMS! They saved my life! LOL Didn't leave the house without them. My doctor said not only would it take care of my heartburn, but it's also a great way of getting your daily calcium! You can take it as much as you want (within the guidelines on the bottle). There is absolutely nothing dangerous in there - it's really JUST calcium! :) Good luck!!

"Boiron" is an excellent homeopathic brand with remedies for nearly every ailment. Their "Acidil" tabs are a homeopathic combination for the temporary relief of occasional heartburn, acid indigestion or sour stomach.
Ginger is another good remedy and comes in a variety of forms including candied ginger, powder and the root form, of course. Solaray is another great brand and they make ginger tabs called "Ginger Trips", kinda like Tums. All are available at Whole Foods and staff might be able to answer further questions. Always check with your doctor first though. Good luck! Feel better!

Looks like you have some good suggestions here! You never know which is going to be the best remedy for you, so try a few things. Also try slowly chewing raw almonds, 8-10 at a time, and slippery elm lozenges. Eat small amounts of food frequently instead of large meals, drink liquids between meals instead of lots of fluids with meals. Have dinner at least two hours before bed.
Good luck!
D.
Doula and prenatal yoga instructor

Hi C.,

When I was pregnant towards the end I had really bad heartburn. Cucumbers relieved me. Try it and let me know how it worked.

God Bless,
D.

I'm pregnant as well, and I've noticed that with my head elevated, no spicy food, and drinkin glots of warm water it helps.

You got some good advice! Some suggestions I've never even heard of before. I think it all depends on how YOU react to it. The things I was going to suggest are:

1) Rice Chex with bananas. Small portions though.

2) Ginger or Peppermint (tea is best)

3) Minty Rolaids (prefer to Tums, personally)

Best wishes!

Hi C.,

I feel the same way about pharmaceuticals. Last year my husband and I discovered Kangen alkalized water and have been amazed at the health benefits (including getting rid of heartburn). My husband is a personal trainer and has done extensive research on the science behind it. You can check out www.ourbodiesofwater.com for more info. If you are interested, he would be happy to answer any questions you have (____@____.com). He understands more about why it works than I do. I just know it does.

Be well,
G.

I also had very painful heartburn when I was pregnant. I drank a LOT of water and peppermint tea. Peppermint tea is caffeine free. Good luck!

HI Charice,
At this point that baby is pushing up on your belly and esophagus so it's really more of a mechanical problem than anything.
If you want to try some supplementation, you could take a digestive enzyme and also Hydrochloric Acid supplement. These are both naturally occurring substances in your body but that if lacking in your system will cause heartburn and digestive upset. You should be able to find them at a natural health food store, but if not, you can contact me and I can order some for you.
Good luck!
C. Tanaka, DC
www.naturallifechiro.com

You can try these: http://www.threelollies.com/

When I was pregnant I took ginger for my heartburn. I was like you and didn't want any drugs in my system to possible harm my little bundle. I was 41 when I had my second child and had the most heartburn. God Bless you and good luck with your little bundle of joy.

Peppermint chewing gum was always a great remedy for me. Also, cauliflower is a natural acid reducer.

I have two really good ones. However, it depends on which direction your stomach acid is coming from. And I don't mean from the bottom up! LOL that i do know. Neither will hurt, but either will make it worse if it's not the right one.

OK the most common would be to use Aloe Vera Juice. They have flavored kinds now so you don't have to deal with the bitterness. This works great for people who have too much stomach acid.

The lesser common (which I found out I fall in to) is Apple Cider Vinegar. This works great for people who have too low stomach acid. Also, Betaine HCL (should be a lower case L, but it looks like a 1 on this font)

I would try the Aloe first as it is more common to have a high concentration of stomach acid causing your indigestion/heartburn.