Relieving the Burn of Heartburn
Heartburn is such a pain! It’s caused when hydrochloric acid (HCL), which is used by the stomach to digest food, backs up into the esophagus and irritates sensitive tissues. This creates a burning sensation in the stomach or chest, and pain behind the breastbone. It’s certainly not fun for any of the 60+ million Americans that suffer with it, but as midwives hear from our clients every day, it’s the absolute bane of pregnancy.
Pregnant mamas have two complicating factors that make them more likely to suffer from heartburn. One is that estrogens can weaken the esophageal hiatus muscle, reducing its ability to keep stomach acids in the stomach. The other is that the growing baby displaces mama’s internal organs, and puts pressure on the stomach from underneath, challenging that hiatus muscle even more.
The following ideas below are safe for pregnancy, and many could be effective for the Granddad complaining of heartburn also. Hydrochloric acid is needed in our stomachs for effective digestion, which contributes to effective nutrient absorption. So generally, remedies that reduce acid should not be used routinely, just in acute situations. I always suggest starting with a few simple suggestions first, like reducing drinks with meals, and then work your way through stronger remedies as needed.
1. Try smaller meals, and have your last meal earlier, so food gets farther down your GI track before laying down to sleep.
2. Identify any foods that trigger your heartburn so they can be avoided. Common culprits for heartburn include tomatoes, citrus, fried or fatty foods, spicy foods, peppermint, chocolate, and caffeine.
3. Reduce drinking fluids with meals to under 4 oz or none, using just enough to wash food down. This limits the dilution of the digestive efforts of the stomach, and the ‘sloshy’ effect of increased fluid-food volume. I’ve had several panicked moms report instant resolution, I hope you are one of those lucky ones!
4. A drop of essential oil of Lemon on the tip of the tongue. (“Works every time” say Brittany, mom of 5!)
5. Eat raw pineapple or papaya after a meal, which are high in digestive enzymes.
6. Sip of cream, yogurt or milk with honey to coat and soothe.
7. Drink one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (yes, ACV with the cloudy ‘mother’) in a small amount of water, or a shot of sauerkraut juice; try before or after meals.
8. Chewable papaya enzymes, a shelf-stable and concentrated version of the raw fruit above.
9. Digestive enzymes with each meal have generally been very effective in my practice.
10. Probiotics as a dietary supplement have been helpful in some cases, but usually when combined with other remedies. This may be because it improves digestion especially when the microbiome has been compromised by recent or lengthy use of antibiotics.
11. Make sure you are eating plenty of healthy salt. YES, even in pregnancy, and ESPECIALLY in pregnancy! I’ve had several mothers report tremendous relief when they added 1-2 EXTRA teaspoons of mineral-rich salt (Celtic, Sea, Redmans, Himalayan) to their diet. They licked it off their hand, added it to food, or put small amounts on their tongue and washed it down (“salt shots”). In general, it’s hard to get too much salt in pregnancy, in spite of OBs’ promoting out-dated dietary advice.
12. Ask your chiropractor to check for a hiatal hernia. Pregnancy sometimes brings this condition on temporarily, and your stomach can literally be pulled down out of your esaphogus by hand over your clothes. I’ve experienced this relief myself, and it’s magnificent. The technique is pretty simple, and midwives or partners can learn to do it for you as well. Kind of difficult to do on ourselves, I’ve tried.
13. Acute help includes drinking ½ tsp of baking soda (aluminum free, please!) dissolved in 4 oz of water.
14. Many clients have used Stomach Comfort from Nature’s Sunshine, saying for them it was an effective natural substitute for TUMS.
Most of my clients have felt that homeopathic remedies combined well with their other approaches, and often help bring the most relief. Homeopathy is completely safe for mother and child (here’s an introduction), and will not artificially suppress HCL levels. 30c is a fine potency to start with, and it’s safe to experiment for relief. More details on homeopathic remedies for heartburn here.
There are also some things not to do, and it may shock you.
Antacids are advertised as the source of relief, but they also mask the problem, can cause a rebound increase in HCL, and commonly contain excess amounts of poor forms of sodium, aluminum, calcium and magnesium. Heavy calcification in placentas has been quite rare in my midwifery clients, but in the few moms who were heavy users of TUMS it showed up every time.
I strongly advise against commercial antacids, and recommend that you try natural remedies first. DO read the labels of anything you take for possibly harmful ingredients. For example, the generic name for Mylanta is Aluminum Hydroxide; concerning since excessive aluminum has been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease!
TUMS labels vary, but all include a wide variety of chemicals that are not good for anyone, let alone ingestion by pregnant mamas.
A quick tour of antacid labels reveal unhealthy ingredients such as dyes, parabens, talc, alcohols and polyethylene glycol, which “can cause stomach upset such as diarrhea, flatulence, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, etc.” Odd side effects to accept for products promoted to pregnant mothers managing digestive disturbances!
So, as I tell my midwife clients, keep trying new things until you find what works for your personal medicine chest, or different stages of pregnancy. Mix it up with different foods and timing; sometimes a walk after dinner does the trick. Feel confident exploring homeopathic options; they are safe for pregnancy and will work wonders when you find the right symptom match. And hang in there, this won’t last forever!