4 Natural Heartburn Remedies when You're Pregnant

Milk is one of the best natural heartburn remedies when you're pregnant. Learn about other remedies to help relieve this discomfort.

Heartburn is common during pregnancy. This is a very uncomfortable problem, especially when it happens in the middle of the night. It can negatively affect your sleep, as well as hurt your digestive health. Today, we’ll share 4 natural heartburn remedies for when you’re pregnant.

This condition can have very diverse causes, so it’s important to attack the root of the problem. These natural remedies will help your symptoms, which is why you should know them.

Natural heartburn remedies

We’re going to tell you which natural heartburn remedies are the most effective, and which ones science supports. Although this condition tends to worsen during pregnancy, you should still talk to your doctor if the issue persists or if it gets worse over time.

Drink a glass of milk

Milk has much less acidity than our stomach juices. Because of that, when you mix the two liquids together, they neutralize each other. This can alleviate heartburn and reflux during pregnancy.

According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, drinking a glass of milk is an effective remedy for an upset stomach. However, it doesn’t attack the root of the problem. Therefore, in the long term, it could actually be counterproductive.

For pregnant women who wake up in the middle of the night with this pain, it’s one of the best solutions.

Sodium bicarbonate

Sodium bicarbonate has an alkaline character, so it can help fight heartburn and soothe discomfort. In addition, it decreases stomach inflammation, which can make your stomach feel better.

A study published in Medwave states that ingesting sodium bicarbonate is as effective as omeprazole. However, it has far fewer side effects. That’s because omeprazole has been shown to have a certain relationship with esophageal cancer risk.

However, despite it being a very effective solution, there’s no consensus on the recommendation to consume sodium bicarbonate during pregnancy. There’s not a lot of evidence surrounding this matter. In addition, you can use this natural heartburn remedy as soon as you feel discomfort, but we don’t recommend using it too often.

Lemon infusion

Lemon infusions increase the speed of digestion, which reduces the risk of associated discomfort. It’s best to make this drink with the yellow part of the lemon. Then, you should let it sit until it reaches room temperature. You can drink it by itself or you can try adding a tablespoon of honey.

Digestive infusions

You have to be careful which infusions you drink while you’re pregnant. For example, tea can be dangerous for the health of the fetus because it contains caffeine. In addition, you should check to ensure they don’t have abortifacient properties.

However, there are also herbs that can help reduce heartburn while you’re pregnant, without putting the baby’s health at risk. Some of them are chamomile, lemon balm, and yarrow. We don’t recommend drinking them when they’re excessively hot because that could increase inflammation in the stomach walls.

Natural heartburn remedies when you’re pregnant

Like we mentioned, you can use natural heartburn remedies to relieve the discomfort without having to resort to medications. However, these remedies are only for temporary relief because they don’t attack the root of the problem.

If your symptoms persist, you should talk to a doctor to find out the cause of your heartburn. Then, they’ll be able to suggest an effective solution in the medium term. 

Regardless, you should always keep in mind that, in most cases, this problem is temporary and is often a symptom of pregnancy. Once you have your baby, your gastric discomfort should disappear and you shouldn’t experience that discomfort any longer. Remember, hormonal and structural changes during pregnancy can be the main trigger.