Natural Heartburn Relief in Pregnancy
By Christine Powell
My first pregnancy symptom is heartburn, and it is one of the ‘side-effects’ of pregnancy that I suffered most with, I know I am not alone here so I have compiled a list of 5 natural heartburn remedies which are pregnancy safe, as well as a few preventative measures.
Why is heartburn so common during pregnancy?
We all know what heartburn is (if you’re pregnant, then you definitely do!) but why is it so common during pregnancy? The obvious answer is because your growing baby is pushing on your stomach, causing acids to travel up your esophagus, but this does not explain why we experience heartburn whilst our babies are still the size of a blueberry.
During pregnancy the placenta produces the hormone progesterone to relax the muscles of the uterus. Progesterone unfortunately also relaxes the valve that separates the stomach from your esophagus (the Lower Esophageal Sphincter or LES), allowing stomach acids to travel up and cause the dreaded heartburn.
Don’t take antacids, they won’t help anyway!
Antacids will not stop your LES valve from being on holiday whilst you are pregnant. They will, however, cause the acid levels in your stomach to drop; resulting in defective digestion. This allows food to sit in the stomach environment for longer than it should, putrefying as it does so and emitting acidic gases making your heartburn even worse!
Prevention is better than cure; follow these steps to prevent heartburn:
- Avoid large meals, rather opt for smaller more frequent meals throughout the day
- Avoid acid forming foods such as refined carbohydrates, processed foods, carbonated drinks and spicy foods. Eat plenty of alkaline foods such as fresh, raw fruit and vegetables
- Avoid drinking large quantities of liquid whilst eating, this dilutes the stomach acid and distends the stomach putting unnecessary pressure on your holidaying LES valve
- Avoid foods which contain caffeine such as coffee and chocolate
- Eat slowly, and do not lie down after meals
- Prop your head and shoulders up slightly whilst sleeping
If, after all this, you still suffer from heartburn, try adding one of these natural remedies to your diet:
- Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, kombucha and kefir aid natural digestive processes
- Coconut water will douse the fire in your esophagus with its natural anti-acid properties
- Papaya contains natural digestive enzymes which help prevent heartburn
- Raw apple cider vinegar, this sounds crazy, but it really works! A tablespoon in a glass of water, or taken however you can get it down (use it in salad dressings!)
- Pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain which naturally aids in controlling heartburn symptoms
Who Would Have Thought That the Most Natural Event Would Raise So Many Questions for Expecting Mothers?
When Life is growing within you, naturally you want to do everything you can to ensure your baby will be as healthy as possible. It makes sense to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, but a raw food pregnancy?! Is it possible? “Well-Rounded: The Ultimate Guide to a Healthy Raw Food Pregnancy” aims to answer all these questions, and more. It fills in the gaps in the raw food movement, so you can read a single book to get your answers without having to read a skimpy section on raw vegan/vegetarian pregnancy in ten different books about raw food!
About Christine Powell:
Christine is a single, work-at-home mom to her beautiful son, Jesse. She lives in South Africa and is passionate about bringing up her son as naturally as possible. Christine blogs at African Babies Don’t Cry where she often writes about natural nutrition and toddler health. She keeps busy by volunteering for the Natural Parents Network, being an avid gardener and a healer in training. You can also find her on Facebook or contact her at [email protected].