Heartburn??

Shaklee's chewable CalMag Plus (www.shaklee.com). As a distributor, I can get a discount for you. Also, stay away from pop and eat many light, small meals... those were my big triggers.

You can take Zantac. I took it through my whole pregnancy since I have GERD, and I had a very healthy baby at 10lbs 2oz.

My doctor approved me to take Zantac 150; which is available at Costco so you can pop them all you want and be able to stay in budget...

J. -
I sympathize. I've had heartburn pretty much my whole pregnancy (I'm down to 5 weeks to go!). My doctor told me I could take anything over the counter (Pepcid, Zantac, etc), but I was hesitant too, just because I'm not a medicine taker usually...even less so when I'm pregnant. What's really gotten me through is chewing Stride gum. I know, it sounds crazy, but whenever I got a particularly bad bout of heartburn, I would start chewing the gum and it would ease quite a bit. I hope this works for you. Good luck, and congrats!
:)

Barbara Hotelling, a well respected childbirth educator in the area, swears by raw almonds. She says to eat a handful whenever you have heartburn and it should subside. If the heartburn is just too bad to deal with and the natural remedies you've tried aren't enough, ask your midwife or doc about zantac, prevacid, pepcid...one of those should work for you, and they're generally considered ok for pregnancy.

Hi J., boy do I know what you are going through and it is not fun! My doctor gave me a prescription for aciphex when I was pregnant and it worked from the first day I took it! I mean I had some horrible, keep you up all night heartburn and after I started taking the aciphex it was gone completely with no harm to my baby! Good luck! J.

J., if your heart burn is that bad I would talk to your OB/GYN about it. You can go on Zantac. My heart burn was so bad with my second child I was getting heart burn on water. I ended up on 600mg of Zantac a day it was so bad. You have to watch how many tums you are taking because of the sodium content. Those things can make you swell up. I hope this helps.

I know you've had a ton of responses- but when my Tums weren't working anymore, my doctor suggested Zantac 75, first once a day, then it got worse so I started twice a day. Then he suggested Zantac 150 and told me I could take it up to twice a day. It did help a little, but as soon as my daughter was born, the heartburn went away instantaneously! Good luck!

My doctor said I could take Pepcid AC. What worked for me because I too had HORRIBLE heartburn was to wake up, take a pepcid then go until about dinner time and take one before dinner. Any small flare ups I would take a tum here or there throughout the day but with taking a pepcid in the morning and evening I usually did not have to take a tums.

It might just be hiatel hernia. That you can take care of on your own or find an alternative practitioner who can manipulate the stomach back into place. With pregnacy, it's no surprise the stomach can get edged around and out of place.
I promise you this is possible. I would find a practitioner first and find out how to do it. Check with health food stores. Meanwhile, MINT! It's a very good relaxer. That's why they put mint flavor in Tums and the like. Even a quick dab of toothpaste! Or some chewing gum that's minty. Anything.

Hi J.,

When you are eating, eat slow. After a bite, put the fork down until you are ready for the next bite. Don't eat before two hours of going to bed. For example, if you typically go to bed at 11:00, don't eat after 9:00 p.m. If you can stay away from spicy foods, I would.

A good natural supplement with enzymes will definitely help. Also, probiotic will help too. The enzymes should be taken at each meal.

Hope this helps.

M.

Hi J.,

The nurse who taught out lamaze class told us to keep a little carton of cream in the fridge or half and half. If you know something gives you heartburn or youre trying to head it off.. take a swig of the cream or half and half. She said to do it before you eat, because it's not as effective afterwards.

Worked like a charm. If you're in a restaurant, use the tiny half and half's or ask for some whole milk at the least.

Congratulations and good luck
L.

My heartburn was so bad that I was put on Nexium. I didn't like that I had to take a pill but without it I was miserable. My doctors said that it was perfectly safe and I was around 7 months when it started for me too. Good luck, I totally understand!!!

I had the same thing. I asked my doctor about it and he said it is common and gave me a prescription for Zantac . You may just want to ask your doctor for a prescription or try the OTC stuff. My doc gave me a scrip because it came out to be cheaper to pay the co-pay.

Yuck!! I had this too. It was awful! My Dr. actually told me that Tums would make it worse due to the Calcium in them. I took a lot of Maalox. He told me I could take Pepcid (I think that's the one), but it is expensive and I was too cheap to pay for it! Double check with your Dr.

Good Luck. Mine went away 1/2 hour after my daughter was born!

When I was late in my second pregnancy, I also had bad heartburn. My doctor told me over-the-counter Zantac was OK to take. Ask if you can take it -- it worked pretty good for me.
Good Luck!

I used to get heartburn all the time and now I only get it about 1 X every 3 months. My trick? Apple Cider Vinegar. You fill a shot glass half full with the vinegar then finish filling with water. Down all at once holding your breath because you don't want to inhale the fumes. Follow it with a little more water. If it persists after about 20 minutes, take more. This natural remedy will last a long time! Good luck!

Many people that I know take an isotonic digestive enzyme that helps. It is a natural solution and you are able to drink it rather than take a pill. Let me know if you want to know more.

S.
____@____.com

I don't have anything new to offer but I just wanted to sympathize with you... I have heard about the cider idea (although it was AFTER I had my daughter that I heard this!). I just ate Tums like they were candy. I felt like I had constant heart burn. The only positive is that it DID go away right after I had my daughter. Now though wehenver I have heart burn, I always wonder if I'm pregnant :) Good luck and it will be done soon enough!

Hi J.,
Mylanta was my best friend during my first pregnancy. :) It's safe for the baby and not as expensive as zantac or other OTC meds. Towards the end of my first pregnancy I ate two extra strenth tums before every big meal so I totally sympathize with you. The Mylanta worked faster and much better than the tums. God bless on the rest of your pregnancy!

You can put the head of your bed up on blocks or use a wedge pillow along with your regular pillows so that you are sleeping at an angle. Limit the amount of citrus fruits that you eat and try to cut out all juices, the acid in those foods can make heartburn much worse. Also eat small meals more frequently, your stomach is being squished by your baby, so there isn't much room and the acids will reflux back into your esophagus and cause the heartburn. finally, give yourself at least 2-3 hours from the last time you eat and the time you go to bed. Good luck

try eating an apple- it sounds strange- but it really works! eating an apple a day for some strange reason takes care of the heartburn!

Pepcid AC !!!!!!!!!!!

OMG! I had such terrible heartburn with my 3rd baby that it made me literally sick! My doctor wrote me a prescription for something and it worked immediately! I'm sorry I cannot remember the name of the pill but ask your doctor. They will be able to prescribe something that is safe to take and won't hurt your baby. Good luck, I know what you are going through.

Talk to your doctor about taking something like Pepcid or Zantac. Both are over the counter, as well as a prescription strength. It seems like one, if not both, are okay to take when pregnant - I can't remember. Both of those are something that you would take every day, at least once. It seems like I took one of them when I was pregnant with my second daughter, and I have taken them before when I'm on steroid treatments for a medical condition. They work really well. Good luck and congratulations!

J. -

I agree with Renee. Your baby probably has a full head of hair already, so, old wives tale or not, that could be the "cause." I had three bald babies and no heartburn and then I got pregnant with "Rapunzel." I was miserable the latter part of that pregnancy. When I delivered, the first words out of my doc's mouth were "Look at all the hair!"

You've had lots of great suggestions for things to try already. I hope something works for you. I just suffered through. My daughter is four now and she does have the most amazing hair. Best of luck to you - L.

Hi- I was the same way! My doctor advised me to take Pepcid, It worked for me!

My aunt who is very into natural remedies told me to take aloe juice. I didn't want to give up my Pepcid AC's but she told me I could get it at Trader Joes. I would check with your OBGYN of course because I never did.

Hi My name is C. and I will recomand you to take Aloe vera and Digestive enzime read about this product on this web site.www.marketamerica.com/moraru everithing is natural and Aloe is 150 procent more powerful then all over the counter product. Or you can e-mail me for more information at ____@____.com. I love this product I take it for 6 mounth and change my life.

I am 21wks pregnant with our 5th child and have had heartburn almost continuously with all of them. Ask your doctor before you take anything besides Tums but I have been taking Pepcid 20mg daily and it is a lifesaver! I buy the equivalent product at the Perrigo store.

We have a 7 yr old son, a daughter that turned 3 in July a son that will be 2 in 2wks and a son that will be 1 in September and a new one due in December.

Oh I remember the days...water even caused heartburn. This may sound awful but a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar works every time. I does taste terrible, but only for a minute. It's natural, won't hurt you or baby-cakes and it also helps with swelling that comes with the last few months of pregnancy since it is a natural diuretic. Hope it helps you!

Hi J.,
It sounds like you're going to have heartburn no matter what you do. I had the same problem when I was pregnant. Your uterus is pushing the acid from your stomach into your esophagus. Eating more benign foods will help, but will not make it go away. No matter what you eat, your stomach will always produce acid. Tums only helped a little for me. My doctor told me I could take Zantac and other OTC remedies like it. (Didn't help much) What I did learn after I was pregnant, is that vinegar works! Some moms have already suggested it, I see! I tried it once when I had heartburn and it worked instantly! I wish I had known when I was pregnant! I also see that someone suggested eating cucumbers. I know several people, including myself that cannot ever eat them. No matter what, they always CAUSE heartburn. I know it seems weird, because they are supposedly mild, but they really make us miserable. I would not suggest you do that! If you do eat them and your heartburn gets worse, you'll know why! Best of luck to you! Just remember... as soon as you deliver, the heartburn will go away instantly!!! That was the first thing I noticed within the first hour after having my son! : )

My OBGYN had recommended Pepcid AC when my heartburn got really bad. I didn't like taking a medication when I was pregnant but when the heartburn got really bad the last month I was desperate. A friend also recommended packing Tums in your delivery bag (the nurses are not allowed to give you it when you are in labor)and it was a life saver for me.

the only thing that worked for me is much safer than medication for the baby. i chewed gum almost every waking hour and that was the only thing that did it, and i had it BAD! food choices don't matter at this point when baby is big enough to be pushing up on your stomach. try gum before you resort to medications that havent all been tested on developing babies. it saved me for those last few months. good luck!

When I was pregnant with my youngest the one thing that made my heartburn better was fudgecicles. You can even get sugar free ones so you don't feel as guilty.

I am an acid reflux queen...has it for about 10 years now. I went through my pregnancy taking my prescribed medication. After first trimester I had the doctros ok. What I take is Prilosec. Here's the thing, ALL meds only react to the problem, over the counter or prescribed. Prilosec is the ONLY med that prevents it from the start. I have asked many doctors and pharmacists to verify this. Ask your doctor first, then try the OTC of Prilosec or it's generic brand. I do know CVS sells this in their aisle now.

As for natural cures...cucumbers hleped a lot! Also eating in smaller portions. And then here is a website with some all natural ideas. I do know of someone that has been using the Apple Cider Vinegar for 2 years and is pleased with the results. http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/acid_reflux.html

I'm sure the weight is part of it as your esophogus is getting pushed up. Should go away after birth. Also watch your caffeine, dairy, and greasy food intake, they can trigger it. Stick to fruits and veggies for snacks. And of course, late night eating can keep you awake at night. If this happes, sleep with an extra pillow under you to keep you propped up.

I had TERRIBLE heartburn and was popping tums all the time. Then my doula told me about Papaya extract tablets they worked like a CHARM!!!!!!

They are all natural so you don't have to worry about nasty chemicals, drugs, or overdosing on calcium while you're pregnant.

Any healthfood/vitamin store will have them. They are a little sweet and really taste alright. You chew them up like a tums. I found they worked much better then Tums and I didn't have to worry about how many I was taking. I did NOT want to take any medication while pregnant.

As far as the cause.... you're going to think I"m nuts...but it could be your baby has a lot of hair. I know that's an old wives tale... but I actually read an article that said there is some evidence that shows the hormone that causes hair growth in your growing baby also causes heartburn. I had terrible heartburn and my daughter was born with a full head of hair!

Mustard was recommended to be by an OB nurse. Plain-old yellow mustard, a spoon or two really helped!

I had gotten really bad heartburn when i was pregnant with my son. tums never worked for my only maalox the chewable tablets would. i pretty much chewed those the whole time. also taking a couple drinks of milk seemed to help. i figured it would go away after i had him but no such luck, i still have problems every now and then it gets bad so i'm on zantac spelled something like that everyday. hope this helps

I lived on bananas and chocolate milk my last 2 months of pregnancy as they didn't seem to cause as much heartburn as everything else and the antacids didn't seem to work.

Just a few more weeks, hang in there.

Gaviscon works much better!!

I had constant heartburn during both my pregnancies, it isn't much fun thats for sure. I kept a bag of tums in my purse so I could take them whenever needed. I never used anything but tums and for the most part they worked fine. I just had to take them all the time.
Good luck.

Oh my goodness, I know what you are going through! Toward the end I lived on Tums night & day and then at one point they just didn't do the trick. Go to your dr. I'm living in Germany, so I'm not sure they'll have this in the states, but I took...this is in German... Magen Tabletten (tablets) by Riopan. Active ingredient: 800 mg Magaldrat. It's like Tums but stronger and it's also safe for kids so I was comfortable taking them. They worked like a charm, I don't know what I would have done without them. I don't know if you also had heartburn with your first, but after my baby girl came out it vanished!

My doctor prescribed prilosec and it made all the difference in the world. i was eating Tums like no tomorrow when I was pregnant. Once I started the prescription, I was fine.

Good luck!!
C.

I ended up taking prevacid 30mg with 3 of my kids and I am pregnant now and I am going to have to start taking it again.