Heartburn and Pregnancy: What Can I Take?
Also known as acid reflux, or GERD in some cases, heartburn is a pesky symptom – rather than a condition in and of itself. Heartburn is what happens when stomach acids and other stomach contents reflux or backflow up into the esophagus. Usually, the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) stays closed tightly enough to prevent this from happening. For some people, however, the LES loosens and allows refluxing to happen.
In this post, we’re going to talk about some home remedies for acid reflux while pregnant, whether or not omeprazole during pregnancy is a good idea, and discuss some safe antacids during pregnancy. Let’s dive right in.
Why Do Heartburn & Pregnancy Go Hand-in-Hand?
During pregnancy, a lot happens! Namely, from a reflux standpoint, internal, upward pressure upon the stomach and LES builds and builds. This makes it easier for reflux to happen.
However, there’s more at play here: during pregnancy, a hormone called relaxin is also circulating about your body in abundant amounts. Relaxin is responsible for loosening up ligaments in your pelvis to prepare you for labor, but your body can’t concentrate the hormone in one spot. Therefore, relaxin affects everything else in your body, too – including the LES.
What Are Some Home Remedies for Acid Reflux While Pregnant?
Since your body is realistically working against you, reflux-wise, what can you do? Aside from damage control, the best course of action is, honestly, avoidance. This will include foods, beverages, and lifestyle choices, too. Let’s take a look at what you should try to avoid:
Peppermint, chocolate, and citrus
Bubbly and caffeinated beverages
Lying down on your back or right side
Going to bed right after eating
Related: Identifying Heartburn Triggers: Why You Should Keep a Food Diary
A Note from Our Doctors to You:
Always consult your doctor before considering or taking any of the medications we discuss in this post. Your doctor knows more about you and your pregnancy and can make recommendations or steer you away from certain drugs that may harm you or interact with other medications you are taking.
Are There Safe Antacids During Pregnancy?
Antacids are generally considered safe during pregnancy – if you don’t use them constantly, all day long. Keep in mind that antacids are a calcium pill, essentially, designed to neutralize stomach acid. There’s nothing wrong with your stomach acid, it’s just getting into places where it doesn’t belong right now.
Unfortunately, our bodies are smart enough to overcompensate if an internal balance is thrown off. So, continuously taking antacids can actually cause your stomach to produce more acid; not to mention the risk for developing calcifications in your body – like kidney stones. It’s best to keep the antacid intake to a minimum; if you find that you’re constantly popping them, ask your doctor for a better solution.
Can I Use Omeprazole During Pregnancy?
If you’re constantly taking antacids, it’s safer (though still not a fantastic option) for you to take a once-a-day medication. Here at the Tampa Bay Reflux Center, we don’t love prescribing drugs like omeprazole or famotidine to patients for constant heartburn because it doesn’t solve the problem and creates a dependency. However, for pregnant women, this is often the best solution (if avoiding triggers and making lifestyle changes doesn’t help).
Our team of doctors recommends that, if necessary, you start with famotidine (a milder heartburn drug with fewer dependency issues) and see if that resolves your symptoms. Weaning off of famotidine is easier to do than weaning off of omeprazole. However, if famotidine isn’t cutting it, omeprazole is safe during pregnancy, too.
Note: Ranitidine is generally considered safe during pregnancy; however, there was a recall for over-the-counter ranitidine in 2019 that raised concerns. Talk to your doctor about this before taking ranitidine for heartburn during pregnancy.
Will My Heartburn Persist After Pregnancy?
We wish we could tell you that your heartburn will definitely go away after you give birth; however, this isn’t always the case. For example, women who breastfeed tend to have lingering heartburn due to the hormones necessary for lactation.
For women who gained weight during pregnancy, heartburn may persist because of internal pressure on the LES due to internal fat deposits. Furthermore, the LES isn’t very good at “bouncing back.”
Some women will find that their heartburn dissolves after giving birth, but some won’t. Keep in mind that it isn’t a good idea to stay on medications longer than necessary; finding a permanent solution (to what now might classify as GERD) is always the better solution for your body. Once your baby is born, you can get in touch with our team to learn more about permanent solutions.