What Can I Take For Heartburn While Pregnant Besides Tums?

What Can I Take For Heartburn While Pregnant Besides Tums?

What Can I Take For Heartburn While Pregnant Besides Tums

As beautiful the phase of pregnancy is for a woman, it comes with several problems as well. Women often feel uncomfortable due to the occurrence of several complications. These problems are mainly related to the stomach or digestive system in general. Heartburns are a common complaint of pregnant ladies. This happens because the progesterone hormone causes the valve between the stomach and oesophagus to relax. Since this valve is responsible for preventing the acid from the stomach to enter back to the oesophagus, its relaxing leads to heartburns.


It's important to be cautious during this period. Hence, any problem has to be dealt with the greatest care. For heartburns the most common solution suggested is to use tums. Tums not only provide quick relief from heartburns but also help add calcium to the body. Hence it is quite popular. But the popular question among pregnant women is, what can I take for heartburn besides tums during pregnancy?

What Can I Take For Heartburn While Pregnant Besides Tums

As the old adage says, prevention is better than cure! Below are some preventive measures to avoid heartburns from happening in the first place

  1. Avoid spicy and fatty foods.
  2. Eat small meals at shorter intervals. Avoid eating all at once and overstuffing yourself. Take small meals at intervals instead of being full at once.
  3. Don’t lie down directly after the meals. Do some housework or take a small walk after meals. Don’t do any work which requires you to bend over.
  4. Eat slowly as this would help you avoid indigestion and thus preventing heartburns.
  5. Increase water intake. Try sipping liquids like milk or water during meals. Don’t take huge glass-full at once.

Natural Treatments For Heartburns During Pregnancy

Natural remedies are always better than pharmaceutical drugs since they will not have any side effects. These methods are being used even before the medicine was discovered, so they can be trusted easily. The following are some natural solutions to treat heartburns during pregnancy

  1. Try eating yogurt before and after every meal. Make sure you do not overeat! Take 1-2 spoon-full only.
  2. Drink a glass of milk
  3. Put tablespoon honey in a glass of warm milk
  4. Use ginger in the form of candies or ginger ales to help get relief from heartburn during pregnancy.
  5. Say hello to chewing gums. This might seem weird to many but it is proven that the bicarbonate in saliva helps to reduce acid effect giving you quick relief from heartburn.
  6. Use apple cider vinegar. Mix a tablespoon of it in a glass of water and keep sipping it throughout the day.
  7. A spoon of baking soda in a glass of water can help.

If these natural therapies do not provide relief from heartburns, then you can always switch to medications. Without the advice of your doctor, you should not take any medications. Several antacids which are usually taken might prove harmful for you during pregnancy due to the high levels of sodium or aluminum components.


While heartburns are common and almost 40-60% of women experience heartburns in the third trimester of their gestation period, it is easy to avoid it by making small alterations in your lifestyle. By adopting certain small healthy habits you can get relief from heartburn and several allied problems.


Lifestyle Changes To Prevent Heartburns

  1. Changing sleeping position. Keep your head and upper chest elevated during the night. Always lie down on your left side as this position prevents acid build up.
  2. Raise the head of your bed.
  3. Alter your diet by including more vegetables and fruits and less oily gassy foods. Nowadays, doctors advise pregnant ladies to consult a specialist dietician to get a diet chart.
  4. Avoid alcohol and caffeine
  5. Quit smoking
  6. Stay active. Don’t confine yourself to the four walls of your room. Go for small walks or do yoga under the supervision of trainers.
  7. Wear loose-fitting clothes as tight clothes would put pressure on your abdomen which might trigger heartburns.

Antacids And Medications For Treating Heartburns During Pregnancy

If the above lifestyle changes and natural remedies do not provide relief, then you should consult your doctor. The doctor would prescribe the right antacid or check for any other problem. Do not take any medicine without the permission of the doctor as even a small mistake can have severe consequences on the health of your child. All the mothers-to-be are advised to stay as careful as possible during this time.


Are Heartburn Relief Drugs Safe?

Different drugs have a different composition and will have different effects on different individuals. While some women might not face any difficulty, others may find that the drugs have not given any relief. This is the reason only prescribed drugs should be taken. Magnesium-containing antacids lead to slow labor. Some antacids may create disruption in the process of iron absorption by the body. H2 antagonists are usually suggested for pregnant women to get relief from heartburn. What would suit your condition will vary with your body condition and the stage of pregnancy you are at.


Pregnancy is an important period during the life of a woman. Mothers to try to be the most cautious during this period as they are responsible for another life inside them. Anything they eat, drink or do directly impacts the baby. Hence. Any callousness is unacceptable during this period. Heartburn is easy to solve a problem during pregnancy. Tums is not the only solution to this problem. Women should try not to resort to medical solutions and instead opt for natural remedies for getting relief from heartburn during pregnancy. There are several treatments besides tums to treat heartburns during pregnancy which are safer and more convenient.

Author:

Maanasi Radhakrishnan

A mother of an untiring seven year old, Maanasi enjoys nurturing her love affair with English. She is often found nestled with a book, plopped against a dozen pillows, smiling away at the brink of finishing yet another book of the many dozens, that adorn the shelves of her Mini Library!

Maanasi specializes in health topics including diet and nutrition.