Acid Reflux During Pregnancy, and My Surprising Remedy

We've all heard the old wives' tales about pregnancy. If you crave salty foods over sweets, you're having a boy. If you break out, you're having a girl. And one of the common tales I heard while pregnant was if you have acid reflux during pregnancy, your kid will have a lot of hair. 

Where's all the hair???

When I was pregnant, as soon as I started actually getting big, I developed acid reflux. I had it before pregnancy on rare occasions, but as soon as I hit the second trimester, there is was, a constant reminder that everything I put in my mouth was not agreeing with me.

Now, I tried the dietary changes. But I also had been about 110 lbs most of my adult life and being pregnant to me, was also a time to celebrate that I could eat pretty much whatever I wanted. I watched what I ate yes. My lunchtimes were full of healthy salads with spinach, edamame and other super foods. I wasn't eating ice cream and McDonald's everyday. But, if I got a craving for Long John Silver's, I sent Jeremy to get Long John's.

When the acid reflux started rearing it's ugly head, I started watching what I was eating more closely. I got a nice bottle of Tums and hoped for the best. Soon enough, I was taking entirely too many tums. It would help but only for an hour or so. Nighttime was miserable for me, so I tried sleeping on my left side or sleeping with my upper half elevated. Still, I'd wake up burping that disgusting vomit taste that burnt my throat so badly, I'd be crying. I started to look up different remedies I could take. Did you know it is actually dangerous to take too many Tums because it can leach the magnesium from your bones? I didn't want to do anything like that! I was all about protecting my baby. The doctor gave me another recommendation for a chewable that is actually now off the market (I can't remember the name, but I remember my next doctor had a face of horror when I said I had been taking it. Apparently it causes some major bowel problems, as I found out all too quickly.) I started back in my research for natural remedies. During work, I chewed gum (it increases salva production which is supposed to help clear the acid). I also tried drinking lemon juice and water in the morning before work and apple juice at work. I even tried some apple cider vinegar. Nothing worked. All these solutions were temporary, and I was already becoming majorly sleep deprived.

They say not to eat close to bed, but my work schedule did not allow that. I tried to stay awake for a couple of hours after eating, but often I'd fall asleep sitting up watching TV. I was eating only bland food with barely any seasoning (Jeremy was not happy). I tried eating pickles, and in the middle of the night I would even swallow spoonfuls of honey. I drank chamomile tea. I avoided caffeine. I ate small meals. Nothing worked.

Then, I finally discovered my magic remedy. One night in desperation at 3am, I put a tablespoon of baking soda in a glass of water. I took a big gulp and immediately felt relief. I slept like a baby that night. For the rest of my pregnancy, I would make myself one glass of water with a little bit of baking soda mixed in. Anytime I felt that nasty burp coming, I'd take a sip. I wasn't drinking it constantly. That, actually would have been a terrible idea. You see, baking soda helps you retain water, a problem most pregnant women already have. So, if any of my readers try this, I will tell you to only do it in moderation and to keep an eye out for any swelling. But for me, it worked. After a few weeks, I noticed I never even finished the whole glass, so I started putting a pinch of baking soda in a glass of water and drinking the whole thing. That would usually get me through the night. It was amazing to finally feel better! 

Now I'm not telling my readers to skip all other home remedies. In fact, you should try some if you are having problems with acid reflux. Also, make sure to talk to your doctor about your problems. They may be able to better guide you, I am not a medical professional. I simply wanted to inform you of what worked for me, as well as give you a list of what I tried so if you're experiencing problems you can try some for yourself and find out what works best for you.  

So here it is:

My List of Acid Reflux Remedies

Lifestyle Changes- 

Adjust your diet

Sleep on left side

Sleep with head elevated

Avoid trigger foods and caffeine

Avoid eating close to bedtime 

Eat small more frequent meals

Over the Counter Aids- 

Tums

Mylanta

Maalox

Prevacid

Food or Drinks to Counteract-

Baking soda with water (tbsp)

Apple cider vinegar (tbsp)

Apple after meals

Pickle juice

Lemon juice and water

Chewing gum

Spoonful of honey

Chamomile tea

Hopefully one of these remedies, or a combination will help you get some relief during your pregnancy. I am not a doctor, so please do not blame me if you do not find relief based on the items on this list, make sure you are talking to your own doctor for their recommendations as well.

And as for the hairy baby? Well I expected Lucas to look like Chewbacxa when he was born because of all the problems I had when I was pregnant with acid reflux. He was simply born with the tiniest mullet. So, I guess in our case, that old wives' tale was not true.