Heartburn

Solstice7118 · March 2014

So I know I'm only 5 weeks and things are different in every pregnancy, but this one just has me scratching my head. With DD I had morning (actually, evening) sickness pretty bad, was extremely tired all the time, and wanted all the foods. This time? I feel nauseous...occasionally, but really not much and it's super mild (and YES, I am counting my blessings and praying it stays this way!). And I actually feel pretty energetic (Please see previous parentheses). And food? No, thanks. My one big issue is the heartburn. Holy mother, the heartburn! I've never experienced heartburn before in my life (pregnant or otherwise) so at first I wasn't sure what it was. But seriously, heartburn is no joke. For all you moms out there who always get it, I am so so sorry for you! Jeez. But I digress. I find that I only really get heartburn when I haven't eaten in a while. I thought heartburn was something that happened because you ate, no? Dr. Google told me so, but he lies sometimes so I wanted to get some opinions. Heartburn on an empty stomach = normal? And I think I can take Tums (Dr. Google says yes, but again: lies) - yes? And yes, I know I can call my OBGYN but I just moved to a new state & HATE the office I found here so I'm shopping for a new one. So, Dr. The Bump is my friend right now! Anyway, TIA for any replies!

beccalee721 · March 2014

I say whatever works for you is the only truth you need to follow. I guarantee there is at least one woman out there who found the same thing as you and even if every doctor in the world tells you it doesn't make sense guess what, it works for you! Haven't had the pleasure of experiencing the heartburn yet with baby #2 but I'm sure it's coming. Good luck finding a new OB!!

RachelCA29 · March 2014

Well pregnancy-related heartburn is usually because your uterus expands upwards and pushed your stomach up, so there is less room between your stomach and esophagus. Since you are only 5 weeks along it's really too soon for those types of affects (I didn't really get heartburn until I was about 20 weeks). It is somewhat hormone related, but 5 weeks is pretty early for such symptoms to actually be caused by your growing embryo.

I do find I have heartburn in "periods" versus if I have eaten or not. Some days no matter what I eat, how much, etc. I have heartburn all day. Then I can go weeks without it bothering me.

You may be confusing the feeling of heartburn to just general stomach upset because you haven't eat. I have found throughout my whole pregnancy that I feel almost nauseous if I go to long without eating. It's not typical nausea, it really is like "burning" in my stomach because I really need to eat something. I find something simple with carbs (crackers, plain white bagel, etc.) really help with this feeling because they fill you, and they taste boring, so even if you don't feel like eating you can get them down.

Solstice7118 · March 2014

beccalee721 said:

I say whatever works for you is the only truth you need to follow. I guarantee there is at least one woman out there who found the same thing as you and even if every doctor in the world tells you it doesn't make sense guess what, it works for you! Haven't had the pleasure of experiencing the heartburn yet with baby #2 but I'm sure it's coming. Good luck finding a new OB!!

Thanks!

Solstice7118 · March 2014

RachelCA29 said:

Well pregnancy-related heartburn is usually because your uterus expands upwards and pushed your stomach up, so there is less room between your stomach and esophagus. Since you are only 5 weeks along it's really too soon for those types of affects (I didn't really get heartburn until I was about 20 weeks). It is somewhat hormone related, but 5 weeks is pretty early for such symptoms to actually be caused by your growing embryo.

I do find I have heartburn in "periods" versus if I have eaten or not. Some days no matter what I eat, how much, etc. I have heartburn all day. Then I can go weeks without it bothering me.

You may be confusing the feeling of heartburn to just general stomach upset because you haven't eat. I have found throughout my whole pregnancy that I feel almost nauseous if I go to long without eating. It's not typical nausea, it really is like "burning" in my stomach because I really need to eat something. I find something simple with carbs (crackers, plain white bagel, etc.) really help with this feeling because they fill you, and they taste boring, so even if you don't feel like eating you can get them down.

Hmm....I had really bad nausea with DD and it doesn't feel anything like that. This is more between my breasts/along my sternum than under my ribs (where I get gas/stomach pain). Since I'm not nauseous (or hungry) I haven't tried eating crackers or plan foods, but it's worth a shot! Thanks for the info!

Pitterpatter44 · March 2014

Orbitz peppermint gum saved me during my last pregnancy. Sounds weird, but totally worked for keeping heartburn at bay. Gaviscon is also wonderful, and on my OB's "safe" list. Tums do nothing for heartburn for me. Also, at night it helped to sleep in a recliner instead of flat in bed. My advice - find something that works, because it only gets worse... Much worse! So not looking forward to it this time around!

mrsH1112 · March 2014

Im the same as @Nicb13. I have acid refulx and have been on Prilosec for years. I went off of it when I got pregnant as its a class C drug.

I have heartburn, all day , everyday. Some things that help:

Tums- They are safe at the recommended dosage. I have 4 tums before going to bed every night.
Gaviscon - Also safe. I have a tablespoon after dinner.

I have also had temporary relief with apple cider vinegar, as well as chewing gum. The gum thing will be a lifesaver. It will relieve it as long as your chewing it.

AggieBeth06 · March 2014

Your stomach empties slower now that you're pregnant, which can create a buildup of stomach acid.

Eating small, frequent meals is a good dietary treatment for heartburn... But so is avoiding reflux inducing foods within reason (dairy, wheat, legumes, spicy foods, acidic foods).

Unknown · March 2014

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Solstice7118 · March 2014

Nicb13 said:

beccalee721 said:

I say whatever works for you is the only truth you need to follow. I guarantee there is at least one woman out there who found the same thing as you and even if every doctor in the world tells you it doesn't make sense guess what, it works for you! Haven't had the pleasure of experiencing the heartburn yet with baby #2 but I'm sure it's coming. Good luck finding a new OB!!

I'm confused...whatever works regardless of whether or not it's safe during pregnancy??
OP, Tums are about the only safe heartburn medication during pregnancy. My OB didn't want me taking anything in the first trimester but he said if it got bad enough, I could take OTC Zantac 75mg once a day. I don't know if this is advice across the boards...but that is what my doc told ME. I've had acid reflux for 10 years and it doesn't matter if I eat or not, I would have heartburn if I wasn't on a medication. It sucks.

Damn, I'm so sorry to hear that - heartburn is no joke! Thanks so much for the Tums info. I found a new OB on my insurance site and I'm going to call on Monday and hope they are taking new patients. I'll check with them before I take anything, but if I get desperate maybe I'll take one Tums. Thanks again!

Solstice7118 · March 2014

adl3399 said:

Orbitz peppermint gum saved me during my last pregnancy. Sounds weird, but totally worked for keeping heartburn at bay. Gaviscon is also wonderful, and on my OB's "safe" list. Tums do nothing for heartburn for me. Also, at night it helped to sleep in a recliner instead of flat in bed. My advice - find something that works, because it only gets worse... Much worse! So not looking forward to it this time around!

Lol thanks for the warning! I did chew gum yesterday and didn't get it; was wondering if there was a connection. I recall last time I heard that eating mints helped (but, ironically, they tend to upset my stomach), so I guess gum makes sense. The recliner isn't a bad idea, I have a feeling I'm going to end up on the couch (we don't have a recliner, but we have a chaise on our couch that I can make work). Thanks again!

Solstice7118 · March 2014

mrsH1112 said:

Im the same as @Nicb13. I have acid refulx and have been on Prilosec for years. I went off of it when I got pregnant as its a class C drug.

I have heartburn, all day , everyday. Some things that help:

Tums- They are safe at the recommended dosage. I have 4 tums before going to bed every night.
Gaviscon - Also safe. I have a tablespoon after dinner.

I have also had temporary relief with apple cider vinegar, as well as chewing gum. The gum thing will be a lifesaver. It will relieve it as long as your chewing it.

Awesome, thank you so much! I'm going to talk w/the doc about both. In the meantime, I'm thinking gum will help. Thank you!

Solstice7118 · March 2014

AggieBeth06 said:

Your stomach empties slower now that you're pregnant, which can create a buildup of stomach acid. Eating small, frequent meals is a good dietary treatment for heartburn... But so is avoiding reflux inducing foods within reason (dairy, wheat, legumes, spicy foods, acidic foods).

Good to know! Because I haven't been getting it "after eating" I wasn't thinking that what I was eating could be the problem. I'll definitely have to keep track now and see. Thanks again!

Solstice7118 · March 2014

Bliss+Berry said:

Tums are fine to take, but if you are concerned and want to try something more natural, give raw apple cider vinegar a shot.

Thanks, I think I'll try that one!

Solstice7118 · March 2014

Nicb13 said:

Bliss+Berry said:

Tums are fine to take, but if you are concerned and want to try something more natural, give raw apple cider vinegar a shot.

What do you drink it with? By itself? I'm just now realizing how awesome apple cider vinegar is for many reasons but I wasn't sure about how it works for heartburn.

Nicb13 - from all that I've read, you just drink it straight (you can mix it in water as well, apparently). One woman on another board said it was like drinking extremely bad wine. I just read that coconut water is apparently awesome at this as well, and might be easier to get down.

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