natural heartburn help

Photo by roxysmommy

Half of all pregnant women experience heartburn or gastric reflux. Early on, before you even have a belly, it might be the hormones that are altering your stomach's stop-valve mechanism, allowing irritating stomach acids to escape into your esophagus.

And later on in your pregnancy, the problem is likely the little sucker himself -- he's growing so big and strong that your uterus is pushing into your stomach cavity and wreaking havoc on your digestion.

Your doctor may tell you to take Tums, Pepcid, or another OTC medication, or he may even hand you a script to try to tame the acid. But other expecting moms and veteran birthers alike have found these homespun, natural, and just plain common-sense remedies work just as well, if not better. As with everything in pregnancy, it's always a good idea to run any new product or exotic food -- especially herbals -- by your doctor first.

Tame-Your-Tummy Tips:

-- Heartburn tea.

-- Eat several small meals each day instead of three large ones.

-- Eat slowly.

-- Strawberry milkshake: Put raw (untoasted) unsalted almonds in the blender with just enough cold water to cover. Blend until liquefied, then let steep overnight. Strain with cheesecloth; you now have almond milk. Blend with frozen berries.

-- Drink less while eating, since drinking large amounts during meals can increase reflux.

-- Don't lie down directly after eating.

-- Avoid dairy (which actually causes heartburn, not helps it), chocolate, spicy foods, and acidic foods. When you're feeling really acid-y, try some bread (not crackers). Peanut butter can cause heartburn, but almond butter shouldn't...plus it's more nutritious.

-- Dried papaya.

-- Apples or apple cider vinegar.

-- Bananas, a natural antacid.

What foods have you found to help with heartburn?