How to Treat Heartburn During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful experiences in life. It can also be quite a challenging one. Each pregnancy is different but one thing is for certain – pregnancy can bring all sorts of discomfort (especially later in the pregnancy). With my third and last baby in tow, I’ve learned that heartburn is not my friend and I’ve found myself learning How to Treat Heartburn During Pregnancy and FAST so I thought I’d share that all with you today.

How to Treat Heartburn During Pregnancy

As with any medication, you should always consult your doctor before taking anything. I am not a doctor nor do I claim to be. However, I have been down this road a few times and if you’ve ever just had a mild case of heartburn (even without being pregnant) I am sure you can attest to it not being a fun thing to have.

One thing I’ve learned with this pregnancy is that there are some triggers that seem to make my heartburn worse but that isn’t always the case. Sometimes I’ll receive a terrible onset of heartburn for no reason. I hadn’t eaten any trigger foods and I had eaten so it wasn’t from a lack of food.

The reason I bring this is up is because sometimes in order treat something, you have to understand it first.

So, what exactly is heartburn?

Heartburn is a form of indigestion felt as a burning sensation in the chest, caused by acid regurgitation into the esophagus. Particularly during pregnancy, heartburn arises because progesterone, the hormone that relaxes muscles in pregnancy, also relaxes the stomach valve that keeps acid out of the esophagus. In addition, the growing uterus crowds the stomach, forcing acid into the esophagus.

Rule #1: heartburn doesn’t care that you’re trying to grow a human.

So, what can you do?

Like I said, I tried to think of ways to keep heartburn at bay as preventative measures and tried the following:

• Avoiding trigger foods (anything remotely spicy has been an issue for me)
• Wearing looser fitting clothes
• Eating smaller meals to avoid being hungry
• Lying on my left side at night with my head propped up with pillows
• Staying hydrated

I basically tried it all and sometimes it works. Other times it just comes on and the only thing I can do at that point is treat the problem.

I feel like I’ve become some sort of expert at this point because out of all the medications my OBGYN has deemed as safe have failed me except one and that is Omeprazole. It is an over the counter medication that treats daily or persistent heartburn/reflux. Since I anticipate I’ll be needing it until this baby makes his/her debut, I decided to visit my local Sam’s Club where I can pick up their new Sam’s Club as Member’s Mark Orally Disintegrating Tablets.

Omeprazole ODT is designed to treat the symptoms of frequent heartburn which is the exact situation I am in. While some may get relief in the first 24 hours (I did), it may take 1-4 days for full effect.

Aside from the relief I’ve received, I love that it is something I can take easily without any water. It just dissolves on your tongue making it perfect for on-the-go (especially since I have a hard time remembering to take my medication sometimes) and is strawberry flavored so you don’t have any weird after taste.

I’m truly glad that I have been able to find some relief from heartburn. It has been one of those things that has made me miserable and miss out on enjoying daily activities with my family. As I mentioned, if you or someone you know is expecting and suffering from heartburn like I have been, have them ask their OB about taking Omeprazole ODT. If allowed, I highly recommend the Omeprazole ODT which you can find exclusively at Sam’s Club. You can get 42 tablets for just under $14.00 and that is an incredible price! Plus, there is an Ibotta offer where you can save an additional $3.00!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Mirum, but opinions expressed are my own.