Pregnancy is a time of joy and excitement. But while you may be filled with a sense of anticipation and hope this is also a time when your body is going through a lot of changes. Along with morning sickness and swollen feet many women also experience the discomfort of indigestion and heartburn during pregnancy.

Heartburn is commonly caused when the muscle between your food pipe and stomach (lower esophageal sphincter) fails to close completely. This leads to stomach acid and food flowing from your stomach backwards into your food pipe. Medically, this is known as gastroesophageal reflux.^[1][9 ways to relieve acid reflux without medication](https://www.health.harvard.edu/digestive-health/9-ways-to-relieve-acid-reflux-without-medication “ 9 ways to relieve acid reflux without … Continue reading

You might experience symptoms like pain or a burning feeling in your chest, feel bloated, or heavy, bring up food, feel nauseous, burp, or vomit when you have heartburn. And though these symptoms tend to occur after you eat or drink in some cases there can be a delay before you experience symptoms.

Why Is Heartburn Common During Pregnancy?

The pressure exerted by your growing baby pressing on your stomach, hormonal changes, and the relaxing of muscles between your stomach and food pipe can increase your chances of experiencing heartburn when you’re pregnant.^[2][Indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/related-conditions/common-symptoms/indigestion-and-heartburn/ “Indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy”).NHS.

According to ayurveda, a condition known as “Amlapitta” causes heartburn. “Amla” means sour, so amlapitta occurs when the sourness of pitta dosha increases. Indulging in activities or consuming a diet that aggravates pitta dosha is thought to make the digestive juices excessively sour. This in turn is thought to ferment and sour food which promotes sourness in pitta dosha. This vicious cycle is thought to affect the digestive process.

Home Remedies For Heartburn During Pregnancy

While your doctor may prescribe medication for dealing with heartburn many home remedies have also been found to be effective. Here are a few home remedies for heartburn that you might want to try out:

1. Opt For Small, Frequent Meals

Having a large meal can impact the muscle (lower esophageal sphincter) that’s responsible for keeping your stomach contents from flowing into your food pipe. Moreover, if you have a large meal, it takes longer for your stomach to empty out and this too can promote acid reflux; therefore this is one of the home remedies for acid reflux too. So instead of having 3 large meals in a day go for smaller, more frequent meals. Also, eat slowly and make sure you chew your food properly.^[3][8 ways to quell the fire of heartburn](https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/8-ways-to-quell-the-fire-of-heartburn “8 ways to quell the fire of heartburn”).Harvard Health Publishing.

2. Sit Up Straight While Eating

Are you in the habit of leaning back against the couch and watching TV while you eat? Slouching while you’re eating can put pressure on your stomach and encourage gastric juices to flow back into your food pipe. So sit up straight when you have your meals and gravity will make sure that stomach acid stays in your stomach where it belongs.^[4][Indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/related-conditions/common-symptoms/indigestion-and-heartburn/ “Indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy”).NHS.

3. Have An Early Dinner

Avoid having food around hours before you go to bed. This is one of the effective home remedies for heartburn. If you lie down when your stomach is full it’s more likely that gastric juices and food particles will flow back into your food pipe. Meanwhile, if you stay upright gravity will make sure that stuff stays down.^[5][Indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/related-conditions/common-symptoms/indigestion-and-heartburn/ “Indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy”).NHS.

4. Use A Wedge Pillow

Raising up your torso with a wedge shaped pillow (special pillows can be procured from medical stores or companies) when you sleep might help ease heartburn at night. Once again, this uses gravity to keep your stomach contents down. Don’t use regular pillows to prop up the upper part of your body. This can cause you bend at the waist and actually increase pressure on the stomach.^[6][8 ways to quell the fire of heartburn](https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/8-ways-to-quell-the-fire-of-heartburn “8 ways to quell the fire of heartburn”).Harvard Health Publishing.

5. Have More Fruits And Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables offer a lot of health benefits. They may also protect against gastroesophageal reflux disease. One study found that participants with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables had a lower risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease. And fruit consumption was found to have a notable protective effect.^[7]Keshteli, Ammar Hassanzadeh, Pouria Shaabani, Seyed-Reza Tabibian, Parvane Saneei, Ahmad Esmaillzadeh, and Peyman Adibi. “The relationship between fruit and vegetable intake with … Continue reading

Precautions:

• Citrus fruits such as grapefruits and oranges can trigger acid reflux because they’re acidic.
• Tomatoes, spicy peppers, garlic, and onions too can trigger acid reflux.^[8][What to Eat When You Have GERD](https://www.verywellhealth.com/heartburn-diet-4014166 “What to Eat When You Have GERD”).Verywell Health.

6. Drink Coconut Water

Coconut water is recommended in ayurveda for treating hyperacidity. According to experts, young coconut water can be helpful in neutralizing stomach acids. Moreover, studies have found that drinking coconut water eases morning sickness too.^[9]Ariestini, Tri Ratna, and Windhu Purnomo. “The Effect of Young Coconut Water against Morning Sickness among Women in the First Trimester of Pregnancy.” EXECUTIVE EDITOR 9, no. 11 (2018): … Continue reading

7. Have Ginger Tea

Ginger has been used as a traditional remedy for heartburn for ages. It is one of the most common home remedies for heartburn. Ginger has gastroprotective effects and has been found valuable for dealing with bloating, belching, indigestion, abdominal discomfort, nausea, and vomiting. It has potent antioxidant properties which may contribute to these effects.^[10]Haniadka, Raghavendra, Elroy Saldanha, Venkatesh Sunita, Princy L. Palatty, Raja Fayad, and Manjeshwar Shrinath Baliga. “A review of the gastroprotective effects of ginger (Zingiber officinale … Continue reading

How To Prepare Ginger Tea:

• To prepare ginger tea, thinly slice fresh ginger root. Steep 4-6 slices in hot water for about 10 minutes.
• Strain, add a splash of lemon and honey and your ginger tea is good to go.
• Drink a cup of ginger tea before or after your meals.

Precaution:

• Don’t overdo it though, stick to amounts of ginger normally consumed as food. Consuming excessive amounts of ginger is not recommended during pregnancy. It’s a good idea to check in with your doctor before using herbal remedies during pregnancy.^[11]Stanisiere, Julien, Pierre-Yves Mousset, and Sophie Lafay. “How safe is ginger rhizome for decreasing nausea and vomiting in women during early pregnancy?.” Foods 7, no. 4 (2018): 50.

8. Chew On Some Fennel Seeds

Fennel seeds are recommended for tackling hyperacidity in ayurveda. Chewing on a few fennel seeds after your meals can help ease heartburn during pregnancy.^[12][AMLAPITTA](https://namayush.gov.in/sites/all/themes/webcms/images/org_str/HYPERACIDITY_article_FAQ_final.pdf “AMLAPITTA”).National Ayush Mission.

Precaution:

• Do stick to amounts normally used in food, consuming large amounts of fennel during pregnancy is not recommended. It’s a good idea to check in with your doctor before using herbal remedies during pregnancy.^[13][Using Fennel While Breastfeeding](https://www.verywellfamily.com/fennel-breastfeeding-and-increasing-breast-milk-supply-431838 “Using Fennel While Breastfeeding”).Verywell Family.

9. Have A Teaspoon Of Honey

Some experts suggest that a teaspoon (5ml) of honey can help prevent heartburn during pregnancy. This is because honey is thought to coat the inner lining of your food pipe and form a physical barrier against stomach acid. Some people have reported experiencing relief from heartburn after consuming 5ml of honey.^[14]https://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/10/28/oesophagus-heartburn-and-honey

10. Have A Cup Of Low Fat Yogurt

According to research, yogurt can help neutralize stomach acid.^[15]Chung, Stanley, Malalay Habib, Stanford Lin, and Sabrina Ouyang. “Comparing the effectiveness of non-synthetic remedies to commercially produced antacids in combating acid reflux.” The … Continue reading So, having yogurt is one of the home remedies for acid reflux. But make sure you go for the low fat version as fatty foods can aggravate acid reflux.^[16][GERD Diet: Foods That Help with Acid Reflux (Heartburn)](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/gerd-diet-foods-that-help-with-acid-reflux-heartburn “GERD Diet: Foods That … Continue reading

11. Try Lemon Honey Water

Lemon juice is acidic. However, experts suggest that a little lemon juice and honey added to warm water can actually help neutralize stomach acids and have an alkalizing effect. This is one of the simplest home remedies for heartburn. Moreover, both lemon juice and honey are rich in beneficial antioxidants.^[17][GERD Diet: Foods That Help with Acid Reflux (Heartburn)](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/gerd-diet-foods-that-help-with-acid-reflux-heartburn “GERD Diet: Foods That … Continue reading ^[18]Ali, Safaa. “Lemon juice antioxidant activity against oxidative stress.” Baghdad Science Journal 17, no. 1 (Suppl.) (2020): 0207-0207.

12. Have Amla

Amla or Indian gooseberry is a sour fruit with a sweet aftertaste. And these delicious fruits can help tackle heartburn during pregnancy. One study found that when people with gastroesophageal reflux disease had amla after their meals it reduced both the severity and frequency of heartburn as well as regurgitation of food.^[19]Varnosfaderani, Shahnaz Karkon, Fataneh Hashem-Dabaghian, Gholamreza Amin, Mahbubeh Bozorgi, Ghazaleh Heydarirad, Esmaeil Nazem, Mohsen Nasiri Toosi, and Seyed Hamdollah Mosavat. “Efficacy and … Continue reading

13. Have Alkaline Foods Like Bananas And Melons

Foods that have a high pH value are alkaline in nature and can help counter strong stomach acid. Some common alkaline foods include fruits like melons and bananas.^[20][GERD Diet: Foods That Help with Acid Reflux (Heartburn)](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/gerd-diet-foods-that-help-with-acid-reflux-heartburn “GERD Diet: Foods That … Continue reading Include these in your diet to ward off heartburn.

14. Have Fiber-Rich Foods Like Brown Rice And Oatmeal

Foods that are high in fiber make you feel full. This makes it less likely that you’ll overeat which in turn reduces your chances of getting heartburn during pregnancy. Fiber also helps food move through your digestive system. In fact, one study found that a fiber enriched diet helped reduce the number of gastroesophageal refluxes and decreased heartburn frequency in participants.^[21]Morozov, Sergey, Vasily Isakov, and Mariya Konovalova. “Fiber-enriched diet helps to control symptoms and improves esophageal motility in patients with non-erosive gastroesophageal reflux … Continue reading So go for whole grains like brown rice or oatmeal, you can also include fiber rich veggies and fruits in your diet.^[22][GERD Diet: Foods That Help with Acid Reflux (Heartburn)](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/gerd-diet-foods-that-help-with-acid-reflux-heartburn “GERD Diet: Foods That … Continue reading

15. Have Watery Foods Like Watermelons And Cucumbers

Having foods that have a high water content can help dilute stomach acid. So go for veggies like cucumber and lettuce, or fruits like watermelon. You can include watery foods like soups to weaken stomach acid.^[23][GERD Diet: Foods That Help with Acid Reflux (Heartburn)](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/gerd-diet-foods-that-help-with-acid-reflux-heartburn “GERD Diet: Foods That … Continue reading

16. Chew Gum

Chewing gum can help ward off heartburn during pregnancy. How does it work? When you chew gum you produce more saliva. And saliva helps wash acid back into your stomach and soothes your food pipe or esophagus.^[24][What is GERD or Gastroesophageal reflux disease](https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/gastroesophageal-reflux-disease “What is GERD or Gastroesophageal reflux disease”).Harvard … Continue reading

Precaution:

• Avoid chewing gums with excessive sugar content. Opt for sugarless ones.

16. Avoid Fatty And Spicy Foods

Foods that are rich in fat can trigger acid reflux. They increase stomach acid, delay gastric emptying (that is, it takes longer for food to move out of the stomach) and also cause the relaxation of muscles in your lower esophagus to relax. All of this leads to acid reflux. Very spicy foods can also trigger acid reflux.^[25][What to Eat When You Have GERD](https://www.verywellhealth.com/heartburn-diet-4014166 “What to Eat When You Have GERD”).Verywell Health.

17. Avoid Foods That Trigger Acid Reflux

Many common foods are known to trigger acid reflux. It might make sense to avoid these:

• Spearmint and peppermint
• Chocolate
• Strong spices like cayenne pepper, chili powder, and cinnamon
• Garlic and onions
• Carbonated drinks
• Vinegar
• Coffee and mint teas
• Alcohol^[26][What to Eat When You Have GERD](https://www.verywellhealth.com/heartburn-diet-4014166 “What to Eat When You Have GERD”).Verywell Health.

18. Keep A Food Diary

While we have a good idea of foods that can trigger acid reflux every individual’s digestive system is different. You might find that a food that’s a common trigger for heartburn is safe for you while a food that most people are able to tolerate gives you heartburn. So it’s a good idea to keep a food diary- a record of foods that you eat and the impact they have on your symptoms. Within a couple of weeks you should be able to arrive at a list of foods that aggravate or improve your symptoms.^[27][What to Eat When You Have GERD](https://www.verywellhealth.com/heartburn-diet-4014166 “What to Eat When You Have GERD”).Verywell Health.