Ryan is very interested in getting "big". He wants to grow, and be strong. We tell him that these things happen as a result of healthy eating and a good nights sleep, so he often wants us to check out his muscles after eating veggies and wants to see if he's taller when he wakes up.
He has a growth chart in his room but never looks at it. Instead, every morning he runs into the bathroom to check where his waist hits in relation to the toilet. He so desperately wants to be able to stand (versus sit) when he goes potty!
He's getting close, but he's still gonna need some more veggies and good sleep ;)
Here are some guidelines to help you understand which heartburn medicines are appropriate to use during pregnancy. (As with any medication, get the okay from your healthcare provider first.)
Your first line of defense should probably be chewable antacids made from calcium carbonate (sometimes just called "calcium" on the label). Fast, portable, and effective, they may be all you need. Some of them even taste pretty good.
Antacids containing magnesium hydroxide or magnesium oxide are also a good choice during pregnancy. These come in tablet or liquid form. Bear in mind that swallowing any liquid, even the liquid you need to wash down a tablet, will cause your stomach to do what it does naturally: produce digestive juices – including acid, the very thing you're trying to reduce. So it's best to swallow tablets with as little liquid as possible when you're having trouble with heartburn.
All of these antacid medicines work by neutralizing the acid that's already in your stomach causing you pain. Chewable and liquid antacids act much more quickly than tablets because they're already dissolved. You can experiment to see which type works most effectively for you.
Avoid antacids that list aluminum (such as aluminum hydroxide or aluminum carbonate) as an ingredient. Aluminum can be constipating and, in large doses, toxic. So even though these products are probably safe when used occasionally at the recommended dosage, they're not your best choice when pregnant.
Remedies containing aspirin (such as Alka-Seltzer) should also be avoided during pregnancy. Aspirin may be listed on a label as salicylate or acetylsalicylic acid.
Remember that even the chewable antacids that come in yummy fruit flavors are medicine. If you find yourself popping more of them than recommended, you may want to ask your caregiver about using something more effective and longer lasting, usually called an "acid reducer." Instead of neutralizing your stomach acid like antacids do, acid reducers actually stop your stomach from producing most of the acid it normally would.
Some acid reducers are available over-the-counter and others require a prescription. All are currently considered safe to take during pregnancy. But new research is happening all the time, so be sure to ask your healthcare provider to go over the potential risks and benefits of taking any of these drugs.
