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Use of baking soda during pregnancy
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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Baking soda is known and used in every home. It is used for cleaning surfaces and for preventing certain diseases, and what delicate, airy baked goods are obtained with its use!
Are there any contraindications for its use? Is this product safe for expectant mothers?
Let's consider the use of soda for heartburn
Many pregnant women feel a burning sensation in the chest, or so-called "heartburn". This symptom most often visits expectant mothers in the second and third trimester of the gestation period. To prevent this symptom from appearing, it is necessary to monitor the quality of nutrition, properly organize your daily routine, and avoid eating spicy foods. However, despite the caution of women, the problem of heartburn still exists. It is associated with both hormonal changes in the body and physiological ones - namely, with the displacement of the stomach upward and the subsequent pressure on the esophagus by the growing uterus. In this regard, women during pregnancy are simply forced to look for some kind of "salvation" to alleviate this condition. In this case, only symptomatic treatment is possible. But most medications have a negative effect on the body of pregnant women. Therefore, many women who are faced with the problem of heartburn use one of the most well-known methods. They take soda in the form of an aqueous solution to neutralize the acid in the stomach.
The positive effect can be noticed after a few minutes. But due to the fact that the carbon dioxide that was released when soda interacts with stomach acid irritates the esophagus very much, a person begins to feel a new attack of heartburn. In addition, sodium bicarbonate can provoke swelling and has a negative effect on the intestinal mucosa. The conclusion is obvious - expectant mothers should not use soda to relieve heartburn.
Douching with soda during pregnancy
Due to its antiseptic properties, soda can be used in medicine, in particular, in gynecology. Douching with baking soda additionally (in addition to the main prescribed drugs) relieves unpleasant symptoms during the treatment of thrush. But this is only an auxiliary remedy that is used in complex therapy. The effectiveness of using a soda solution is explained by the fungicidal effect of sodium bicarbonate on fungal microfibers. To douche with a solution of sodium bicarbonate, you need to dissolve one teaspoon of soda in two hundred milliliters of warm boiled water. It is advisable to carry out the procedure lying on your side, so that the solution remains in the vagina for some time. Douching should be done very carefully, so as not to harm the baby, because responsibility for his health lies with his mother during this period.
Naturally, douching with a soda solution, like any other solution, is prescribed by a doctor who monitors the woman during pregnancy.
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Gargling with soda during pregnancy
Another use of baking soda solution is gargling for various viral diseases. The use of soda solution, unlike medical drugs and various herbal remedies, during pregnancy is safe and very effective. The disinfectant properties of sodium bicarbonate reduce the rate of bacterial reproduction due to the creation of an alkaline environment, and the body copes with diseases such as pharyngitis, laryngitis, tonsillitis, etc. Much faster.
Preparation of a solution for gargling: mix half a teaspoon of soda with a glass of water at a temperature of 30-40 degrees, gargle at least 4-5 times a day. But you should not abuse this remedy, because soda can dry out the mucous membrane of the throat.
Washing your nose with soda during pregnancy
Rinsing the nose with a soda solution is an effective remedy for treating rhinitis and sinusitis.
But the maximum effect is achieved by using soda and salt at the same time. This kind of solution is very easy to prepare: you need to take half a teaspoon of baking soda, half a teaspoon of sea salt and dissolve these components in two hundred milliliters of warm boiled water. If there is no sea salt, use table salt. The resulting solution must be poured into a teapot for brewing tea or a pre-boiled bulb syringe for douching and rinse the nose over the sink. This should be done by tilting the head so that the liquid poured into one nostril flows out of the other nostril or through the mouth. You can rinse your nose with this solution 3-5 times a day. This procedure is very relevant for pregnant women, since in their position, therapy with antibiotics and various complex drugs is contraindicated. As a result of using such rinses, swelling of the nasal mucosa decreases, signs of the inflammatory process in the nasal sinuses decrease, the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx is cleared of various bacteria and viruses.
Milk with soda during pregnancy
Since ancient times, our ancestors have been looking for recipes for treating various diseases, turning to Mother Nature for tips. Milk is not only a valuable food product, but also a storehouse of vitamins and microelements, so necessary during pregnancy. Its valuable components are used not only by drinking whole milk, but also by consuming such products as cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, sour cream, etc. The use of warm milk for various respiratory diseases that are accompanied by a cough has been proven effective for many generations. Especially effective is the use of warm milk with the addition of baking soda. Such a drink helps to make a dry cough productive, which is why the recovery process is accelerated.
There are several recipes that include milk and baking soda.
- The first is 250 milliliters of milk, a teaspoon of honey and ¼ teaspoon of soda.
- The second is 300 milliliters of milk, a little butter and ¼ teaspoon of soda.
- The third is milk (250 ml), a teaspoon of honey, 1/5 teaspoon of soda and 1 drop of an alcohol solution of propolis.
Milk with soda during pregnancy can be consumed in the form of the listed recipes only in the absence of allergic reactions to lactose.
Overdose
Despite all the advantages that sodium bicarbonate has, in some cases it is possible to overdose when taken internally. Therefore, when using soda, you need to be careful, especially women who are carrying a child. The consequences of its excessive use can be:
- Irritation of the mucous membrane of the digestive organs;
- Minor stomach upset;
- When trying to neutralize hydrochloric acid in the stomach, you can get even more heartburn than before using this “quencher” and thereby worsen your condition.
When applied externally, overdose is practically impossible (the exception is prolonged exposure of dry powder to human skin).
It should also be noted that all the listed methods of treatment with baking soda are only advisory in nature. By using these recipes to treat diseases on their own, expectant mothers can endanger their unborn baby. Therefore, we advise you to seek help from a doctor and not to self-medicate. Be vigilant and healthy!