During pregnancy, you have to be extremely careful about the kind of foods you consume. Even a tiny amount of something can harm your baby. If you’re wondering whether you can eat foods made with baking soda during pregnancy, read on.
Is Baking Soda Safe During Pregnancy?
Heartburn is a common problem during pregnancy, which is mainly due to the hormones in your body at this stage. To counter heartburn, you might want to use baking soda. And you can use it in limited amounts. The quantity of baking soda should be measured carefully and you must ensure that the powder has dissolved completely before you consume the same. However, there are diverse opinions about its safety so it’s best to speak to your doctor before you use it.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Baking Soda During Pregnancy
For pregnant women, baking soda has upsides as well as downsides. Here are a few of them:
Advantages
There is no evidence of any negative impact of sodium bicarbonate on the unborn child. The advantages of using baking soda are:
- Baking soda is highly effective against acids that your pregnant body produces thus giving relief from heartburn.
- Baking soda reacts with stomach acids and produces harmless elements like water, carbon dioxide, and common salt.
- For severe acidity, baking soda is highly effective. Mix half a teaspoon of baking soda in half a cup of water. Mix it thoroughly before drinking it.
Disadvantages
Following are some disadvantages of using baking soda during pregnancy.
- Since baking soda contains sodium, it encourages water retention in the body. Due to this property, a low-sodium diet is recommended for those who have swollen feet during pregnancy.
- Although baking soda is a great antacid and reduces heartburn, if you have oedema, it can aggravate the problem.
Baking Soda in Food Products
Baking soda is used as a leavening agent in cakes, cookies, pancakes and a few kinds of bread. It doesn’t have any harmful effects on the body or the baby when used in limited quantity and mixed with other ingredients. You can go ahead and use baking soda as long as you don’t eat baked products daily.
Baking Soda as a Cleaning Agent
During pregnancy, you should be careful of the cleaning agent you use. Baking soda can be safely used to clean surfaces even when you’re pregnant.
- You can handle baking soda without worrying about its effects. It causes no harm when it interacts with your skin.
- You can use it by spreading the powder on rugs and carpets before you put it out in the sun or before vacuuming it.
- Tabletops and kitchen platforms can look sparkling clean by using a paste of baking soda and water.
However, its use should be limited.
The impact baking soda has on your health entirely depends on how frequently you eat or use it. If used sparingly, it’s quite safe. But we suggest that you consult your doctor before using it during pregnancy.
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