Call them what you want – TUMS, Alka-Seltzer, Rolaids – we’re talking about antacids made from calcium carbonate. These chalky little over-the-counter tablets are chewed up and swallowed to help relieve heartburn or indigestion, something many mamas experience during pregnancy (that feeling of being super full or having a burning sensation in the back of your throat). We know that taking antacids during pregnancy is generally safe and helpful, but there’s new information popping up about taking them during labor.
Could these colorful tablets meant to relieve heartburn really improve your chances of having a VBAC, too? In this article, we give you the most updated information and point you in the right direction so you can decide if it’s a good option for you.
What are people saying?
One of the most common reasons for c-sections (and repeat c-sections) is prolonged labor (failure to progress, AKA stalled labor.). Science calls this labor dystocia. When we’re planning a VBAC birth, we’re looking for any safe means of ensuring our labor goes spontaneously, smoothly and quickly. There’s starting to be a bit of a buzz online about doing just that… with TUMS.
We’ve been hearing some stories about women in labor, especially pitocin-induced labors, that use TUMS as a way to reset the uterine receptors. The idea is that once the uterus gets overstimulated by the pitocin, it stops responding (stops contracting), and lo and behold, labor stalls. However, reducing pitocin or stopping it altogether, taking an antacid and restarting pitocin could be helping to reset those uterine muscles.
What kind of research has been done?
Essentially, there aren’t enough (or maybe any) evidence-based studies that have been performed on the effects of taking TUMS (or other antacids) during labor dystocia. However, scientists are becoming more and more interested in getting the data on this. For example, Aurora Health Care is in the initial stages of a clinical trial to determine the effects of calcium carbonate during labor inductions.
However, keep reading…
What does the science say?
Essentially, the two ingredients in these antacid tablets (calcium and carbonate) have been shown to positively impact labor outcomes when taken independently. Taking calcium during labor has been associated with shorter labor times (the idea is that calcium can lead to more efficient contractions during labor). Additionally, taking bicarbonate during labor has been shown to reduce the amniotic fluid lactate, in turn increasing spontaneous vaginal deliveries (think: athletes taking bicarbonate before an event to reduce lactic acid build up in their muscles).
According to a recent literature review on the topic, researchers suggest that “Calcium carbonate is a simple, low-cost treatment that could yield a potential means of increasing rates of spontaneous vaginal birth by preventing labor dystocia, thereby preventing cesarean birth and by extension improving maternal morbidity.”
While more information is needed to truly determine the efficacy of taking TUMS to improve VBAC outcomes, we feel like it’s an exciting option and possibility. Like we always recommend, talk to your provider, do your own research and feel empowered to make your own informed choice. We hope this information has helped.
As always, my strong friend, I will leave you with this affirmation and reminder…
We’re so grateful to be on this journey with you!
Don’t forget to join our Facebook community, follow-us on Instagram, check out our Parents VBAC and HBAC Education course and give our podcast a listen where lots of incredible women share their VBAC journeys.
Sources & Additional References
Law, R., Maltepe, C., Bozzo, P., & Einarson, A. (2010). Treatment of heartburn and acid reflux associated with nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien, 56(2), 143–144. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2821234/
LeFevre NM, Krumm E, Cobb WJ. Labor Dystocia in Nulliparous Women. Am Fam Physician. 2021 Jan 15;103(2):90-96. PMID: 33448772. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33448772/
Raees, S., Forgie, M., Mitchell, R., & Malloy, E. (2023). Calcium Carbonate as a Potential Intervention to Prevent Labor Dystocia: Narrative Review of the Literature. Journal of patient-centered research and reviews, 10(3), 128–135. https://doi.org/10.17294/2330-0698.2010
Wiberg-Itzel E, Wray S, Åkerud H. A randomized controlled trial of a new treatment for labor dystocia. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2018 Sep;31(17):2237-2244. doi: 10.1080/14767058.2017.1339268. Epub 2017 Jun 22. PMID: 28587493. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28587493/
Talati C, Ramachandran N, Carvalho JC, Kingdom J, Balki M. The Effect of Extracellular Calcium on Oxytocin-Induced Contractility in Naive and Oxytocin-Pretreated Human Myometrium In Vitro. Anesth Analg. 2016 May;122(5):1498-507. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000001264. PMID: 27023765. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27023765/
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