Heartburn at 5 months pregnant

Mention persistent or disruptive symptoms to your antenatal clinician. Seek urgent assessment for chest pressure, breathlessness, faintness, vomiting blood, black stools, severe upper abdominal pain or an inability to keep fluids down, because these are not features to manage as routine heartburn.

Heartburn is a burning feeling behind the breastbone that may rise toward the throat, sometimes with a sour taste or belching. Pregnancy hormones can relax the valve between the stomach and oesophagus, allowing stomach contents to move upwards. As the uterus grows, pressure on the stomach may add to reflux.

Acid reflux commonly presents with heartburn, but burning pain can have other causes. Note whether symptoms follow particular foods, occur when lying down, wake you from sleep or come with difficulty swallowing; that pattern helps guide assessment.

Try smaller meals, eat slowly and leave time between eating and lying down. Reduce foods that clearly trigger your symptoms; common personal triggers include rich, spicy or acidic dishes, chocolate and caffeinated drinks. Sit upright after meals and avoid tight clothing across the abdomen.

For night symptoms, raise the head end of the bed securely rather than stacking loose pillows. Sleep on your side in a comfortable pregnancy-safe position. Ask a pharmacist, GP or obstetric clinician which antacid or acid-reducing medicine suits pregnancy and your other medicines. Do not start herbal remedies or use bicarbonate as a home treatment without professional advice.

Arrange a clinical review if heartburn occurs repeatedly despite self-care, disrupts eating or sleep, or is accompanied by painful swallowing, food sticking, ongoing vomiting, loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss. Your clinician can check whether reflux or another digestive problem fits the pattern.

Get urgent help for a new tight, heavy or crushing chest sensation, pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back, marked shortness of breath, collapse, blood in vomit, black tar-like stools, or intense abdominal pain. Contact maternity care promptly for severe pain beneath the ribs with a strong headache, vision changes or sudden swelling.

Ask which medicines can be used with your prenatal supplements, how to space an antacid from iron or other tablets, and when symptoms should be reassessed. Bring a list of medicines and describe where the discomfort starts, how long it lasts, its link with meals, and any swallowing difficulty.