Acid reflux during pregnancy: what to know

Pregnancy hormones can relax the muscle between the stomach and oesophagus, while the growing uterus can increase pressure on the stomach. This may cause heartburn, a sour taste, burping, or food and fluid rising into the throat.

Reflux occurs when stomach contents travel upwards into the oesophagus. Symptoms may be more noticeable after a large or rich meal, when bending, or when lying down soon after eating. They can begin at any stage of pregnancy and may change as pregnancy progresses.

Typical heartburn feels like burning behind the breastbone rather than pressure or squeezing. Reflux can also irritate the throat and contribute to hoarseness or coughing, but chest symptoms should not automatically be assumed to come from digestion.

Try smaller meals, eat slowly, and notice whether fatty, spicy, acidic, or caffeinated foods trigger your symptoms. Stay upright after eating, avoid tight clothing around the abdomen, and leave time between your evening meal and lying down.

For night symptoms, raise your upper body rather than adding pillows only under your head; bending at the waist can increase abdominal pressure. Sleeping on your left side may also reduce reflux for some people. Check with a pharmacist, midwife, or doctor before taking an antacid, alginate, herbal product, or other medicine during pregnancy.

Arrange a medical review if symptoms are frequent, disrupt sleep, make eating difficult, persist despite practical changes, or require repeated medicine. Pain when swallowing, food sticking, ongoing vomiting, black stools, vomiting blood, or unintended weight loss also need assessment.

Seek urgent help for severe or new chest pain, pressure or tightness, breathlessness, fainting, sweating, or pain spreading to the arm, back, neck, or jaw. During pregnancy, severe upper abdominal pain with headache, vision changes, sudden swelling, or feeling very unwell also warrants urgent maternity assessment.

Ask which non-prescription options suit your stage of pregnancy, whether they need spacing from prenatal vitamins or other medicines, and what to try if night symptoms continue. Mention exactly where discomfort occurs, its link to meals or activity, and any swallowing trouble, vomiting, cough, or sleep disturbance.