What should you know about constant heartburn third trimester?

Pregnancy hormones can relax the muscle that normally helps keep stomach contents down. As the uterus grows, pressure on the stomach can make reflux after meals more noticeable, especially when you bend or lie down. Heartburn itself does not mean that the baby has a problem, but symptoms can overlap with gastritis, acid reflux, or other causes of upper abdominal pain.

Tell your clinician if the discomfort is new, unusually intense, or different from your usual burning. Severe pain under the ribs, a severe headache, vision changes, sudden swelling, or feeling very unwell needs urgent maternity advice because it may signal a pregnancy complication rather than ordinary reflux.

Choose smaller meals, eat slowly, remain upright after food, and avoid lying flat soon after eating. Sleeping with your upper body raised may help. Keep a note of foods and times that worsen symptoms. Ask a pharmacist, obstetric clinician, or doctor which antacid or acid reflux medicine is suitable in pregnancy; do not start, stop, or share medicines without checking, including herbal products.

Contact your maternity team promptly if heartburn is severe, persistent despite recommended treatment, or accompanied by repeated vomiting, difficulty swallowing, blood in vomit, black stools, or inability to keep fluids down. Seek urgent help for severe upper abdominal pain, chest pain, breathlessness, faintness, a severe headache, vision changes, or reduced fetal movements according to your local maternity guidance.

Ask which medicines and doses are appropriate for your pregnancy, whether your symptoms need examination, and how to distinguish reflux from warning signs of a pregnancy complication. Mention all prescribed medicines, supplements, allergies, vomiting, swallowing changes, and any change in fetal movements.