What should you know about extreme heartburn third trimester?

Heartburn happens when acidic stomach contents travel into the food pipe. Pregnancy hormones can relax the valve that normally limits this movement, and the growing uterus can increase pressure around the stomach. Reflux may cause burning in the chest, sour fluid, throat irritation, cough or discomfort after meals. Gastritis, a hiatus hernia and a peptic ulcer can cause similar upper digestive symptoms, so severe or unfamiliar pain needs assessment.

In late pregnancy, report heartburn alongside severe upper-abdominal pain, headache, visual disturbance, sudden swelling or feeling very unwell because these symptoms may need urgent maternity review.

Choose smaller meals and avoid reclining soon after eating. Keep evening meals modest, raise your upper body when resting, and identify foods that reliably trigger burning. Drink enough to stay hydrated, but avoid forcing large amounts with meals if that increases pressure. Ask your maternity clinician or pharmacist about a pregnancy-suitable antacid or acid-reducing treatment rather than using a product without checking.

Seek urgent help for chest pressure, breathlessness, fainting, vomiting blood, black stools, severe abdominal pain or repeated vomiting. Contact your maternity service promptly if symptoms prevent eating or drinking, disturb sleep despite simple measures, or occur with severe headache, visual changes, sudden swelling or reduced fetal movement.

Does my pattern fit reflux, or should another cause be checked? Which treatment is suitable at this stage? Could my blood pressure, abdominal pain or other pregnancy symptoms change how urgently I should be seen?