GERD when pregnant: relief measures and medicine safety

Pregnancy-related hormonal changes can relax the valve between the stomach and food pipe. As the pregnancy progresses, physical pressure in the abdomen may also encourage stomach contents to move upwards. Heartburn, sour fluid in the mouth, nausea, cough or difficulty sleeping can occur. Similar symptoms can have other causes, so mention new or troublesome symptoms to your maternity team.

Try smaller meals, eat slowly, and stay upright after eating. Avoid personal triggers and leave a gap before lying down. Raising your upper body during sleep may help night symptoms. Do not start, stop or combine antacids, acid-reducing medicines, herbal products or supplements without checking with your obstetric clinician, doctor or pharmacist; some products are unsuitable in pregnancy or can interfere with other medicines. Keep fluids and nutrition adequate.

Contact your maternity or medical team if symptoms are persistent, severe, or making it hard to eat, drink or sleep. Seek urgent help for chest tightness with breathlessness, faintness, sweating or spreading pain, and for vomiting blood, black stools, repeated vomiting, severe abdominal pain, or difficulty swallowing.

Ask which treatment is suitable at your stage of pregnancy, how to separate it from prenatal supplements or other medicines, and whether nausea or abdominal pain needs another explanation.