What should you know about indigestion treatment during pregnancy?

Hormonal changes can relax the valve between the oesophagus and stomach, and as pregnancy progresses the growing uterus can increase pressure around the stomach. This may lead to burning, burping, bloating, nausea, or food and acid rising into the throat. Indigestion can occur during pregnancy without indicating a problem with the pregnancy. However, severe pain, persistent vomiting or symptoms that do not fit your usual pattern deserve assessment. Reflux is one possible explanation; gastritis, a peptic ulcer, gallstones or another condition can also present with indigestion.

Try smaller, more frequent meals and eat slowly. Sit upright while eating and stay upright after meals; avoid lying down soon after food. Limit foods and drinks that reliably worsen symptoms, such as rich or spicy meals, caffeine, fizzy drinks and late-night snacks. Ask your maternity clinician or pharmacist before taking an antacid, alginate or acid-reducing medicine, including products you used before pregnancy. They can check the product, dose and timing against your pregnancy and other medicines. Do not stop prescribed treatment without advice.

Contact your maternity team or doctor if symptoms are persistent, interfere with eating or sleep, or do not improve with simple measures. Seek urgent help for severe upper-abdominal pain, vomiting blood, black stools, inability to keep fluids down, fainting, chest pressure, breathlessness, severe headache, vision changes, or sudden swelling. These symptoms may need prompt evaluation rather than self-treatment.

Which non-medicine measures suit my symptoms? Is a product for reflux or indigestion appropriate at my stage of pregnancy? Could another condition be causing the discomfort? How should I separate any medicine from supplements or other treatments? What changes should prompt same-day advice?