Things to help with heartburn while pregnant

Pregnancy hormones can relax the valve between the stomach and food pipe, while the growing uterus can increase pressure on the stomach. This may cause a burning feeling behind the breastbone, a sour taste, burping, or discomfort after meals. Heartburn can overlap with acid reflux. Symptoms that are severe, new, or unlike your usual pattern should not automatically be attributed to pregnancy.

Try smaller meals and eat slowly. Remain upright after eating, avoid lying down soon after a meal, and raise your upper body for sleep if your maternity team agrees. Notice whether fatty foods, spicy foods, citrus, chocolate, caffeine, or late meals trigger symptoms, then reduce the triggers that affect you. Wear comfortable clothing around your abdomen. Ask a pharmacist, midwife, or doctor before using antacids, acid-reflux medication, herbal products, or other remedies because pregnancy, supplements, and prescribed medicines can affect the choice.

Seek urgent help for chest pressure, trouble breathing, fainting, vomiting blood, black stools, or severe upper-abdominal pain. Contact your maternity team promptly for persistent vomiting, difficulty swallowing, dehydration, unexplained weight loss, or heartburn that is worsening or stopping you from eating or sleeping. Severe headache, visual changes, sudden swelling, or pain beneath the ribs also needs pregnancy assessment rather than self-treatment.

Which non-medicine measures suit my stage of pregnancy? Is a particular antacid or acid-reflux medicine appropriate with my other medicines and supplements? Could another problem, such as gastritis, a peptic ulcer, or hiatus hernia, explain persistent symptoms?