While morning sickness is one of the most common symptoms in the first few months of pregnancy, heartburn seems to be the most uncomfortable side-effect for many women in the final months. I would have happily swapped the continuous nausea of trimester one for the heartburn of trimester three, as I swigged Gaviscon straight from the bottle (not recommended!).
Once again it’’s pregnancy hormones that cause the problem. They relax the valve between the stomach and the oesophagus, making it slack. This means that acid from your stomach can escape into your gullet, where it causes a burning sensation. The reason it usually worsens in the last 12 weeks of pregnancy is because your stomach is pushed upwards by your womb as your baby grows.
It does usually stop once you deliver, though it can continue for a day or two after birth, so make sure you pack a few antacids in your bag for hospital.
Our Tips:
- Have small, frequent meals. Soups and other liquid foods may not irritate as much as solids.
- Avoid very spicy and fatty foods (though curries were one of the few things that soothed my heartburn!).
- Find the trigger foods - e.g. citrus, tomatoes,chocolate… - and avoid them.
- Avoid drinking icy water, particularly before you eat. In fact not drinking with meals may ease your symptoms.
- Antacids can be very helpful. Find one suitable for pregnant women
- Drink peppermint tea, or flat ginger ale.
- Avoid coffee and drinks containing caffeine - such as colas - and carbonated drinks.
- Avoid bending over, especially after a meal. Kneel down to pick things up, or bend from the knees.
- Sleep propped up on a big pile of pillows. A good tip from my co-author Margaret is to invest in a “V” shaped pillow, as this prevents you from slipping down the bed while pregnant and is good support later when you are feeding your baby.
- Sleeping on your left side can help. Apparently this is the way your stomach empties!
- Eat ginger biscuits.
- Chew gum.
- A plain ice-pop can be soothing, so keep a stash in the freezer.
- Some women find that reducing their intake of bread and other yeasty foods helps.
- A glass of milk can help. Before bed, sip a glass of warm milk or eat a small amount of natural yoghurt.
- Try this exercise to help digestion after a meal (though maybe not in the office canteen!): Sit cross-legged, keeping your arms straight and by your sides. Raise and lower them quickly, bringing the back of your hands together over your head. Repeat this several times.
- One acupressure point for heartburn is located on your breastbone, just in line with the base of your cleavage between your breasts. Apply firm pressure to this point for about 30-45 seconds.
- Other suggestions we got from mums on how to find relief from heartburn included: the homeopathic remedy Nat Mur; fresh pineapple.; chewing on almonds; ginger tea; fennel tea, and a teaspoon of breadsoda mixed with some milk.
You can read more about each trimester in the ebook From Bump to Birth.
Louise Ní Chríodáin co-authored From Bump to Birth with Margaret Hanahoe, Assistant Director of Midwifery at the National Maternity Hospital. It’s a no-nonsense companion for pregnancy and labour, packed with essential tips and advice from midwives and mothers. A second ebook, After Birth, a guide to minding mum and baby in the first weeks, will be along shortly. You can find more of their tips and advice on the site: Bump to birth to baby.
