Why heartburn in early pregnancy

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Subscribe to our week-by-week Pregnancy Newsletter. What week is your pregnancy in? Facebook-f Twitter Instagram. During pregnancy, hormone changes can allow the muscles in the esophagus, including the LES, to relax more frequently. In addition, as your fetus grows during the second and third trimesters and your uterus expands to accommodate that growth, your stomach is under more pressure. This can also result in food and acid being pushed back up into your esophagus.

However, if you also experience other symptoms, such as a missed period or nausea , these could be signs that you need to take a pregnancy test. Pregnancy increases your risk of heartburn or acid reflux. During the first trimester, muscles in your esophagus push food more slowly into the stomach and your stomach takes longer to empty.

This gives your body more time to absorb nutrients for the fetus, but it can also result in heartburn. During the third trimester, the growth of your baby can push your stomach out of its normal position, which can lead to heartburn. However, each woman is different. It depends on many factors, including your physiology, diet, daily habits, and your pregnancy. Relieving heartburn during pregnancy typically involves some trial and error.

Lifestyle habits that can reduce heartburn are often the safest methods for mother and baby. The following tips may help relieve your heartburn:. Alternative medicine options include acupuncture and relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation , yoga , or guided imagery. Always check with your doctor before trying new treatments. Over-the-counter antacids such as Tums , Rolaids , and Maalox may help you cope with occasional heartburn symptoms. Those made of calcium carbonate or magnesium are good options.

However, it may be best to avoid magnesium during the last trimester of pregnancy. Magnesium could interfere with contractions during labor. Most doctors recommend avoiding antacids that contain high levels of sodium. Drinking alcohol can cause indigestion. During pregnancy, it can also lead to long-term harm to the baby. It's safest to not drink alcohol at all in pregnancy. Find out more about alcohol and pregnancy. See your midwife or GP if you need help managing your symptoms or if changes to your diet and lifestyle do not work.

They may recommend medicine to ease your symptoms. Your midwife or GP may ask about your symptoms and examine you by pressing gently on different areas of your chest and stomach to see whether it's painful.

Speak to your GP if you're taking medicine for another condition, such as antidepressants, and you think it may be making your indigestion worse. They may be able to prescribe an alternative medicine. Never stop taking a prescribed medicine unless you're advised to do so by your GP or another qualified healthcare professional who's responsible for your care.

You may only need to take antacids and alginates when you start getting symptoms. However, your GP may recommend taking them before symptoms come on — for example, before a meal or before bed.

If you're taking iron supplements as well as antacids, do not take them at the same time. Antacids can stop iron from being absorbed by your body. If antacids and alginates do not improve your symptoms, your GP may prescribe a medicine to reduce the amount of acid in your stomach. Symptoms of indigestion come when the acid in your stomach irritates your stomach lining or your gullet.

This causes pain and a burning feeling. Page last reviewed: 2 December Next review due: 2 December