The short explanation
Heartburn is very common in later pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones relax the valve at the top of the stomach, and the growing baby pushes up on the stomach, so acid flows back more easily. It usually improves after delivery. Several things can help: eating smaller meals more often instead of large ones, avoiding spicy, oily or very acidic foods if they trigger it, not lying down for a couple of hours after eating, and sleeping with your head and shoulders raised. Wearing loose clothes helps too. If these steps are not enough, ask your doctor which medicines are suitable in pregnancy, rather than choosing one yourself.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Tea, coffee, chocolate, citrus fruits and fizzy drinks are common triggers for some women.
- Sipping milk or eating a small snack can relieve symptoms for some people.
- Severe pain in the upper abdomen, especially under the ribs on the right, with headache or swelling, can be a sign of pre-eclampsia rather than heartburn and needs urgent care.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot tell you whether your symptoms are only heartburn or which medicines are suitable for you. Your doctor knows your pregnancy history.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Which heartburn remedies are suitable for me in pregnancy?
- Can any of my supplements be making it worse?
- How can I sleep more comfortably?
- Which symptoms should make me come in urgently?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Emergency — call 112 now
- Call 112 or go to the labour ward if you have severe upper abdominal pain with headache, blurred vision, swelling or vomiting.
Get help the same day
- Get care the same day if you cannot keep food or fluids down.
Raise it at a routine appointment
- Discuss heartburn at your next antenatal appointment.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Heartburn and acid reflux NHS
- Acid reflux (GER and GERD) in adults National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH)
- Indigestion NHS
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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