Heartburn

Why you get heartburn

As a mum-to-be, your body is cleverly producing extra progesterone to relax your muscles and allow your baby to grow. Unfortunately that also means the valve at the entrance to your stomach relaxes too, allowing bits of stomach acid to enter. Because everything is more relaxed than usual, it's harder for food to move through your system too. And as your uterus gets bigger there'll also be added pressure on your stomach which might not help things.

Although pregnancy heartburn isn't much fun for you, the good news is that it actually helps your baby. Because the nutrients from your food are taking more time to move through your system, there's more time for your baby to absorb the goodness.

Heartburn relief

If you are suffering from heartburn during pregnancy, the following tips could make your life easier:

• Avoid spicy, fatty or very rich dishes.
• Caffeine is not recommended in large quantities during pregnancy and it can also bring on heartburn, so it’s best to avoid drinks like coffee during pregnancy.
• Cut out acidic citrus juices but make sure you keep up your fibre intake in other ways.  Wholegrain bread, brown rice, wholegrain breakfast cereals and fruit and vegetables are all good sources of fibre.
• Cut out, or at least cut down on, chocolate (sorry!).
• Eat little and often, and not too close to bedtime.
• Drink two glasses of water before a meal to help aid digestion.
• Chew gum after a meal to increase saliva production, which helps to neutralise stomach acid.
• A milky drink before bedtime can help.
• Over the years, other Cow & Gate mums have said their saviours have been peppermint tea and raw garlic (though not together!). Try capsules, if you don't fancy fresh garlic.
• Sleeping with a few extra pillows to prop you up in bed can also help get rid of heartburn.
• And finally, your doctor can prescribe you an antacid. Some over the counter remedies aren’t suitable for use during pregnancy, so always refer to your doctor for advice.