Your body has a great deal to do during pregnancy. Sometimes the changes taking place will cause irritation or discomfort, and on occasions they may seem quite alarming. There is rarely any need for alarm but you should mention anything that is worrying you to your maternity team.
Our pregnancy section offers effective advice and guidance for pregnancy-specific conditions such as heart burn, backache and pelvic pain.
Indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy
Indigestion also known as dyspepsia;in pregnancy is partly caused by hormonal changes, and in later pregnancy by the growing womb pressing on your stomach.
As many as eight out of 10 women experience indigestion at some point during their pregnancy. The symptoms of indigestion can include feeling full, feeling sick or nauseous, and burping. The symptoms usually come on after eating food.
Heartburn is a strong, burning pain in the chest caused by stomach acid passing from your stomach into your oesophagus (the tube that leads from your mouth to your stomach).
You can help ease the discomfort of indigestion and heartburn by making changes to your diet and lifestyle, and there are treatments that are safe to take in pregnancy. Talk to your midwife, GP or pharmacist.
Symptoms of indigestion in pregnancy
Symptoms of indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy are the same as for anyone else with the condition. The main symptom is pain or a feeling of discomfort in your chest or stomach. This usually happens soon after eating or drinking, but there can sometimes be a delay between eating a meal and developing indigestion.
You may experience indigestion at any point during your pregnancy, although your symptoms may be more frequent and severe during later pregnancy, from 27 weeks onwards. As well as pain, indigestion may cause:
- heartburn, a burning sensation caused by acid passing from the stomach into the oesophagus
- feeling uncomfortable or heavy
- belching (burping)
- regurgitation (food coming back up from the stomach)
- bloating
- nausea (feeling sick)
- vomiting (being sick)
Causes of indigestion in pregnancy
The symptoms of indigestion (dyspepsia), including heartburn, are caused by stomach acid coming into contact with the sensitive protective lining (mucosa) of your digestive system.
The stomach acid breaks down the mucosa, which causes irritation and leads to the symptoms of indigestion. When you’re pregnant, you are more likely to have indigestion due to:
- hormonal changes that your body is going through
- your growing womb (uterus) pressing on your stomach
- the relaxing of the lower oesophageal sphincter (ring of muscle) that acts like a gate between your stomach and your oesophagus, allowing stomach acid to leak back up
You may be more likely to get indigestion in pregnancy if:
- you had indigestion before you were pregnant
- you have been pregnant before
- you are in the latter stages of pregnancy
Your GP or midwife will usually be able to diagnose indigestion or heartburn from your symptoms and by asking you some questions. For example, they might ask:
- how the symptoms are affecting your day to day life
- what your usual eating habits are
- if you have tried any treatments already
- if you experienced indigestion or any other stomach conditions before you were pregnant
Your GP or midwife may also examine your chest and stomach. They may press gently on different areas of your chest and stomach to see whether this is painful.
Treatments for indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy
In some cases, changes to your diet and lifestyle may be enough to control indigestion, particularly if the symptoms are mild.
If you have severe indigestion, or if changes to your diet and lifestyle don’t work, your GP or midwife may suggest using medication to help ease your symptoms. Several indigestion medicines are safe to use during pregnancy. However, check with your GP, midwife or pharmacist before taking anything they have not recommended.
