Indigestion and heartburn
Indigestion 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 it at some point during their pregnancy, although symptoms are often more frequent and severe during later pregnancy, from 27 weeks onwards.
The symptoms in pregnancy are the same as for anyone else with the condition, and usually occur soon after eating or drinking. They include:
- feeling uncomfortably full
- burping
- regurgitation (food coming back up from the stomach)
- nausea (feeling sick) and vomiting (being sick)
- bloating.
It also causes heartburn, a strong, burning pain in the chest caused by acid passing from the stomach into the 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.