How to deal with heartburn
In the second trimester, about 20% of pregnant women experience heartburn; in the third trimester, about 80%. The growing level of progesterone is to blame: It weakens the valve between the stomach and esophagus, and if the enlarged uterus is pressed slightly from below, the acid from the stomach is allowed back up into the esophagus, causing unpleasant symptoms.
The best thing you can do in this situation is to neutralize the factors that contribute to the upward movement of acid:
Keep upright after eating. Do not go to sleep right away. Staying upright will help keep the acid down. You may prop your head up with an extra pillow at night so that heartburn does not cause you discomfort [1].
Switch to loose clothing that does not put pressure on the stomach.
Adhere to a fractional diet, eating small meals or snacks six to seven times a day instead of three larger meals so that your stomach doesn’t have to work to digest too much food at one time [1].
Changing the type of food you eat can partially reduce the acidity in your stomach but will not prevent reflux into the esophagus. Doctors traditionally recommend giving up alcohol and smoking for the health of your baby, and they also suggest you avoid fatty and spicy foods and coffee to help prevent acid reflux [2]. Doing so may not fully relieve heartburn, but it will make the symptoms less painful. According to some reports, alkaline mineral water with hydrocarbons can reduce the burning sensation, so you could try drinking at least 1.5 liters per day [3].
In general, heartburn is not dangerous and is considered one of the features of a normal pregnancy [2]. However, if it greatly affects your quality of life, then taking medication (even over-the-counter medication) should be discussed with your doctor.
