I’m set to have every single ugly symptom you can think of with this baby. I’ve had continual morning sickness, leaky nipples and infection after infection. But by far, the most unattractive is acid reflux.

Image Source: HeartburnHomeCare

Acid Reflux (or GERD - Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) takes on many guises during pregnancy. The symptoms can come about at any point during pregnancy and range in severity from woman to woman. Without getting too technical, the muscles which normally holds the top of the stomach closed (the lower esophageal sphincter, don’t you know?) move a little slower, and a little less effectively. This allows stomach acid to creep up from the stomach into the esophagus. Additionally, as the uterus grows, it pushes on the stomach and sometimes forces stomach acid back up to where it’s not wanted.

The most common result of all this wayward acid is heartburn. This can be quite scary when you’re frantically tuning into every little sign your body gives to reassure you that all is well in there. Equally frightening, and perhaps more horrid, is a nasty taste in the back of your throat and a ball of acid that just won’t quit threatening to come back out. This is what I’ve been experiencing for the last few weeks. It’s so painful and disconcerting I’ve resorted to making myself physically sick to get rid of it every night before I sleep.

Clearly this isn’t a good move. Although I’m clearing the acid in my throat, I’m also purging my stomach of all the food and nutrients I’ve consumed that evening. It’s also forcing even more acid back up and making my body have to work harder to get rid of it. All this because I stupidly put off consulting my midwife. Silly really, they’re well used to dishing out advice on how to deal with acid reflux in pregnancy.

Here’s some advice from my readers (and my midwife) on how to cope with it:

Gaviscon

Of course, check with your midwife before downing the stuff - but this is considered safe for us Pregnabums. In fact, your midwife can instruct your GP to write-up a prescription for you (meaning you get it free with your maternity exemption certificate). I’m not going to call Gaviscon a miracle worker because it simply isn’t, but it can help take the edge off.

Sleeping with your head elevated

A simple solution this one. Yep, as if you aren’t drowning in enough pillows at the moment with one wedged in your back, one in between your knees, a maternity pillow curled around your bump (… we’ve had to upgrade to a super king size bed here so Craig can fit in beside me!) you can also get specialist reflux wedges too. These allow gravity to help the body stabilise which is *said* to keep rising stomach acid down where nature intended. You can bag one of these from Amazon if you fancy it.

There’s definitely something to said about this as the midwives in my antenatal ward continually fiddled with my bed to keep me upright during all of my stays in hospital (don’t ask - I’ve been hospitalised three times already with this baby). I can also credit Kate (Family Fever), Jade (Late for Reality) and my pal Wendy (owner of Little Buttons Boutique) for this tip.

Milk and natural yoghurt (avoiding acidic foods)

This is a bit obvious really. The less acidic food that goes in, the less that can play havoc with your digestive system. Given the whole saga is made ten times worse when you lay down, this is particularly important before bedtime. In fact, eating little and often and avoiding food all together for 2 hours before bed really does help. Carbonated drinks are also a no no.

Peppermint cordial / tea

This was a new one on me but dozens of you swear by it. It’s true, peppermint does have properties that can relax the muscles in the digestive tract and allow food to pass through more easily - but there’s also tons of research that suggests it’s not suitable for treating heartburn due to this very same muscle-relaxing effect. It’s worth a try though according to these girlies.

Refreshers!

Yep. A stranger one here (thanks Victora from Walking Talking Polly Pocket) - particularly given they’re probably crammed with sugary acid in the centre! I’ve been giving these a whirl (purely in the interests of science you understand) and among other things they are guaranteed to transport you right back to your playground days! They’re also a right bugger to find as newsagents tend to favour Cadburys and Haribo rather than the retro sweeties we indulged in when we were younger.

I can’t honestly say I’ve noticed an improvement but I’m not knocking it - turns out I quite like them so they’re in ready supply here from now on.

Medication

When all else fails, book in to see your GP. He will suggest you try some of the above before prescribing anything so all these weird and wonderful concoctions and remedies shouldn’t be overlooked. There are a number of prescription medicines available (and considered safe to use in pregnancy) though so if you need it, go. Don’t be a prat like me and make the situation ten times worse.

And that’s how I solved my acid reflux problem (with a little help from my friends). If you have anymore tips, please do go ahead and leave them in the comments. And, if you’re suffering, good luck x