About half of all women experience heartburn in the third trimester of pregnancy. But even if the burning sensation in the esophagus is very uncomfortable, there is no need to worry: your baby is not affected, and the symptoms usually disappear on their own after pregnancy.

In this article, you’ll learn why heartburn occurs so frequently during pregnancy, how you can prevent the discomfort, and which simple home remedies can relieve heartburn during an acute episode. However, if you have concerns or severe pain, it’s best to consult your doctor.

How does heartburn manifest?

Heartburn is a burning pain behind the sternum, often accompanied by acidic or bitter regurgitation and the reflux of stomach contents into the throat or even the mouth. These uncomfortable symptoms occur more often when you’re lying down, which is why many people experience them especially at night.

Why does heartburn occur more frequently during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, hormones cause muscles, ligaments, and tendons throughout the body to soften. This creates space for the growing baby and prepares the body for childbirth. However, the pregnancy hormone progesterone also relaxes the sphincter between the stomach and esophagus, so it can no longer reliably prevent stomach acid from flowing back into the esophagus. When you lie down, stomach acid can more easily move back through the weakened sphincter—similar to an open water bottle spilling when tilted. The aggressive acid irritates the mucous membrane and causes the uncomfortable burning sensation. At the same time, as the uterus expands, it presses against the stomach and can push stomach contents back into the esophagus. In the last trimester, the baby’s movements can intensify this effect even further.

What can you do preventively?

Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to help prevent heartburn—or at least reduce it:

• Eat several small meals instead of a few large ones: During a hearty meal, your stomach has to expand significantly. However, because the space in your abdomen is limited by your baby, food can press against the softened sphincter, which may not be able to hold it back reliably.

• Eat slowly and chew well: When food reaches your stomach well chewed, it’s easier to digest and can pass into the small intestine more quickly. Chewing also increases saliva production, which helps neutralize stomach acid. Avoid certain foods: Some foods stimulate stomach acid production especially strongly and can therefore promote heartburn. These include:

  • Caffeinated beverages

  • Candy

  • Citrus fruits

  • Carbonated beverages

  • Heavily seasoned meals

  • Sehr fettiges Essen

• Do not wear restrictive clothing: If tight pants or a skirt waistband presses on your stomach, food can be pushed toward the sphincter when your stomach is full. If this sphincter—already weakened by progesterone—doesn’t hold, it can lead to heartburn.

• Eat nothing three to four hours before sleeping: If your last meal is several hours before bedtime, your stomach has more time to digest, making it less likely that stomach acid will flow back into the esophagus.

• Adjust your sleep position: If you elevate your upper body slightly, food can move along more quickly and may stay in your stomach for a shorter time. At the same time, gravity helps keep stomach acid in your stomach. You can also try sleeping on your left side. Because the stomach sits on the left side of the body, an anatomical bend at the esophageal opening makes it harder for food and stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus.

What home remedies can you use to provide immediate relief?

If these preventive measures don’t help, simple home remedies can relieve the uncomfortable symptoms:

• Still water: Drinking still water in small sips rinses acidic stomach contents from the esophagus back into the stomach, easing the burning sensation.

• Dry bread, a piece of rusk or an unsalted rice cake: When chewed slowly, these dry foods bind the acid and help neutralize it through increased saliva production.

• Oat flakes, almonds, hazelnuts, cooked potato, raw carrot: These foods have the same acid-binding effect as dry bread or rusk. Here, too, slow and thorough chewing is especially important.

• Ripe Banana: Bananas stimulate mucus production in the stomach and help protect the stomach lining from aggressive gastric acid. Their fiber content also supports digestion and can reduce acid secretion. However, this applies only to ripe bananas (recognizable by brown spots on the peel). Unripe bananas can even trigger heartburn.

• Teas: Teas such as fennel, anise, caraway, or chamomile can dilute stomach acid and soothe irritated mucous membranes. However, not all teas are suitable for relieving these symptoms. Fruit tea is highly acidic and can even cause heartburn itself.

These home remedies usually help relieve the pain quite well. If your symptoms persist despite everything, medication may also provide relief. However, because not all medications are suitable during pregnancy, consult your doctor to find out which options are safe for you and your baby. Until then, we wish you a speedy recovery and a comfortable, trouble-free rest of your pregnancy!