Week 25: Hello heartburn

I should count myself lucky to have got over half way before this kicks in but I can announce that this week heartburn is officially here and it looks like it is staying. Experts believe pregnancy hormones relax the valve that separates your gullet from your stomach. This allows gastric acids to seep back up your gullet, causing a burning sensation from your breastbone up into your throat - Heartburn. 

Last time round I suffered a bit earlier in my pregnancy. I immediate started living off chewable Gaviscon tablets, munching them like tic-tacs but no-one warned me of the side effects - basically I didn't go to the toilet for a week. So  I am avoiding them entirely this time round. I have found that drinking milk can help calm it and staying sat upright rather than relaxing backwards on the sofa can help keep the burn at bay.  Regular meals are also really important - if I go too long without eating something it gets really bad but munching on a cracker gives the acid something to work on and stops it almost immediately. Fizzy drinks and wine (I wish) are now completely off the menu as it just increases the acid.

Sleeping is the only area I can't quite crack -  Laying flat in bed brings on symptoms but propping myself up just gives me a crick neck in the morning so I am putting up with it at night for now. Oh well, only 15 weeks to go....