Stomach burning pain pregnancy

Indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy

Indigestion, also called heartburn or acid reflux, is common in pregnancy. It can be caused by hormonal changes and the growing baby pressing against your stomach. 

You can help ease indigestion and heartburn by making changes to your diet and lifestyle, and there are medicines that are safe to take in pregnancy.

Symptoms of indigestion and heartburn

Symptoms of indigestion and heartburn include:

• a burning sensation or pain in the chest
• feeling full, heavy or bloated
• burping or belching
• feeling or being sick
• bringing up food

Symptoms usually come on soon after eating or drinking, but there can sometimes be a delay between eating and developing indigestion.

You can get symptoms at any point during your pregnancy, but they are more common from 27 weeks onwards.

Things you can do to help with indigestion and heartburn

Changes to your diet and lifestyle may be enough to control your symptoms, particularly if they are mild.

Eat healthily

You're more likely to get indigestion if you're very full.

If you're pregnant, it may be tempting to eat more than you would normally, but this may not be good for you or your baby.

Find out more about a healthy diet in pregnancy and foods to avoid.

Change your eating and drinking habits

You may be able to control your indigestion with changes to your eating habits.

It can help to eat small meals often, rather than larger meals 3 times a day, and to not eat within 3 hours of going to bed at night.

Cutting down on drinks containing caffeine, and foods that are rich, spicy or fatty, can also ease symptoms.

Keep upright

Sit up straight when you eat. This will take the pressure off your stomach. Propping your head and shoulders up when you go to bed can stop stomach acid coming up while you sleep.

Stop smoking

Smoking when pregnant can cause indigestion, and can seriously affect the health of you and your unborn baby.

When you smoke, the chemicals you inhale can contribute to your indigestion. These chemicals can cause the ring of muscle at the lower end of your gullet to relax, which allows stomach acid to come back up more easily. This is known as acid reflux.

Smoking also increases the risk of:

• your baby being born prematurely (before week 37 of your pregnancy)
• your baby being born with a low birthweight
• sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or "cot death"

There's lots of help available to stop smoking. Talk to your midwife or call the NHS Smokefree helpline on 0300 123 1044. Find out more about stopping smoking in pregnancy.

Avoid alcohol

Drinking alcohol can cause indigestion. During pregnancy, it can also lead to long-term harm to the baby. It's safest to not drink alcohol at all in pregnancy.

Find out more about alcohol and pregnancy

When to get medical help

See your midwife or GP if you need help managing your symptoms or if changes to your diet and lifestyle do not work. They may recommend medicine to ease your symptoms.

You should also see your midwife or GP if you have any of the following:

• difficulty eating or keeping food down
• weight loss
• stomach pains

Your midwife or GP may ask about your symptoms and examine you by pressing gently on different areas of your chest and stomach to see whether it's painful.

If you're taking prescription medicines

Speak to your GP if you're taking medicine for another condition, such as antidepressants, and you think it may be making your indigestion worse. They may be able to prescribe an alternative medicine.

Never stop taking a prescribed medicine unless you're advised to do so by your GP or another qualified healthcare professional who's responsible for your care.

Medicines for indigestion and heartburn

Medicines for indigestion and heartburn during pregnancy include:

• antacids – to neutralise the acid in your stomach (some are available over the counter from a pharmacist)
• alginates – to relieve indigestion caused by acid reflux by stopping the acid in your stomach coming back up your gullet

You may only need to take antacids and alginates when you start getting symptoms. However, your GP may recommend taking them before symptoms come on – for example, before a meal or before bed.

If you're taking iron supplements as well as antacids, do not take them at the same time. Antacids can stop iron from being absorbed by your body.

If antacids and alginates do not improve your symptoms, your GP may prescribe a medicine to reduce the amount of acid in your stomach. 2 that are widely used in pregnancy and not known to be harmful to an unborn baby are:

• ranitidine – a tablet you take twice a day
• omeprazole – a tablet you take once a day

Causes of indigestion in pregnancy

Symptoms of indigestion come when the acid in your stomach irritates your stomach lining or your gullet. This causes pain and a burning feeling.

When you're pregnant, you're more likely to have indigestion because of:

• hormonal changes
• the growing baby pressing on your stomach
• the muscles between your stomach and gullet relaxing, allowing stomach acid to come back up

You may be more likely to get indigestion in pregnancy if:

• you had indigestion before you were pregnant
• you've been pregnant before
• you're in the later stages of pregnancy

Video: Eating well on a budget

In this video, a dietitian gives advice on how to eat healthily on a budget.

Media last reviewed: 13 January 2021
Media review due: 13 January 2024

Stomach pain in pregnancy - NHS

Stomach (abdominal) pains or cramps are common in pregnancy. They're usually nothing to worry about, but they can sometimes be a sign of something more serious that needs to be checked.

It's probably nothing to worry about if the pain is mild and goes away when you change position, have a rest, do a poo or pass wind. But if you have stomach pains and are worried, call your midwife or maternity hospital.

Harmless stomach pains, which can be dull or sharp, may be caused by:

• ligament pain (often called "growing pains" as the ligaments stretch to support your growing bump) – this can feel like a sharp cramp on one side of your lower tummy
• constipation – which is common in pregnancy (find out how to avoid constipation)
• trapped wind

Urgent advice: Call your midwife immediately if you have stomach pain and:

• bleeding or spotting
• regular cramping or tightenings
• vaginal discharge that's unusual for you
• lower back pain
• pain or burning when you pee
• the pain is severe or does not go away after you've rested for 30 to 60 minutes

Any of these could be the symptoms of something that needs to be checked or treated urgently.

Possible causes of serious stomach pain

Some conditions that can cause stomach pain need to be checked urgently.

Ectopic pregnancy

This is when a fertilised egg implants outside the womb, for example in a fallopian tube. The pregnancy cannot survive and needs to be removed with medicine or surgery.

Symptoms typically appear between 4 and 12 weeks of pregnancy and can include:

• tummy pain and bleeding
• pain in the tip of your shoulder
• discomfort when pooing or peeing

Find out more about ectopic pregnancy

Miscarriage

Cramping pains and bleeding before 24 weeks of pregnancy can sometimes be a sign of miscarriage or threatened miscarriage (when you bleed but the pregnancy normally continues).

Pre-eclampsia

Pain just under the ribs is common in later pregnancy due to the growing baby and uterus pushing up under the ribs.

But if this pain is bad or persistent, particularly on the right side, it can be a sign of pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure in pregnancy) which affects some pregnant women. It usually starts after 20 weeks or just after the baby is born.

Other symptoms of pre-eclampsia include:

• severe headache
• vision problems
• swollen feet, hands and face

You'll need to be monitored in hospital.

Find out more about pre-eclampsia

Premature labour

If you're less than 37 weeks pregnant and are having regular abdominal cramps or tightenings, call your midwife.

This could be a sign of premature labour, and you'll need to be monitored in hospital.

Placental abruption

This is when the placenta starts to come away from the wall of the womb, usually causing bleeding and constant severe pain that does not come and go like a contraction pain.

It's sometimes an emergency because it means the placenta may not be able to support your baby properly.

You should go to the hospital so you and your baby can be checked.

Find out more about placental abruption

UTI (urinary tract infection)

UTIs are common in pregnancy and can usually be easily treated. They can cause tummy pain and sometimes, but not always, pain when you pee.

Find out more about UTIs

Page last reviewed: 20 June 2021
Next review due: 20 June 2024

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Many pregnant women know that any sudden movement can lead to pain. How to figure out if this is normal or a reason to see a doctor?

Photo: Alexander Oshchepkov

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Many women during pregnancy recall Sharik's complaints from their favorite cartoon "Three from Prostokvashino": "The paws ache, then the tail falls off." It would seem that you are enjoying the expectation of the baby, but life always makes its own adjustments: it will pull the lower abdomen, then it will shoot in the lower back, then it will start to prick in the side. An interesting situation exacerbates suspiciousness even more, so I want to put the gynecologist's phone and an ambulance on the speed dial.

Let's find out together with doctors why something hurts all the time during pregnancy and what sensations can be considered relatively normal, and what symptoms should promptly see a doctor.

“Pain and discomfort can occur during almost any pregnancy,” says Yulia Sergeeva, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Vitromed clinic. - Very often in the first trimester there are minor pains in the lower abdomen. They usually pass at rest. In any case, the doctor who observes the pregnancy should assess the danger of the condition.

Starting from the very first days of pregnancy, the body prepares for future childbirth. The hormonal background changes: progesterone is actively produced, which relaxes the muscles and ligamentous apparatus in order to prepare the uterus and birth canal. It is because of the preparation of the muscular pelvic floor that there are pulling pains in the lower abdomen. They can appear with sudden movements and rises.

— I always tell women: we start behaving like a graceful doe. We do not get out of bed abruptly, we rise like this: we turn on our side and smoothly begin to get up. The uterus relaxes, and any sudden movement can lead to short-term cramping pain. As a rule, such pain very quickly subsides almost to nothing. You don’t need to be afraid of such pain, it’s just a restructuring of the body,” advises Olesya Vedernikova, obstetrician-gynecologist of the Ultrasound Studio network of medical centers.

In the second trimester pain in the lower abdomen may be accompanied by lower back pain. This is due to the increasing load on the spine and muscular frame. Obstetrician-gynecologist Olesya Vedernikova advises to discuss such pains at a scheduled appointment with her gynecologist, and to relieve discomfort, do special exercises and do water aerobics, if there are no contraindications.

Also in the second trimester, the tone of the uterus may increase: the stomach “hardens”. If such a sensation occurs rarely, lasts no more than 10-15 seconds and there is no pain, then this is regarded as the norm. But when pains in the lower abdomen or in the lower back join the increase in tone, it is better to contact a doctor or call an ambulance and go to the hospital to exclude miscarriage or premature birth.

At the end of pregnancy, a new misfortune overtakes a woman: training contractions, which are also called false Braxton-Hicks contractions. They do not happen to everyone, but usually occur from the 34th to the 36th week of pregnancy.

If you feel pulling pains, then you need to watch what interval passes between contractions. As a rule, they are not very painful and occur rarely, for example, once every two days. During them, you can do breathing exercises, which are discussed in childbirth preparation courses - consolidate knowledge in practice and relieve discomfort.

But if the contractions become regular, more painful and prolonged, then you need to go to the maternity hospital - perhaps the birth is already beginning.

All pain during pregnancy can be divided into two types: obstetric and non-obstetric. If a woman has chronic diseases, then they can worsen, so be sure to tell your gynecologist about all diseases.

- Of course, more pain occurs in women who have had gynecological operations, especially ovarian ruptures or ovarian cysts, ectopic pregnancy. This often leads to adhesions that cause discomfort during pregnancy. Also, pain can occur if the patient has uterine fibroids or congenital malformations of the uterus, lists doctor Yulia Sergeeva.

During pregnancy, the uterus enlarges, begins to put pressure on all internal organs, especially the load on the kidneys increases, so pyelonephritis, urolithiasis, cholelithiasis can become aggravated. Very often during pregnancy, women are concerned about the intestines - pain and constipation occur. The danger of these pains is that it is difficult to determine whether there are problems with gynecology or intestines, sometimes even observation in a hospital is required to figure it out.

- There may also be headaches. In this case, it is necessary to control blood pressure. If more than 140 by 90 or you have flies in your eyes, confusion, it’s difficult for you to speak, you need to urgently call an ambulance and contact your obstetrician-gynecologist to determine the tactics of treatment, warns Olesya Vedernikova.

If you feel a sudden sharp pain in the lower abdomen, in the uterus or appendages, stabbing, cutting or cramping, you should immediately see a doctor. It is also necessary to consult a specialist if the pain gradually increases, even if you have started treatment in accordance with the doctor's prescription.

Another dangerous signal is abundant discharge from the genital tract. Scarlet discharge may indicate a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, missed pregnancy, or placental abruption. And transparent discharge can be a leak of amniotic fluid, which is dangerous for the occurrence of oxygen starvation and infections in a child.

In any case, if you have any pain and something worries, do not engage in self-diagnosis, it is better to consult a doctor who will help you figure out how normal your condition is.

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toxicosis, problems with the intestines and heartburn

Learn how pregnancy affects the work of the gastrointestinal tract, in which trimester are the symptoms of intestinal disorders and the nausea, and what to do and what to do and what to do. to deal with them.

During pregnancy, the burden on the mother's body increases. The body needs more nutrients, the body produces additional hormones. And the growing fetus puts pressure on neighboring organs, including the stomach and intestines. We tell you what symptoms are observed in each trimester, how to cope with toxicosis and get rid of heartburn.

Contents:

• 2. Toxicosis and pregnancy
• 3. Causes, risks and treatment of diarrhea during pregnancy
• 4. Heartburn and stomach pain during pregnancy
• 5. Bloating, constipation and microbiota during pregnancy
• 6. Note

Changes in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract by trimesters of pregnancy

The average duration of pregnancy is 40 weeks, which are usually divided into trimesters in accordance with the stages of intrauterine development of the child.

Each trimester is accompanied by a number of changes in the body, including in the gastrointestinal tract: