Acid-reflux .....can't lie down! Any remedies?

[Daffodil99]

Hi all - i know it's normal to get indigestion/acid reflux during pregnancy but I seem to have it constantly at the moment ....like if i just leaned forward a little bit everything would come up! Even water. It's especially bad at night where i have to fall asleep sitting upright which is no easy thing with a bump!

I am already on meds from my GP and obv have Gaviscon with me at all times. Anyone got any other useful remedies? I heard apple cider vinegar might be good? I'm 26 weeks now so still got a way to go!

xx

[Fudge1980]

I had it and got on meds from the gp which helped loads but Add in the HG I was a mess. I never used to eat past 6pm I found that the best solution for me so I could at least get a bit of sleep. I’ve no other remedies lovely sorry 😞 xx

[Daffodil99 in reply to Fudge1980]

Oh yes the dreaded HG. Luckily mine has calmed down a bit now. Pregnancy is def not easy is it! I think the eating early thing is a good plan - think I'll also have to limit liquids after 6pm and see how that goes x

[Chiefy]

Has the gp prescribed you omeprazole? I called them my "magic pills" when I was pregnant. The acid reflux was so awful I used to cry, but the omeprazole stopped it. Funnily enough the reflux stopped as soon as baby was born.

[Daffodil99 in reply to Chiefy]

Yep Omeprazole. It really helped for first few weeks but now i'm not even sure it's worth taking. I have had a few nights of tears lately....but just keep telling myself it's not going to last x

[Chiefy in reply to Daffodil99]

How long have you got left? I found sleeping propped up with pillows so that I wasn't lying flat helped, also I think I was only eating cheese sandwiches towards the end. The blandest food I could find.

Otherwise I think your only option is to suffer I'm afraid. Honestly it disappeared overnight for me and it was only a few weeks post partum that I realised.

[Daffodil99 in reply to Chiefy]

I'm 26 weeks so i've got ages!The idea of cheese sandwiches has actually just made me very hungry so maybe that's my way forward.

I think you might be right on just suffering through it and look forward to the day it disappears. At least it's for a lovely reason right

[Chiefy in reply to Daffodil99]

It's just come back to me that I used to ask my husband to wind me every night until I burped 🤦‍♀️ at least it gave him practice for when baby came along!!

My friend drank loads of cold milk to calm hers, but she got sick of the taste so then started on strawberry nesquick, she drank gallons of the stuff 🤣

Pregnancy does weird things to people and I'm quite jealous that you are going through it now and are getting to have a gorgeous newborn soon xx

[Daffodil99 in reply to Chiefy]

Hahahahaaaa!!! That's actually a great idea!! If all my other ailments aren't putting him off me right now a good burp in the face will do the trick 😂

That's interesting about milk. I've read it makes it worse but i'm craving milk a bit at the moment and i do believe your body craves what it needs. I'm going to give it a go.

Ah thanks. Yes i was feeling a bit sorry for myself yesterday but then remembered why I'm here and feeling like this - still gets a bit tough at times though doesn't it x

[KiboXX in reply to Daffodil99]

Are you just taking one omeprazole a day? Mine got worse in my third trimester and my midwife told me I could take two if I needed to, one morning and one evening xx

[Daffodil99 in reply to KiboXX]

Yes just 1 in the morning - then shit loads of Gaviscon for rest of the day. I didn't know you can take 2 - will definitely ask my GP about that. Thankyou. How are you coping with it now? x

[KiboXX in reply to Daffodil99]

Absolutely fine, my baby is three months old now though 😂 x

[Georgya]

Hi! I understand perfectly what you mean! I am 26 weeks as well and I've had reflux and heartburn from the beginning pretty much. I've tried rennie and Gaviscone and they work for a little while and then again. Cold water helps at times but for a short time as well. Water comes back up for me as well. I feel for you and I don't really know what to do either 🥺😘🤗

[Daffodil99 in reply to Georgya]

It's weird as I've had it since really early and GP keeps saying most women don't have it until 3rd trimester ....but that's not the impression i get from speaking to people. I hope you're managing to sleep during yours? x

[Georgya in reply to Daffodil99]

Hi! I've had mine pretty much from the beginning and now it is getting worse. I can sleep well though. Actually for me sleeping helps a lot. I eat a lot of mints at works and chewing gum and I am trying to drink plenty. It helps a bit sleeping on the left hand side, even though I struggle doing that. xxx

[Daffodil99 in reply to Georgya]

I read that about sleeping on your left side but oddly it helps my reflux to sleep on the right ....no idea why but i'll do it if it means i get more zzzzzs

[Redsequin]

Hello lovely. Oh no! Heartburn is the worst. I’ve had it terribly in the past though not yet in this pregnancy (I imagine it’s only a matter of time though 🥴 ). If you search on YouTube for heartburn breathing relief or heartburn pregnancy exercises there are various videos with tips and stretches that should help relieve it a little. Also chewing gum really helps if you can find one that's pregnancy safe. Xxx

PS A warning: not sure apple cider vinegar works for everyone. I've tried it and it made me better for about 30 minutes and then immediately after so much worse!!

[Daffodil99 in reply to Redsequin]

Hello! How are you doing and how far along are you now? I actually looked up some breathing exercises and it felt like one of them helped a bit last night - made me burp but then it calmed down enough for me to fall asleep 😂

Thanks for warning on the vinegar, i haven't dared to try yet but there seems to be loads on YouTube of people mixing it with lemon, water and ginger and it working well. I'm just too worried it will make it worse! xx

[Redsequin in reply to Daffodil99]

I'm good, lovely. Thank you for asking. My only major problem is one-sided rib pain, which makes it impossible to sleep one side, and one-sided hip pain, which makes it tricky to sleep on the other 😅. I'm 26 weeks now, so nearly in my third trimester. Can't quite believe it!

The other thing that should really help you is buying a wedge pillow (I think you can just get one on Amazon). It will keep you sufficiently elevated that you won't have acid flowing up your throat at night, and that should also mean it's not so vicious during the day as apparently most of the damage is done when we're lying flat. xxx

[Daffodil99 in reply to Redsequin]

26 weeks too ..... it's starting to feel very real now isn't it.

Ah that makes sleeping tricky. I had rib pain but bought one of those massive wrap around pillows to tuck under bump and back and it seemed to help. Maybe ill look at wedge for acid too .....my poor boyf is going to have no room left in bed! x

[LizzieBW]

Awh, mine was absolutely horrific in pregnancy and I just suffered on until the end. I was seeing the hospital for high risk pregnancy, several times a week by third trimester for my heart and bp that it felt too ridiculous to mention my reflux each time, however I really wish I had because it continued on into labour and made me throw up for hours, I struggled to keep water, anti sickness and blood pressure medication down so even though it just completely disappears not too long after your wee babe comes out (thank god by the way!), my recommendation would be to keep on at GP for guidance on managing it. Avoid orange juice like the plague including the orange sports drjnk in tne labour ward 😂 hope you get some relief soon. Xx

[Daffodil99 in reply to LizzieBW]

Oh god you poor thing - that sounds like a lot! Isn't it weird how we only want to trouble GP/Midwife with a few things at a time then give up on the rest and just suffer instead. And yes I had a glass or orange juice the other day and won't be doing that again!!! x

[LizzieBW in reply to Daffodil99]

Isn't it awful 😔 I hope your meds help and it eases off for you 🤞 xx

[Ranchu90]

Oh I can understand you so well! I was pregnant with twins and it was horrible. I was sleeping sat on the sofa in living room 😄, difficult days. Unfortunately doctor discovered very late that I had cholestasis and this was only when I complained that I have a very itchy belly. It is normal to have heart burn but you should be able to sleep or simple medications can help, if this is not the case speak again with your midwife and ask for a blood test. If you want to exaggerate tell that you have an itchy body 😬🤭🤫 they will definitely check you. I was put on lots of medications and they had to monitor me almost every day the week before delivery. Take care 💕

[Daffodil99 in reply to Ranchu90]

Now they sound like very difficult days! Well done for getting through that - must have been really tough. I actually asked midwife about the itching as i've been suffering really badly with it on my boobs and scalp but she said not to worry unless it was palms of hands and soles of feet. Maybe I'll ask again. Thankyou xx

[Ranchu90 in reply to Daffodil99]

I only had itchy belly and my midwife told me that is fine, she also mentioned palms and soles but this is not relevant or at least wasn't in my case. I called the assessment unit and I again complained, so they asked me to come for blood test. My liver and my bile wasn't working and babies didn't get the right nutrients. Hope you will feel better soon 😘

[Daffodil99 in reply to Ranchu90]

I'll see if I can get a blood test. Thankyou! x

[Positivechangeplease]

I had it really badly too and just came to put up with it. I had these weird burps that were acid reflux burps and then horrendous silent reflux at night. Gaviscon was at my bedside and pretty much what I relied on. Apparently it means your baby will have hair. It will disappear entirely once you’ve given birth.

[Daffodil99 in reply to Positivechangeplease]

The burps are odd aren't they ....i'm scared when one comes that it will be acid. What's silent reflux? Don't think I've heard of that. And i have def never heard of Gaviscon giving you a hairy baby!!

[Positivechangeplease in reply to Daffodil99]

Silent reflux- just a really sore throat by morning… basically reflux that you don’t feel but feel the effect of. Lol, bad editing on my part… it’s not gaviscon that gives the baby hair, they say if you have bad reflux your baby will have hair. Mine had a full head. And the reflux will disappear once you give birth. Nothing I found that could really do anything and I had it since the second trimester. Just had to put up with it

[Daffodil99 in reply to Positivechangeplease]

Oh haha!! I was wondering why they didn't write that on the box!

[Littlepeax]

Omg I feel like I wrote this lol exactly the same and I'm 26 weeks too although I've had this from very early on but its def getting worse. Leaning forwards slightly is awful lol I'm living off Gaviscon but doesn't really help. I do know exercises and stretching can help but you have to be consistent. If you have a firm roller check out some exercises on tube. My Osteo recommended to me some stretches with it. Sounds silly but it creates a little more room when you stretch out . Just like redsequin recommended. I'm lucky that this is my only bad pregnancy symptom. But I get it everyday and night. And it's so bad it effects my voice. Im also very burpy are you? Feel like my chest/throat is constantly blocked. I think he's going to be a big boy, mu bump is quite large too lol xxx ❤️💫

[Daffodil99 in reply to Littlepeax]

Sooo burpy. I've stopped apologising as it happens so often! I feel like one big bag of uncomfortable wind.

The stretches do make sense so will try them - did you find they helped? I was going to yoga but haven't been for a couple of weeks as i'm so scared i'm going to puke up during downward dog.

Also have you tried milk like someone else suggested? xx

[Littlepeax in reply to Daffodil99]

They are very specific stretches with a foam roller. Don't think downward dog will help so be careful. Yes they do help, I'm just lazy at doing them 🙈 not a massive fan of milk I think it can help but only for a short while. Walking is good I find, and avoiding certain things like coffee , chocolate and spicy foods xxx

[Foxboro]

Hello, I had really bad acid reflux early on in my pregnancy but switched to looser bras and it disappeared almost instantly! So check that you’re not wearing anything too restrictive on your chest!