Chorevia

Day 76 of 280 · 10 weeks + 6 days

Heartburn at night

Last reviewed · 3 min read · 7 sources · Plain-text version

Why progesterone gives you heartburn, why a stack of pillows doesn't fix it, and the six-inch lift under the head of the bed that does.

Size this week
about the size of a small apricot
Length this week
around 30 mm from head to bottom
A white woman in pajamas kneeling at the head of a bed in a small bedroom at dusk, sliding a wooden block under one leg of the frame while her partner lifts the corner.

Ten weeks and six days, the last day of week 10. If the burning starts when you lie down, today is a fifteen-minute job for two people and a bed.

Your baby

A single small apricot on a plain pale wooden table, soft window light.

Around 30mm long from head to bottom, about the size of a small apricot (NHS). The heart beats very fast, and the baby is making small jerky movements that can be seen on a scan (NHS). By next week the NHS puts the length at around 41mm (NHS).

Your body

Progesterone relaxes the womb muscles so the womb can stretch; it also loosens the muscles of your digestive system, which is why bloating, burping, wind and heartburn are on this week's list (NHS). Pregnancy can bring on heartburn or make it worse (MedlinePlus), and because digestion slows, it's often worse at night (MedlinePlus).

The fixes are mostly about timing and angle. Avoid eating within 3 to 4 hours of bedtime, and raise the head of the bed about 6 inches (15 centimeters); extra pillows do not work well (MedlinePlus). Eat small meals, avoid spicy and greasy foods, and don't lie flat right after a meal (MedlinePlus). The NHS adds that coffee and rich, spicy or fatty foods can trigger symptoms (NHS). Heartburn that happens 2 or more days a week should be treated, because reflux can damage the lining of the esophagus (MedlinePlus).

Try today

  1. The bed-head lift

    Time: 15 minutes, two people

    1. Put blocks under the two legs at the head of the bed, or a wedge under the head of the mattress, to raise it about 6 inches (15 centimeters) (MedlinePlus).

    2. Push on the frame from each side to check it's steady before anyone sleeps on it.

    3. Move dinner earlier tonight: nothing to eat within 3 to 4 hours of bedtime (MedlinePlus).

    4. Tomorrow morning, one word in the notebook: better, same, or worse.

    Make it work:

    If it's still happening 2 or more days a week after the lift, that's the number MedlinePlus says needs treating, so take it to your provider rather than the pharmacy shelf (MedlinePlus).

Watch for

  • Normal

    burning after a late or rich meal (NHS).

    Go to the ER

    for bloody or coffee-ground vomit, black or maroon stools, or burning chest pain with squeezing or pressure (MedlinePlus).

  • Normal

    nausea that comes and goes (NHS).

    Call your provider

    for severe nausea and throwing up: if you can't drink for more than 8 hours or eat for more than 24 hours (CDC).

  • Normal

    wondering whether an antacid is fine.

    Call your provider

    before you take anything; the CDC's line is to talk to your healthcare providers before starting or stopping any medicines (CDC).

For you

Never change or stop a medicine without talking to your provider first (MedlinePlus). That goes for heartburn tablets as much as anything else, and it's a common question: about 9 in 10 women report taking some type of medicine during pregnancy (CDC). If you can't get a straight answer, the CDC points to MotherToBaby, a free, confidential expert line, at 1-866-626-6847 (CDC).

If you're the partner: the easiest thing you can change is dinner time. Eat earlier with her, and the late snack stops being a thing either of you has to resist.

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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