I’d never had heartburn or indigestion until I was pregnant with my first daughter. I had it pretty much for the entire second half of my pregnancy with her and it wasn’t much fun. I drank gallons of milk, Gaviscon and chewed tablets to help. The worst part was that it seemed to kick in as soon as I settled down to sleep at night. Grr. Also with heartburn during pregnancy it’s not just caused by certain foods it’s caused by everything. I could eat just toast and cereal and I would still get it.

In between my first pregnancy and second pregnancy I had no problems at all and then bang 3 months into being pregnant with Chloe there it was. Ouch.

This time around its stuck though. I still get heartburn although thankfully nowhere near as bad as during pregnancy but I now seem to get indigestion too. If you aren’t sure of the differences between heartburn and indigestion pain then read on:

Heartburn:

The symptoms of heartburn (acid reflux) are generally described as a kind of tightening or burning sensation in the back of the throat and chest area
Some people also experience a bitter or acidic taste in the back of the throat

Indigestion:

With indigestion, pain may be felt in the chest or top of the stomach
However many people complain of feeling ‘bloated’ or uncomfortably full and gaseous – needing to burp, belch or pass wind a lot
There may also be nausea or vomiting and a loss of appetite.
If you are not sure which you are suffering from, see how you feel if you lie down or bend over. If this seems to make symptoms worse it is more likely that you have heartburn.

I’m guessing my love of spicy and rich food is to blame but has anybody else found this kind of change after having children? To me it’s just another of the massive differences in my body after two natural but stressful periods of time.

Can’t see me giving up my love of food anytime soon..

Also note to the first time pregnant mums.. Heartburn definitely doesn’t mean a baby with a head full of hair. Izzy was practically bald until she turned 2yrs old.

*This post is in association with Gaviscon.