This post is in conjunction with Rennie® but all thoughts are my own. Rennie Peppermint for heartburn and indigestion. Rennie Liquid Heartburn Relief Oral Suspension. Rennie Heartburn, Indigestion & Wind Relief Chewable Tablets. Always read the label. Medicines can affect the unborn baby. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking any medicine in pregnancy. Medicines can affect the unborn baby. Please speak to your doctor or pharmacist before taking any medication during pregnancy.

Finding Out You Are Pregnant.

I will never forget the sheer shock of seeing those two little lines appear on the stick in my hand. It may have been nearly 14 years ago but I don’t think you will ever really forgot that moment when you know everything is about to change and life, as you know it, will never be the same again.

It was a shock. A huge shock, but not a bad one. Not one that I ever wished had a different result, even now as I navigate the waters of teenage dramas and apocalyptic hormonal eruptions as a single parent. However, nothing, and I literally mean nothing could have prepared me for my own pregnancy journey and the massive impact it would have on my whole body.

As the days progressed into months, my body, my emotions and my life were put through the wringer as my body underwent some dramatic changes, both mentally and physically. From the onset of morning (all day/evening) sickness that left me with my head in the toilet bowl and walking out on a meal in our local Wetherspoons as soon as it hit the table to back pain as I had never experienced. I suffered some dramatic side effects.

Medically, my pregnancy was perfectly healthy.

There were no issues to be concerned about and I rarely needed to call upon health professionals until the early hours of the 17th March 2006 when I awoke in bed lying in a damp patch. In true pregnant woman style, I waddled my way down the stairs to the bathroom.  Yes, I mean downstairs, at that time we lived in a maisonette and the bathroom was located by the front door and as far away from my bedroom as it could possibly be! As I tried to leave the bathroom, I realised that actually, I hadn’t wet the bed as I thought. My bladder hadn’t lost all function yet and the still running liquid may actually be my waters breaking.

Olivia was born 5 weeks early a mere 4 days after my water had broken for no reason other than she was ‘perfectly cooked and ready to join us’ as my consultant told me. Knowing Olivia now, I say she was too damn impatient and scared of missing out on anything for any longer than she already had! Case proved when she arrived in the world after an astonishing 14 minutes and 30 seconds! But reverting back a few days. To the day before my waters broke and a conversation with one of my former work colleagues.

“I am so over being pregnant! This baby needs to come out ASAP!”

Yes, I uttered those words. Now don’t get me wrong, I had no idea she would actually listen to me, god knows she hasn’t since, but seriously, pregnancy was kicking my backside big time! I was sore, uncomfortable and for someone with an aversion to any type of housework, the nesting period was truly terrifying. Pregnancy is a miracle and one I feel lucky to have gone through but seriously, it is not something I ever wanted to repeat. Nor have I!

Suffering Heartburn During Pregnancy.

Despite my ‘quibbles’ being just that, the onslaught of symptoms when you are already trying to grow another human can become overbearing. One particular aspect being heartburn during pregnancy. Something else I remonstrated about during the above conversation. Milk became my friend. Skimmed, as it quelled the burning more effectively for me. It wasn’t as severe as my sister had it. But in my case, it wasn’t as severe but still really uncomfortable when it came.

But just because you are pregnant it doesn’t mean you can’t do anything to help reduce or even eliminate symptoms of heartburn. Because growing a tiny person inside you is hard enough without all the, sometimes quite frankly awful, symptoms that can come with pregnancy.

How You Can Deal with Heartburn During Pregnancy.

Dealing with heartburn during pregnancy can be quite hard to control. Trust me, I deal with it every day now and I’m not even pregnant. Whilst you can take medication under advisement from your doctor or pharmacist, it makes sense to make some changes to your lifestyle and diet to help reduce the symptoms first.

What is Heartburn?

Heartburn is caused by acid reflux and symptoms usually appear after eating. Particularly when eating on the go. Around 72% of pregnant women suffer from heartburn in the third trimester, so you’re not alone in dealing with this. I know pregnancy is already a big lifestyle change for any woman but why should we put up with something we can try to ease ourselves. Old Wives Tales aside, heartburn sucks!

There are a few different ways you can try to reduce the effects of, or even getting heartburn during pregnancy. None are a complete guarantee but always worth a try.

• Eat slowly and sitting down as much as possible. Don’t rush your meals.
• Eat smaller meals more frequently to avoid overloading your stomach with more than it can handle (cravings permitted obviously!)
• Reduce caffeine intake (including in sugary soft drinks too)
• Eliminate or reduce spicy foods. Go for mild spices over the three chilli rating.
• Stay away from carbonated drinks where possible.
• Increase your fruit and vegetable intake
• Drink more water
• Try not to lie down immediately after eating.

If you are experiencing heartburn during pregnancy, I hope this helps. If you have any tried and tested remedies I would love to hear them. If not, I hope you enjoyed the condensed and somewhat overly dramatic retelling of my pregnancy nightmares!