Pregnancy brings about a lot of changes in a woman’s body. The first trimester can bring nausea and sometimes vomiting. By the time the second trimester rolls around, the woman is feeling much better. Then as she is ready to enter her third and final trimester, she begins to get indigestion. This is quite common, but very uncomfortable. Indigestion can even go on so long that you can’t sleep at night. There are things women can do to remedy the discomfort.

Causes of indigestion during pregnancy :
One of the chief culprits behind heartburn and other digestive problems is the hormone progesterone. Progesterone decreases your muscle tone and can relax the muscles of the stomach to slow the emptying time.
The stomach also gets pushed up so much during the last trimester that it sits much higher than normal and food contents can be pushed up into your esophagus. When this happens, the valve allows food particles or stomach acid to sit in your esophagus. This can cause heartburn and indigestion.

What you can do to treat Indigestion during pregnancy ?

- Drink plenty of water.
- Add fiber to your diet : The recommended amount of fiber in an adult diet is 25-35 grams per day. If you are pregnant, you might benefit from adding another 15% (or 3-5 grams) per day. Foods that are rich in fiber include whole grains, popcorn, and raw vegetables.
- Walk, Don’t Talk : Pregnant women are often advised to take a walk right after their meals. Also, they must eat five or six small meals each day, instead of three large ones; that way the amount of pressure put on the stomach to digest the food is decreased.
- Peppermint : It is available quite easily and is an excellent cure for indigestion and causes no side effects on either you or your child. So when you feel like you may get another bout of indigestion, make yourself a cup of peppermint tea.
- Avoid eating or drinking things that encourage the valve in the esophagus to relax further. These include greasy or fatty foods, chocolate, caffeine, carbonated drinks, tomato products, citrus juice, peppermint and spearmint, alcohol, onion, garlic, and spicy foods.
- Sit up straight while eating.
- Reduce your stress level by taking time out for something you enjoy, such as a warm bath, a good book, or a chat with a friend.
- Commit to not smoking or drinking alcohol.
- Raise the head of your bed by placing wooden wedges under the legs.
- Talk with your doctor about which antacids are safe during pregnancy, such as calcium carbonate (Tums).