If you’ve suffered from indigestion before, you’ll know it’s quite an uncomfortable, and often excruciating pain in the chest and upper abdomen. If you’re pregnant, and working, it can be even more uncomfortable, as you’re expected to work through your discomfort and get on with the day’s work.
Here are some tips on managing indigestion while at work:
- Go for a natural remedy
An old wives’ tale is to add a teaspoon of baking soda and lemon juice to a glass of warm water to help neutralise the acid build up in the stomach, alleviating the pain. But you should speak with your doctor before doing this, because baking soda can damage the storage lining.
Another natural remedy is to drink a cup of camomile or peppermint tea. This is probably more likely to work with mild form sod indigestion.
- Change your sleeping position
Part of the remedy is finding out the causes of heartburn in the first place for you as an individual – it could be a simple diet tweak, or just changing your sleeping position.
If possible, try to keep your head elevated while sleeping, by propping up a pillow. This can help to prevent the acid rising in your chest and giving you indigestion pain.
- Over the counter remedies
Sometimes, with all the best will in the world, the natural remedies just don’t work, or work quickly enough and it can be frustrating to bear the pain while you work out what does.
There are over-the-counter remedies you can take for heartburn during pregnancy such as Gaviscon. This has been recommended to pregnant women and indigestion sufferers for years, and many mums sear by it.
- Seek medical assistance
There’s no need to battle through the working day with uncomfortable heartburn, accepting it as one of the symptoms of pregnancy. Book yourself a visit to the GP, or mention it at your next midwife’s appointment. Heartburn is very easily remedied and if none of the above have worked, then your doctor should be made aware of it, in case it is s symptom of something else.
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