The lifestyle change in pregnancy to help control GERD is not much different from other individuals with GERD.

Pregnant women are advised not to smoke or drink alcohol because of the potential risk to the foetus. In addition alcohol and smoking affect the lower esophageal sphincter and encourage acid reflux. If you are still smoking and drinking there are two good reasons to stop.

Elevating the head of the bed is a good idea. GERD is more common in the third trimester. At this stage, a pregnant woman will find it more comfortable to sleep on her back. This is not a good position for GERD. The best position to be when sleeping is on the left side because the stomach is lower than the esophagus. If you catnap during the day, sleep propped up or in the sitting position.

Small frequent meals provide less opportunity for reflux. Avoid food up to 3 hours before going to sleep at night. This way the stomach is relatively empty when retiring.

Certain items in your diet can aggravate GERD. Avoid or use less coffee, chocolate, citrus fruits, tomatoes. Fats reduce gastric emptying time. Eat foods with lower fat content. Avoid spicy foods.

Exercise is good in pregnancy but if you have GERD just bending forwards can trigger GERD. Exercises involving bouncing up and down will aggravate your GERD. Stick to exercises that keep you upright. Stretching and power or brisk walking is good and unlikely to aggravate GERD.

Dr. Phil Hariram.