I’ve been experiencing terrible heartburn every evening towards the end of my pregnancy. Why do I get it, and how can I make it go away?

Yikes, I hate heartburn! My Italian grandmother and all the Sopranos call this “Agita," or indigestion. As in, “You’re driving me crazy, stop giving Agita.” No matter what, it makes life very unpleasant. In pregnancy, most women experience a surge in their progesterone levels. This hormone helps the pregnancy stay healthy, but has other less welcome side effects. Progesterone relaxes the valve between the esophagus and the stomach, causing stomach acid to migrate upwards toward the throat. Combine this with a bigger tummy that pushes the stomach up closer to the lungs, and you get terrible heartburn. Some women experience heartburn in the first trimester while others have to deal with this throughout their entire pregnancy.

This is just one of the many experiences that no one talks about, but we moms endure. Hang in there. The good news is that heartburn disappears when you deliver. Here are some quick tips to help:

• Try sipping drinkable yogurt or milk. This coats the throat and esophagus and provides a little barrier to the acid.

• Eat smaller meals more frequently.
   
• Avoid carbonated drinks: the bubbles make the heartburn much worse.
   
• Try chewing some Tums. You and the baby can always use more calcium.
   
• Ask your healthcare provider about over the counter remedies.
   
• When you sleep, lie on your right side. Your stomach empties on the right side, so less acid will be around to irritate you.