Heartburn in pregnancy: why it happens and what helps
Why your stomach burns in pregnancy, what to change about meals and sleep, why bicarbonate of soda is not the answer and when heartburn needs a doctor.
3 min read
Third trimester
Week 31 of pregnancy
Your baby is the size of a coconut. All five senses work and the baby turns its head from side to side.
Your baby is the size of a coconut
- Length, head to heel
- ≈ 41.1 cm
- Weight
- ≈ 1.5 kg
Your baby this week
- All five senses work: the baby hears, tastes, touches, senses light and smells the amniotic fluid.
- It turns its head from side to side.
- The brain and nervous system are developing fast.
Your body this week
- A little colostrum, the first yellow milk, may leak from your breasts.
- You may wee more often, as the baby’s head presses on your bladder.
- Finding a comfortable position to sleep gets harder; sleeping on your side helps.
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General information written by the mam.al editors. Every pregnancy is different and sizes are averages; it does not replace advice from your doctor or midwife. Sources include the NHS week-by-week guide to pregnancy. NHS. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.