Could morning heartburn be a sign of pregnancy?

Answer 1

Generally morning heartburn is a side-effect of pregnancy (rather than a symptom of pregnancy). It usually occurs once it is fairly obvious the lady is pregnant; when the abdomen has distended quite a lot, indicating that there is a fair amount of pressure on the stomach (and some other internal organs). The extra pressure on the stomach can cause acid reflux, since it effectively limits how far the stomach will stretch (to accommodate food etc...). Since stomach capacity is reduced, acid has a tendency to flow up the oesophagus, causing heartburn.