How Much Water You Need to Drink During Pregnancy?

You are thinking about the time you will hug your baby and the joy this amazing creature will bring to your life. Looking forward to the day saying daddy is driving you crazy. So, doing a bit of research to have a safe pregnancy is wise. One simple-easy but essential point you might forget is drinking enough water during pregnancy. You get dehydrated; the risks are high and inevitable.

By the end of this article, you will know why water is essential for pregnancy, how much to drink, the drinks you need to avoid, and more.

Why is drinking water during pregnancy essential?

While pregnant, your body needs more water than regular due to change your situation. You don’t drink enough water; you’ll get dehydrated.

Dehydration can cause you:

• Dizziness
• Edema
• Cramps
• Nausea
• Headaches

Staying hydrated is particularly essential during the last three months of your pregnancy. You are dehydrated; you may have a premature birth, the baby will come sooner than the completed weeks (32-34 weeks).

How to know you are dehydrated?

The signs and symptoms of dehydration might appear different for each person. The below signs are the common ones:

• Hunger and feeling thirsty
• Headaches, dizziness,
• Fatigue
• Dry skin or mouth
• Sluggishness
• Feeling overheated.

If the above signs and symptoms didn’t get better by drinking water, visit your doctor immediately.

How much water do you need to drink during pregnancy?

The amount of water you need in your pregnancy depends on your conditions. Your age, season of the year, physical activity, how much water you lose determine it.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) indicates that pregnant women should drink 8-12 cups of water every day. In case you breastfeed your child, you need to have 13 8-ounce glasses every day.

Health experts recommend sipping water a lot throughout the day instead of drinking a full glass at once. The more water you drink, the healthier pregnancy you will have.

Do you work out or do light exercise? Drink another glass for every hour of exercise. If you are in the hot season, take more water to make up for the water you lose through perspiration.

Providing that you want to make sure you are dehydrated or not, take a test or check-ups. It can say whether you are hydrated well enough or not.

In case you often feel dizzy and don’t visit the bathroom while drinking water, visit your doctor.

How to make sure of hydration during pregnancy?

Having access to pure or filtered water is a way to make sure you get enough water during pregnancy. You need to ensure the quality of water. In a few areas like Las Vegas, the taste of water is not good. Don’t let the taste stop you from drinking enough water.

You can get your bottled water when you get out. So you will make sure to have pure and healthy water around.

Check the “Packing date” before drinking water. Avoid bottles that are”

• Discolored
• Leaking
• Damaged, or
• Have broken seals

Having water from a reliable brand in a restaurant is also wise.

How to drink more water during pregnancy

Providing that you are not fond of the taste of tap water, you can add flavors. They will make the taste better and help you to drink enough water during pregnancy. The point to remember is to add natural flavors, not artificial ones.

The following options can make your water more delicious:

• Mint
• Coriander
• Ginger water
• Lemon water
• Fennel seeds
• Cardamom

Before you take the above flavors, determine if you are allergic to them or not. You should also ask for advice from your doctor before taking them with your water.

You can also think about the benefits of alkaline water. As it provides better hydration, it’s a safe way to take it during pregnancy. It’s a good way to decrease the risk of acid reflux as well.

Supplementary daily drinks

Your fluid intake can come from other healthy drinks per day, like milk. But try not to replace them with water during pregnancy. You need water as well as drinks to get well hydration. The drinks you can have included, but not limited to:

• Non-caffeinated drinks.
• Fresh fruit juice
• Milk and dairy-based drinks.
• Smoothies.
• Foods with high water content

What drinks do you need to avoid during pregnancy?

You need to be careful with a few drinks during your pregnancy. They are as follows:

Alcohol

Health experts mention that you should stop alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol tends to make you dehydrated. It’s particularly important during the first three months. Alcohol will harm you and the baby, yet the experts cannot agree on how much alcohol is safe during pregnancy.

Caffeine

Scientists have found links between caffeine and low birth weight and miscarriage. You can find the caffeine in chocolate, soft drinks, cola, tea, and coffee.

Caffeine makes you use the bathroom more and lose more water. So you should be extra careful with your caffeine intake during pregnancy. Health specialists recommend limiting your caffeine intake to 200mg per day.

If you want to take the caffeine drinks, try to calculate the amount of caffeine. For instance, a mug of instant coffee contains 100mg of caffeine, while a bar of plain chocolate holds 50mg.

Fizzy drinks

You cannot rely on fizzy, carbonated drinks for getting nutrients. They often contain sweeteners. According to Daily Mail, such drinks tend to make people faint or suffer from an irregular heartbeat.

Before consumption, determine if they contain any caffeine or not.

Energy drinks

Experts say you should skip energy drinks during pregnancy. Such drinks often contain caffeine and other energetic ingredients that might be bad for you and your baby.

Let’s put it all together

Drinking water during pregnancy is essential. You don’t drink enough; you will risk your health and your baby’s.

Now you know how to determine you are dehydrated, the tricks to drink more water, what drinks to avoid or be careful of, and the amount of water you need.

If you are looking for a reliable water source for your pregnancy, you have come to the right place.

Tahoe Springs Water has been providing water services in Las Vegas since 1994. Give us a call at +702-903-1433 to order the water you want now. You can take advantage of alkaline, spring, and purified water.

Tips for drinking more water during pregnancy

There are several ways you can use to drink more water during pregnancy and ensure your hydration. The point is that you don’t have to struggle too much, and you just need to act wisely. Also, science proves they are useful and can help you to stick with the habit.

The one thing is to put the signs of drinking water in front of you. I learned this from the book “Atomic habits” by James Clear. He is a scientist of habits and has studied habits for a long time. When you see the signs of action, you are more likely to stick with it. Just think of the items you have put your sneakers or books in a closet and had forgotten to use them.

The other thing you can do is a technique that Charles Duhigg, in his book “The power of habit,” calls the Sandwich technique. When you want to drink water, put it between the two things you do. For instance, by drinking coffee at your meal.s you can have water before or after them, so you stick the new habit with something you are already doing. James Clear also indicates something similar in his book but insists on doing the new action after your current habit. For instance, whenever I close my laptop and finish work, I drink two cups of water and have as many push-ups as possible.

FAQs

Is it dangerous not to drink enough water during pregnancy? 

Yes, your body needs more water during pregnancy and hydration is essential in the last 3 months.

How much is water too much for me during the pregnancy?

See if you feel bad after how much, but 2-3 gallons is often too much.

How should I know that I drink enough water during my pregnancy?

Drink enough to feel thirsty scarcely during the day, and your urine stays colorless or light yellow

When should I consult with a doctor about hydration during my pregnancy?

Get general advice on water intake but especially when you feel bad.