Staying hydrated is one of the most important and helpful ways you can care for yourself, your body and your baby during pregnancy. Adequate hydration might come easily for you, or it might be difficult based on a variety of reasons. Perhaps the climate is cold and drinking cold water does not sound enticing at all. Or maybe you’re in the throes of morning sickness and even plain water sounds distasteful. During the third trimester, you could struggle to eat enough food because you get full so quickly, and drinking water close to or during meals only leaves you with less room for food. Here, we’re sharing about hydration importance, fluid in your body during pregnancy, and general tips regarding the consumption of different beverages while pregnant.

Recommendations

The general recommendation is to drink 8-12 cups, or 64-96 ounces, of water every day. During pregnancy this amount increases to 100 ounces, but this amount also includes fluids coming from the water content of foods, and usually leaves you needing about 2.3 liters, or 77 ounces, of fluid coming from your beverages.

You may read these recommended amounts and have a good idea that you already get enough fluids most days. But if you’re not quite sure how much you consume on an average day, it might be helpful to measure your fluids one day so that you have a better idea of where you’re starting from. You can use a refillable water bottle with measurement markings or use a liquid measuring cup to measure your beverages before putting them into your usual glass. You can simply use the Notes app on your phone to write down how much you’ve had, or you can download a water tracking app if you’d prefer. Based on what you discover with your tracking, you can make a plan for either continuing to drink adequate fluids or increasing your fluid consumption so that you are getting enough.

Hydration importance

Your hydration needs are especially important during pregnancy in part because your body begins to circulate additional fluids. A healthy woman bearing an average sized baby will increase her plasma volume by an average of about 1250 ml, or 42 ounces, and at the end of pregnancy, the amniotic sac is holding about 800mL, or 27 ounces, of fluid. Visualizing all this extra fluid in your pregnant body, it becomes easier to see how important it is that you supply your body with plenty of fluids every day.

Water has critically important tasks in the pregnant body:

Aiding digestion
Protecting the baby by forming the amniotic fluid around the fetus
Circulating nutrients to reach all the different organs and extremities of your body
Facilitating waste leaving the body

Staying hydrated is always important, and when even just slight dehydration can leave you feeling poorly, this is the last thing you want to be suffering through while pregnant. Symptoms of mild to moderate dehydration include thirst, dry mouth, muscle cramps, headaches, dry skin and darker yellow urine. Symptoms of more severe dehydration include producing only a small amount of urine that is dark in color, being unable to urinate, being unable to keep down liquids, feeling dizzy or faint when standing, rapid breathing and having a racing or pounding heartbeat. Alert your doctor if you are experiencing these more severe symptoms. We also discuss dehydration in our Morning Sickness Nutrition post, as dehydration is a notable risk for women dealing with extreme cases of morning sickness. There are plenty of incentives to stay hydrated; even mild dehydration is no fun and turns into a serious health risk if it gets severe.

Other fluids

You may have noticed the use of the terms “water” and “fluids” interchangeably. This doesn’t mean that just any type of beverage will suffice for meeting daily hydration needs. Here’s how other beverages stack up against water as well as some ideas to bring you some fun variation in your fluids!

Energy drinks- It is generally recommended to avoid energy drinks during pregnancy, in part due to caffeine amounts but also due to other possible additives that may not be best for you or baby during pregnancy.
Alcohol- Pregnant women are encouraged not to consume alcohol. It can, especially during early pregnancy, cause problems for the growing baby. There is no amount of alcohol that has been deemed safe during pregnancy.
Caffeine- It is recommended to limit caffeine to no more than 200mg per day. This is about how much you would find in an average 12 ounce cup of coffee. Many packaged beverages list their caffeine content on their label. If you’re regularly consuming multiple caffeinated beverages per day and you’re concerned about how to cut back, you can always discuss it with your prenatal provider.

When you don’t feel like plain water, here are some ideas for other fun beverages and fluids to enjoy during your pregnancy:

sparkling water
kombucha (try mixing with sparkling water for a sort of mock-tail!)
decaf coffee and tea
iced herbal teas
flavored water like these True Citrus mixes
non-alcoholic beer
fruit juice or smoothie
coconut water
milk or non-dairy milk alternatives
soup or broth

Tips

Finally, here are some tips and ideas for how to increase your water consumption.

Fill up multiple bottles or cups at the beginning of the day and have them ready-to-go on your counter. You could also fill up one giant water bottle at the beginning of the day, which makes it even easier to track how much you’ve consumed. If you choose to breastfeed down the road, having a giant water bottle on hand to stay hydrated will be extra handy.
To minimize the frequency of those sudden urges to pee, focus on sipping constantly throughout the day instead of chugging large amounts at once.
Try to drink one glass of water with each meal, although this may become difficult toward the end of your pregnancy when baby is pressing on your stomach!.
Use some fresh fruit to flavor your water, like a squeeze of lime or lemon, or drop some berries or cucumbers straight in the glass or bottle. You could also use an infusion pitcher like this one if you want.
Snack on fruits and veggies that are high in water content, like these: watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, bananas, grapes, oranges, pears, pineapples, carrots, avocados and even some dairy products like yogurt or cottage cheese
Don’t drink just when thirsty, make hydrating a priority all day long.
Use an app and have it remind you periodically to drink up!

The most basic way to sum up our hydration-during-pregnancy advice? Drink plenty and drink mainly water. Other beverages aren’t necessarily off limits and you can still safely have a cup of coffee each day, but when it comes to hydration, water will always take the gold. Spice things up with some fun options like sparkling water, milk or drinkable yogurt, and iced herbal tea to supplement your water consumption. Remember that delicious produce with high water content like melons, pineapples and pears can also help you meet your fluid needs.

As an old summer camp director always said, hydration equals happiness! Cheers to staying hydrated. You got this, mama!

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