Pregnancy Top Tips: Drink Your Water
Water is essential for all life, but water becomes even more important during pregnancy when you are not only supporting your own body but also supporting the growth of your baby’s body. Read on to learn about why water is important during pregnancy, how much water you should aim to drink, and my favourite tips and tricks for getting all that water into your body.
Why is Water Important During Pregnancy?
On average, our bodies are 60% water. At birth, a baby’s body is approximately 75% water. That is a lot of water!
Water is an essential component of your body and is involved in nearly every single bodily function. It is a vital part of every cell in your body and is necessary for the functioning of all cells, organs, and tissues. Water also helps regulate body temperature, supports digestion and nutrient absorption, helps get oxygen to your cells and waste materials out of your body, and is an important component of lubricating fluids in your body.
Water is important during pregnancy because your body needs even more water than usual. You need extra water to support your increased blood volume (which can grow by 50% or more during pregnancy) and to provide the amniotic fluid that cushions your baby. Water is also vital for blood circulation, which helps to move nutrients through your body and to your baby, and to remove waste from your body. Water also plays an important role in regulating your body temperature, maintaining an ideal temperature for fetal growth.
Sufficient water intake during pregnancy is also important as it helps to reduce many common pregnancy symptoms, such as constipation, hemorrhoids, cravings, fatigue, headaches, muscle cramps, and bladder infections.
How Much Water Do You Need to Drink During Pregnancy?
The short answer to this question is: it depends. A holistic nutritionist can help you determine exactly how much water you need to drink to optimally nourish yourself and your baby.
That said, as a general guideline, aim for 3L or 100 oz per day. If you drink caffeinated beverages such as coffee or tea, find yourself sweating a lot, or are losing fluids due to vomiting or diarrhea, you’ll need to drink even more than that.
An easy way to get an idea of whether or not your drinking enough water is to monitor the colour of your urine. It if is clear or pale yellow, that’s a good sign that you are well hydrated. If it is a darker shade of yellow, take that as a sign to increase your water intake.
What to Drink
It is a sad fact for many of us that our tap water is delivered to us with a variety of potentially harmful contaminants, such as fertilizers and pesticides, lead, chlorine, arsenic, copper, and bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella. If it is a viable option for you, consider investing in a good quality water filter that will remove contaminants (my personal favourite is the Berkey water filter). While it may seem like another good option, I recommend avoiding bottled water; not only is bottled water not thoroughly and consistently tested for contaminants, the plastic it comes bottled in can leach contaminants such as BPA into the water.
While water is the vital liquid that you and your baby need, it’s not the only thing you can drink to meet your fluid requirements. There are a variety of other liquids that you can include in your diet, including:
sparkling water
herbal tea (I love mint, ginger, rooibos, and raspberry leaf)
milk (plant or cow)
coconut water
kefir
commercially prepared kombucha
bone broth
My Top Tips for Getting Enough Water During Pregnancy
Getting in at least 3L/100oz of water every day can seem like a daunting challenge! Here are a few things you can do to make it a bit easier:
Make your water fancy
Plain old water can get very boring very quickly. Keep things interesting by adding some natural flavour to your water. Add a few slices of fruit, ginger, mint, or other flavourful fruits and herbs to create infused water. My favourite combinations are mint and lime, pear and ginger, and strawberry and kiwi.
Keep track of your water intake
The best way to know how much water you’re getting is to keep track of how much you drink. I like to do this by using a large water bottle or jug with measurement markings: I fill it every morning and drink from it during the day, refilling as necessary.
Keep your water handy
If you have water nearby, you’re much more likely to drink it. Keep a glass, bottle, or container of water with you at all times- at your desk, in your purse, in the car, and next to your bed so that you always have something nearby to sip on.
Time your water intake well
While it’s a good idea to drink water regularly throughout the day, there are a couple of times when you might want to limit water and fluid intake. If you are dealing with heartburn or reduced appetite, avoid drinking a lot of water around meal time. And if frequent urges to pee wake you up at night, avoid drinking large amounts of water an hour or two before bedtime.
Happy drinking!
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