Avoid Dehydration During Pregnancy
3 Simple Tips
by Tiffany Simmons

Before your baby makes his grand entrance into the world, he gets to practice his swimming skills in the amniotic sac, which is filled with fluid. 

At this point, your baby is made up of approximately 75 percent water and where do you think he gets all this water from? You guessed it!  He or she gets it all from their momma. 

This is one of the reasons why doctors stress the importance of pregnant mothers drinking enough water on a daily basis to avoid dehydration. Drinking water during pregnancy is extremely important because it helps deliver nutrients to your baby and also helps build amniotic fluid.

Water is essential for nutrient absorption, body temperature regulation, the expelling of waste, and it assists with digestive issues. 

When you don't consume enough water during pregnancy, it can cause low amniotic fluid, which in turn can trigger false labor contractions known as Braxton hicks contractions and can cause other complications.

We have 3 simple tips below that will help you stay healthy and avoid dehydration during pregnancy!

Oh yeah, in addition to keeping yourself healthy and hydrated, you still have to prepare for your baby while you’re pregnant. Get a head start and check out our highest-rated baby gear here.

1. Drink 8 Cups of Water Every Day

This may sound like an overwhelming amount of water to drink, but you will be surprised how thirsty an expecting mom can be.

By consuming eight cups of water a day, you keep your body properly hydrated, which in turn allows the heart to pump blood easier. The heart's job is to deliver blood and oxygen to organs and muscles to keep our bodies functioning properly. 

Common issues during pregnancy are leg cramping and circulation issues due to the strain babies can put on our bodies. By consuming a large amount of water daily, you reduce the risk of cramps and strains that can happen during pregnancy. 

Water also helps to keep your skin elastic which means that it balances the hormones that cause your skin to itch, ease skin tightness, and help minimize stretch marks.

Again, if the task of drinking eight cups of water seems overwhelming, break it up into a water-drinking schedule. Drink two cups of water in the morning--one when you first wake up and a second with breakfast. Then have a cup with lunch and another with dinner. 

Carry a water bottle around in between meals and have another glass of water an hour or so before bed. Before you know it, drinking eight glasses of water will be a breeze.

2. Drink Water Before You Feel Thirsty

Think about it, when you begin to thirsty, you have already become slightly dehydrated. That's mind-boggling, right?  To make sure that doesn't happen, consume water before you start feeling thirsty. 

You should drink water throughout the hot summer months, as well as the winter months. It's not as difficult to consume water when it is hotter outside because we drink to stay cool. Whereas if it's cold outside, we really don’t want to drink water that is cold. 

To give you a little boost when it comes to drinking water in the cooler months, try adding fruit to your water.

A slice of lemon or a handful of blueberries can give your water a face lift in the taste department. This way you can stay hydrated and get some extra nutrients from the fruits that you have added.

Eat Foods That Have a High-Water Content

If you're still finding it difficult to think about consuming so much water, try consuming more foods that contain higher levels of water.

Many fruits and vegetables contain as much as 90 percent water, so they are perfect for a quick snack or for consumption during a meal.

Let me break this down for you, two cups of vegetables and a cup and a half of fruit equals almost two cups of water.

That would take care of two of the eight cups of water that you need to take in daily while pregnant. Eating foods like kale, spinach, apples, broccoli, cauliflower, raspberries, blueberries, and a plethora of others create tasty mouthwatering snacks for you to try.

However, be aware that you still need to drink about eight cups of water daily, in addition to consuming these foods that have a high-water content. But fresh fruits and vegetables do give your body extra nutrients like vitamins and minerals that you and your developing baby need.

How to Avoid Dehydration During Pregnancy

Let's recap what we have learned about why and how we can avoid dehydration during pregnancy.

• Water is essential for nutrient absorption, body temperature regulation, the expelling of waste, and its assists with digestive issues. 
• Dehydration can cause preterm labor and other complications
• Drink 8 cups daily to stay hydrated
• Eat more foods that have high-water content
• Develop a schedule for drinking water
• Drink water before you're thirsty
• Carry a bottle of water with you

Hopefully, these three simple tips can be helpful to you throughout your pregnancy. Our babies get all of their nutrients from us (especially water) in order to help them grow and develop, so it is important that we give them everything they need.

Fetal growth and development start with us moms, so let's get into gear and do it the right way. When we feel healthy and hydrated, everything else improves, including mood, energy, and overall appearance.

Enjoy the journey; your little one will be here soon!

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