Pregnancy is the beginning of a beautiful journey that creates immense joy for you and those around you.
Hormonal changes can cause hypertension, heartburn, dizziness, morning sickness, fatigue, headaches, unwanted swelling and other such discomfort to the body.
A healthy nutritious diet as recommended by your gynaecologist or General Practitioner can make the last few months of the pregnancy bearable.
The water hack
Quite simply, supercharge your body by including water in your dietary regime. Drinking water at regular intervals between snacks and meals will help your digestive system cope much better.
Water contains zero calories and helps you fight complications that come with pregnancy. On average, most people don’t drink enough of it, few glasses a day could make all the difference.
Preparing for a risk-free pregnancy
Women who wish to conceive, should prepare their body before hitting the road to motherhood. An active and healthy body delivers a healthy child and reduces the complications that often comes with the gestation period.
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If you are trying to conceive you should track the quality and type of food and drinks that are ingesting. It is not recommend to drink alcohol and caffeinated beverages during pregnancy, these maybe detrimental to the development of the foetus.
You never know instantly when you have conceived so it is better to avoid poor choice of beverages when you are planning to conceive.
An adult woman should consider opting for water as the primary liquid refreshment. Considering the age, weight and size, individuals should drink 8 glasses of water.
According to the European Food Safety and Authority (EFSA), this is about 2.0L (70 Oz) per day.
An adequately hydrated body is able to meet the physiological demands of the body during pregnancy.
Water and Amniotic Fluid
Amniotic fluid is the fluid found in the amniotic sac within 12 days of conception. It is made up of water from the mother’s body and the baby’s urine and acts as a defensive cushion that protects the baby from injuries and infections.
It also controls the temperature around the baby, prevents the compression of the umbilical cord, helps in the development of the foetus’s lungs, digestive system and gives room to the proper growth of muscles, bones, toes and fingers.
The amniotic fluid in the body increases as you drink more water, as a result, it will help maintain a health level also called the Amniotic Fluid Index.
Low amniotic fluid deters the healthy growth of the foetus. The ideal amniotic fluid index(AFI) is 8-18 cm.
Hydration during pregnancy
Incorporating a balanced diet with ample quantity of water fends off dehydration and its damaging effects on the body. It is common to feel nauseated, dizzy, headaches and experience morning sickness in the beginning of the first trimester.
Some of these symptoms are also a sign of a dehydrated body, dehydration can cause contractions which may initiate preterm labour.
The EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) recommends that pregnant women should drink 2.3L (80 oz) of water a day. This amount can be inclusive of water acquired from food and other beverages.
Most pregnant women find it difficult to consume water because of the expansion in their bladder. You can solve this issue by consuming moderate sips of water at regular intervals instead of gulping down large quantities at a time.
Tip! You can use a straw if you find drinking an uncomfortable experience.
Hydration Post Pregnancy
Most woman tend to go back to their normal diet after giving birth as their concern shifts only to their child.
During breastfeeding, it is quite common to feel thirsty, thus it is a good idea to stay on top of it by drinking water more frequently.
Finally, there is no evidence that drinking water will affect milk production.
Should You Intake Normal Water or Warm Water?
Pregnant or not, it is wise to avoid extremely cold or iced water. Water at room temperature is considered ideal for drinking as it is in sync with our core body temperature.
You can drink a glass or two of warm water if required. Warm water removes constipation, bloating, heartburn and bronchial diseases and cold infection.
It helps you lose weight faster after giving birth. After your delivery, start your day with a warm glass of water, you can carry this habit throughout your life.
Whilst there are different ways to hydrate, the healthiest way is drinking water.
Fruit and vegetables contribute to fluid intake. Eat food rich in water content like:
- Watermelon (91.5%),
- Strawberries (91.0%),
- Tomato (94.5%),
- Starfruit (91.4%),
- Cucumber (96.7%),
- Spinach (91.4%),
- lettuce (95.6%).
It is advisable to refrain from caffeinated and fizzy drinks, if you are unable to control this urge, drink with moderation.
Expectant mothers should raise their glasses and say bottoms up to about 10 glasses of water per day.