We’re always being told to ‘drink more water’ during our day – but from my experience, no one really told me how CRITICAL it was to drink EVEN MORE water during my pregnancy and when I was breastfeeding. So I learned the importance of hydration during pregnancy and breastfeeding the hard way – through dehydration and a drop in my milk supply.
Let’s talk about the science.
Why do we need additional hydration during pregnancy?
- To provide the water needed to form the amniotic fluid that surrounds and cushions your bub
- To help produce the additional blood supply to your blood circulation and support the expanding plasma volume (remember that by the end of the third trimester, your blood volume increases almost one and a half times!)
- Produce additional blood supply to support the baby’s developing circulation
- Improve your digestion and aid in absorption of water-soluble vitamins
- Carry the additional (and required) nutrients from your diet
- Eliminating waste products
- Ensure there is enough reserve to tolerate blood loss during delivery
How do we lose water from our bodies (and particularly during pregnancy)?
- Urine – your kidneys become slightly larger in pregnancy and have an increased blood flow rate and hence there is increased urine production (and water loss) during pregnancy
- Sweat – you sweat more when pregnant!
- Breathing – the rate at which you breathe (respiratory rate) increases during pregnancy and hence an increase in loss of water
- Bowel motions (poop!) – there is an increase in the nutrient and energy requirements for pregnant and breastfeeding women which then leads to an increase in food intake requirements. Water is required to carry these additional nutrients around your body.
So now that we’ve touched base on the WHY and HOW let’s talk about what to do about it.
So how do we drink more water during pregnancy or when breastfeeding?
Life gets ahead of us and we often put our own health on the back burner. However, it’s important we put in place constant measures and reminders to stay hydrated during the day. Some things include:
- Measurement bottles
- Using alarms or notifications on your phone set at regular intervals
- Checking the color of your urine every time you pee
- Drinking water with meals
- Adding a hydration-flavoured booster (such as HydroBump) to your water for optimal hydration!
What’s the best way to stay hydrated during pregnancy?
We’ve created a Hydration Booster Powder curated by Aussie Doctors with specific vitamins and electrolytes to enhance the water absorption process in the body by utilizing the cell’s natural mechanisms. We’ve done our best to make each sip count!
