Drinking Fluids during Pregnancy

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KEY POINTS

• When you are pregnant, you need to drink a lot of liquids to help your body adjust to the pregnancy and to help your baby develop normally.
• If you are taking certain medicines or if you have a chronic disease, such as congestive heart failure or kidney problems, you may need to drink more or less water. Ask your healthcare provider much water you should drink every day.
• A quick way to check that you are getting enough liquids is to look at the color of your urine. It should be light yellow.

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When you are pregnant you need to drink lots of fluids to help your body adjust to the pregnancy and to help your baby develop normally. It’s very easy to get dehydrated during pregnancy.

How much fluid should I drink?

How much water you should drink depends on:

• Your age and body size
• What you eat (various foods contain different amounts of water)
• Your level of activity (the more active you are, the more water you need)
• The weather (the warmer the weather or the lower the humidity, the more water you need)
• Your health
• What medicines you take

Most of the time you will get enough water if you:

• Eat a healthy diet
• Drink fluids with each meal
• Drink fluids between meals

Drink more water during:

• Strenuous exercise
• Hot weather to avoid heat stroke or heat exhaustion

If you are taking certain medicines or if you have a chronic disease, such as congestive heart failure or kidney problems, you may need to drink more or less water. Talk with your healthcare provider about how much water you should drink every day.

If your healthcare provider recommends that you drink more fluids, here are some suggestions:

• If you have indigestion, drink your extra fluids between meals instead of with food. Drinking lots of fluids with food can make indigestion worse.
• Some of the best choices for drinks are water, milk, herbal tea, and unsweetened drinks. To add flavor to your water, you can add a slice of fruit or a tea bag. Avoid fluids that might dehydrate you or add empty calories like caffeinated beverages, fruit juice, soda, or other flavored beverages.
• Most public water systems contain water that is safe for drinking. However, if you have well water and you are concerned about the safety of your water, have your water tested or use bottled water for drinking.

How do I know if I am drinking enough water?

A quick way to check that you are getting enough fluids is to look at the color of your urine. It should be light yellow. If your urine is dark yellow, or if you go to the bathroom fewer than 4 times a day, you may need to drink more fluids.

Remember that as you increase fluids during pregnancy, you will probably be going to the bathroom more often. Even though this may be a nuisance, it’s usually normal and you shouldn’t worry.