How Much Water Should A Pregnant Woman Drink?

Drinking water during pregnancy has many benefits, and pregnant women should drink enough water during pregnancy. Today in this article on Hipregnancy we want to answer this question “How much water should a pregnant woman drink?” Follow us until the end of the article to get the answer to this question.

How Much Water to Drink When Pregnant?

Drinking water is highly recommended during pregnancy. To answer the question how much water to drink when pregnant, we should mention that you ought to drink 8 to 12 cups of water daily. This amount ensures adequate hydration to the body and healthy functioning.

Since you gain weight during pregnancy, your body needs more water. Also, by changing weather conditions and daily activities, you should drink more water.

If you exercise or sweat a lot due to the hot weather, add a few more glasses to this amount. If your body receives enough water, the color of your urine will be almost colorless, but it will turn bright yellow if you receive insufficient water.

You should drink extra water after exercise to make up for lost fluids during exercise.

Drinking more fluids during pregnancy has been shown to help reduce water retention.

But avoid drinking too much water during pregnancy because women who drink more than 2.5 liters of water are 25% more likely to develop hypernatremia. This condition is an electrolyte disturbance in the blood salts in which sodium concentration in the blood plasma decreases too much.

This problem causes headaches, nausea, and vomiting, and if left unchecked, can lead to more serious and dangerous problems. You should drink water at regular intervals and never wait to get thirsty. 

Also read: best non caffeinated tea for pregnancy

The benefits of drinking water during pregnancy

If you drink enough water, you can hydrate your body, your energy will increase, and your body will get rid of toxins. So drinking water is so crucial to guarantee the health of your fetus. Drinking lukewarm water adds to the benefits of this amazing liquid.

Drinking lukewarm water during pregnancy helps prevent dehydration, fatigue, infection, etc. Pregnant mothers should drink plenty of warm water and take hydration seriously.

Drinking water in the third trimester of pregnancy is more important than ever during your pregnancy. Getting enough water can help prevent uterine contractions, headaches, constipation during pregnancy, and confusion.

With enough water, your body will provide more power during childbirth. As water contains minerals, you can provide the needed minerals from water. Remember that your baby needs water for his body and amniotic fluid.

Also Read: Apple Cider Vinegar And Pregnancy

Signs of dehydration in pregnancy

You will experience dehydration if you lose more fluid than you take in. So, how to know you are dehydrated?

The followings are dehydration in pregnancy symptoms that can help you to know increasing your water intake, including;

• Feeling thirsty
• Feeling hungry
• Strong-smelling or dark yellow urine
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Dry skin, lips, mouth, and eyes

You should drink more water if you experience the symptoms mentioned above. Hipregnancy recommends you consult your healthcare provider if dehydration symptoms don’t go away after drinking water or other pregnancy-safe drinks.

Also Read: sparkling water while pregnant

What happens if you don’t drink enough water while pregnant?

If you feel tired most of the time and have headaches, you need to drink more water. Also, you may experience nausea, muscle cramps, and boredom because of dehydration. Therefore, not drinking enough water during pregnancy first trimester can worsen morning sickness.

It should be noted that pregnant women are much more prone to constipation and urinary tract infections than others, and low fluid intake and, consequently lack of urination are factors that cause urinary tract infections.

Urinary tract infections should be treated as soon as possible to prevent preterm birth, especially in the third trimester of pregnancy. Therefore, mothers should drink at least eight glasses of water daily.

During pregnancy, maternal blood increases by about one liter so that the fetus can receive enough food and oxygen. This increase is provided by drinking healthy fluids and water. The mother can store more fluids by drinking water to help the fetus’ health.

How to stay hydrated during pregnancy?

For women, who do not like the natural taste of water during pregnancy, it is better to add a few drops of orange or lemon juice in the water, to make it tasty and, as a result, drink more water during the day and thus prevent dehydration. 

Pregnant women are usually advised to drink 2.7 liters of water daily. They can get part of it by drinking water and part of it from food containing water.

In other words, consuming milk, homemade juices, smoothies, pregnancy-safe herbal teas, fresh fruits, and vegetables, along with consuming the right amount of plain water, can meet the daily water needs of these women.

A pregnant woman can meet 80% of her body’s need for water through fluid intake and the remaining 20% by consuming other foods containing water. Starting your day with a glass of water is another good way to make a drinking water habit and prevent dehydration while pregnant.

Also Read: Best Fruits During Pregnancy

Is it good to drink water at night during pregnancy?

You need to know the best time to drink water. Although you need to stay hydrated during pregnancy, drinking a lot of water at night will cause trouble, and you must go to the bathroom frequently at midnight. If you want to sleep tight, avoid drinking water at bedtime.

Drinking water may excite your baby, and they will start moving, so you cannot sleep well. Try to drink water you need during the day to cut down on bathroom breaks and avoid sleeplessness. It is recommended to empty your bladder before going to your bedroom.

Pregnancy water intake calculator

You can get help from the Pregnancy water intake calculators if you are forgetful. This app reminds you when to drink water and ensures you do not neglect to drink enough water daily! Also, you can use these calculator apps to determine the amount of water you should consume daily.

Note that these apps don’t show you actual amounts because factors like illness, exercise, and fluid content in dietary intake determine the amounts of water you need during pregnancy. Drinking enough water increases immunity, removes stress from your body, and reduces fatigue during pregnancy. Do not worry about dehydration if you use the Pregnancy water intake calculator.

In general, you can use the following rules to manage your water consumption;

Weight	Amount of water consumption
100 pounds	10 glasses
120 pounds	10.5 glasses
140 pounds	11 glasses
170 pounds	11.5 glasses
200 pounds	12 glasses

Conclusion

One of the top search questions of pregnant women is: “How Much Water Should A Pregnant Woman Drink?” Pregnant women should drink at least 6-8 glasses of water every day, but if you gain weight, you must consume more than this amount to keep your body hydrated.

Drinking water prevents dehydration, fatigue, headache and makes your body more powerful during childbirth. If you don’t like the natural taste of water and can’t drink enough water because of this problem, make your water tasty by adding some drops of lemon or orange juice.

If there are any unanswered questions or missed points about drinking water in pregnancy, share them with us via comment.

The Hipregnancy team is always here for you!

FAQs

1. How much water should I drink while pregnant?

Your water intake during pregnancy should be 8 to 12 cups daily.

2. How many ounces of water should a pregnant woman drink?

Drinking 64 to 96 ounces of water daily to prevent dehydration during pregnancy.

3. What is the best water to drink while pregnant?

Filtered tap water is considered the best water for pregnant women. If you have trouble drinking water during pregnancy, try other safe substitues besides water, such as juices, smoothies, teas, etc.