In this blog, we’re gonna cover exactly how much water you need to drink when pregnant & nursing, the one very serious side effect of not drinking enough water as a soon-to-be momma, why 8 glasses of water a day is a lie, and how to easily (& comfortably) increase your water intake!
How am I supposed to drink 8 cups of water a day?
After researching the recommended water intake while pregnant with my first, I realized just how silly & confusing water recommendations are
When you hear you should be drinking x cups of water a day, it’s referring to a measuring cup (8 oz) as you’d use in baking
And whether you call them mugs, cups or water glasses, the glasses we use at home hold about 2 cups (16 oz) of water in them
But, not all glasses are the same. It’s a good idea to take a measuring cup and see how many “cups” fit in your glass
How much water do I need during pregnancy?
During my first pregnancy I was surprised to learn we need only 5 glasses (10 cups) of water daily - one more than normal.
I mean a little human is growing inside us and all we need is an extra glass of water? Works for me!
But that all changes when you start breastfeeding. While nursing, it’s recommended you increase your water intake to about 6 and a half glasses daily
Why it’s so important to increase your water intake
If you’re finding it hard to drink enough water during pregnancy, there’s a few very simple ways to help you comfortably drink more water.
But before I get into that, here’s the importance of increasing your water intake during maternity and nursing:
- I say this first because it’s extremely important and if anything will get you to drink more water, it’s this - without enough water you can start having contractions and preterm labor in the third trimester
- Not getting enough water will lead to headaches, light headedness, dark coloured urine and constipation
- Your body needs the extra water to increase blood volume and create your baby’s blood supply as well as amniotic fluid (& breast milk in the near future)
- All the essential nutrients for both you and your baby are transported by either water, or liquids that need water to be created, such as blood
How to comfortably drink more water
Increasing your water intake can be difficult and the constant bathroom breaks can be a bit annoying, but there are tonnes of comfortable, yummy and interesting ways to increase it!
Here’s a couple ways I was able to drink/eat more water:
- Sparkling or flavored waters
- Fruit or vegetable juice
- Decaffeinated teas
- Milk
- Lemon water
- Eat foods with a high water content (such as celery, tomatoes, or melons)
You can also try other methods such as water tracking apps, marked water bottles, creating a schedule etc.
Thanks so much for reading my post, I really hope I was able to answer your questions!
With love <3
Maria, Co-Founder of Momma’s Shop
Leave a comment