Pregnant? You should be drinking
at least ten glasses of water everyday. Here's why.
False alarm
When you are going into labour, the
body produces a hormone called pitocin. This hormone is very similar to
another hormone produced when the body is dehydrated. Thus, if you are
dehydrated when you are pregnant, your body may mistake the other hormones
to be pitocin, and cause your uterus to contract even if you are not going
into labour. However, you should get a check up and may be required to
take fluids for dehydration.
Your kidneys will
thank you
Your baby in your womb is constantly
growing and developing, and pressure on your bladder increases. As a result,
some urine remains in your bladder even though you feel you've emptied
it. As urine in your bladder can cause bacteria, you should empty it more
often, which can only happen when you drink a lot of water. And remember,
you should urinate the moment you feel the urge. Don't hold it in.
Constipation
A majority of women experience constipation
and irregular stools when they are pregnant. Iron and vitamin supplements
that are taken during pregnancy harden the stool, making it difficult to
be passed (in addition to various other factors like hormonal changes etc).
Water helps dissolve the stool, reducing chances of constipation.
Nourishment
Water aids the flow of nutrients
to your baby.
Breastfeeding
When you are breastfeeding your baby
you should drink even more water, as breastfeeding makes you thirsty and
could dehydrate you if you haven't had adequate water.
And finally…
-
A twist of lemon in your glass of water
is very refreshing, and good for you!
-
Drink at least 8 glasses of water every
single day of your life, and increase this amount when you are pregnant.
-
Keep a bottle of water handy. If water
is accessible at arms length, you tend to drink more.
-
Avoid any drinks with artificial sweeteners.
They're okay once in a while, but don't make a habit of them when pregnant.
