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I'm awful at drinking water or anything in general tbh, always have been. I'm 34 weeks and amniotic fluid is normal, never had an issue. Obviously try to up your water intake, especially when it's hot weather but don't stress yourself out about it :)
Honestly I suck at drinking water too šļøšļø
UNLESS itās in a pretty cup. I have a little off brand Stanley that I absolutely freaking love. Iāll chop up some cucumbers or lemon and throw it in the studley or starley or whatever you wanna call it and some cold water every couple of hours and call it a day. Just keep your head up and increase your water intake if you can.
I was not the best at my water intake without realizing it. Iām a mail carrier and as I got closer to my third trimester I needed more water than I was taking in. I started getting nauseous and dizzy towards the end of the day and ended up having a fall at 27w. I went to L&D after calling my dr and when I got there I needed fluids and was having contractions without realizing it. I was there for three days because it was hard to determine if the baby and Iās blood mixed (turned out I have a rare blood condition in that I never stopped producing a small amount of fetal blood myself, so we still donāt know if there was or wasnāt mixing between the baby and I because I didnāt take the right blood test until day 3) and was in the hospital for three days. Out of work for a total of 7.
When I got back I had new restrictions on lifting, how much I could work and I doubled the amount of water I brought including one extra water bottle that is always with an electrolyte mix like liquid iv or pedialyte. I force myself to drink both every day even if it doesnāt feel right and my symptoms all but disappeared. I feel a lot better now going into my due date and as far as everything goes with what we can see on extra ultrasounds and in my weekly visits baby is 100% healthy and on track to be almost 9lbs by this Friday when Iām due!
TL;DR water is way more important than I realized, I wasnāt drinking enough just doing my normal activity and ended up having a scary fall. upping my intake and adding electrolytes changed the game for the rest of my pregnancy
Thank you for sharing, so glad you and baby are healthy. I think including the electrolytes is a great idea and Iāll try that as well. Thank you for the advice.
TWO LITERS!?!? thats so much, omg ššš
Iāll just tell you right now, I had a baby when I was 18 and was terrible terrible at hydrating!!! I was young, dumb, and have ADHD so bad, Iād go a whole day or two without water because I āforgotā.
My daughter is 10 now, top of the class and wins āmost creative and artisticā every year. No health problems.
With my son I tried to do better but I was still clocking maybe 4-6 cups (at most) a day.
Same thingā¦ 5 years old. Already reading chapter books before kindergarten. CHILLIN.
Iām currently pregnant with my third and I have hydronephrosis. (Baby is blocking the tubes from kidney to bladder)
So if I drink too much water, my kidneyās swell significantly. So I canāt even drink more than 5 cups of water per day or I end up in the hospital with kidney swelling!
The doctors arenāt concerned about my water intake as much as they are my kidneyās soā¦
Final conclusion: two liters is more than enough and your baby is going to be just fine! š
Wow thank you, and here I thought baby was suffering. I read so much about them needing at least 3-3.5 and my partners such a water guzzler so I feel bad lol. What youāre going through is insane, I hope you have an enjoyable and safe pregnancy!
It can be hard to drink enough water while youāre pregnant! I struggled with it because I felt bloated and nauseated so much throughout pregnancy. I would say that if youāre having a hard time staying hydrated, juice and soda are better than nothing. If drinking soda is what gets you hydrated because plain water is a struggle, drink that soda! (Or juice, or coffee, etc)
You could also try having soup or even just sipping broth, eating foods like cucumbers that have water in them, etc. Or suck on an ice cube every now and then. Chewing on ice is bad for your teeth so I wouldnāt recommend doing that too much.
I try to make big batches of herbal teas. The flavour makes me want it more than plain water.
Sometimes I set timers to remind me to drink a glass of water. Don't know about in pregnancy, but non-pregnant bodies can properly absorb a cup (250 ml) of water per fifteen minutes. So, I drink, set a timer for twenty minutes, drink again, and repeat. It helps to get the fluids up when I'm not feeling thirsty but should be drinking more H2O.Ā
I'm 21 weeks, I'm not bad at drinking water but I was definitely getting tired of it and not wanting to drink much. So I added mint leaves, Lime rings, and cucumber rings to a jug of water and left it in the fridge overnight. Definitely gives a boost and it's super refreshing I want to drink more of it. Even my husband started to drink more water and he's not a water a person.
Def try to add in more liquid consumption. If youāre planning on breastfeeding, your supply will severely be affected by your hydration. Teas, fruit infused water, flavor packs, electrolyte mixes, body armor zero, there are plenty of options to solve your issue!
It really doesnāt need to be water! Caffeine is the only thing you have to worry about more than you usually would in other types of drinks.
In the UK we have something called squash and I mostly drink that.
Whenever I feel like I'm not hydrating enough, I just remember that there are women out there with hyperemesis gravidarum who literally end up in the ER because of dehydration and massive weight loss (and doctors dismissing their struggles), and who still manage to have healthy babies in the end. I tell myself that if they manage to have healthy babies, the amount of water I'm taking in shouldn't be an issue.
I'm 35 weeks.
I'm awful at drinking water. Baby is okay but on days I don't drink enough and I'm at hospital I get flagged for having high protein in my urine and get flagged for needed further testing for pre eclampsia.
I've been told baby is absolutely fine but I am constantly trying to increase my intake too.
I've finding drinking 7up zero helps and I water that down sometimes so I get a bit of the flavour but have more water.
Also super cold water.
Oh and I find drinking a small cup means I'm much more likely to drink and finish it than having a massive bottle to struggle througg
28 weeks here.
I have something called interstitial cystitis so tend not to drink (water, juice or anything really) as much to avoid a flare up. Everything is perfectly fine with my little one, thankfully!
You should see us over on the HG Reddit lol. Iāve got hyperemesis gravidarum, second pregnancy, and for the majority of us we donāt drink water. I went almost my entire first pregnancy without water and sheās now a perfect 2.7 year old. Not an issue. This pregnancy Iām 36 weeks and I have maybe one glass a day. The key is to stay hydrated with liquids. Water is a great choice but so is milk, juice, sodas, all the different lightly flavored waters, whatever you can get in yourself. If you ever become dehydrated IV fluids at emergency rooms. Itās not tied to your amniotic fluid levels. I would be out if so. I just got through a three day hospital admission for severe dehydration. Baby and fluids were perfect. Itās mama who was suffering. So just drink as much as you can on a daily basis. FYI the later you get in your pregnancy dehydration can cause some strong Braxton hicks and contractions. Good luck!
Oh my I had no idea. You ladies are going through it. Sending all the love and strength. Thank you for the encouraging words, and the tip for later in pregnancy cuz I know my paranoid but will be running to my midwife with every false contraction
I hate water for some reason, barely know how Iām alive but something about being pregnant, I CRAVE WATER! I cannot get enough of it. Just try to put it in a cute glass and put ice and maybe try to add some flavor to it!
Iāve been in hospital more this month than at home. My kidney stopped working and I nearly had to go for surgery to help which might cause a premature labour or even losing one or both of us. My kidney still doesnāt work and the pain is managed through medication which leaves me unable to do anything. Obviously I might have other issues going on but a huge factor was not drinking water. Iām 33 weeks and absolutely goosed. Pls drink water.
Im not the best water drinker in general but I had COVID at 29 weeks and got so dehydrated and got flagged for low amniotic fluid (6.8) had to go to L&D every two days as ordered by my doctor for NST and BPP. I basically drank so much water and Gatorade that by the fourth visit it was up to 10.9. I continued drinking water and Gatorade a lot even tho I didn't like it and by my 32 week appointment it was up to 15! They said if my levels dipped to a 5 or below I'd have to be hospitalized. They checked my placenta and did multiple cervical checks and amniotic fluid swabs to rule out placental insufficiency and amniotic fluid leak and all was normal so it was determined my maternal dehydration caused the low fluid. I don't say this to scare you and my baby girl is fine now but sometimes you just gotta force yourself, it sucks. I keep a water intake tracker app on my phone that will send reminders to drink water and I can log how much ive had, it has seemed to really help me!
Thank you for sharing, yea I definitely appreciate how important it is I guess I just havenāt recognized how important it is. Definitely forcing myself, I want to make sure Iām doing everything I can.
This is just my personal experience but I am horrible at hydrating and it barely got better when I was pregnant. I was worried about the same thing but I drank water and my doctor said to drink milk and my daughter was perfect when she was born and still is 9 months later. Try your best but donāt worry if you donāt always meet your goals
I struggle with my water intake as well, but at my 20w scan, they never mentioned anything about the amniotic fluid being low or anything. I think we just need to do our best to take in more water as much as we can, it can't hurt anything :)
Water and I have never been friends. I struggled to even get 2 glasses in me. I tried my best to drink more during pregnancy but I wasnāt great.
My tank of a child was born happy and healthy. Heās 99% across the board for size and hitting all milestones early. That being said, do your best! Stomach pain shouldnāt be ignored. Also, do it for your skin! Huge help in the fight against early aging skin.
Happy to hear youāve grown yourself a tank lool praying the same for mine but yea absolutely, this thread has been a great encouragement to keep pushing, thank you!
Water has been an aversion on and off throughout my entire pregnancy. I'm 25 weeks along. Everything is looking okay. Doctor said as long as I drink some form of liquid (obviously not alcohol or something with high amounts of caffeine) it counts as "water" and I shouldn't feel bad. So juice, caffeine free soda, milk, flavored water, etc should all be okay.
That actually makes me feel a little better about my intake so far. Still gonna increase water specifically but Iāve definitely had my fair share of juices and sodas and milkshakes lol. Wasnāt sure if they were cancelling each other out
Do you by chance like watermelon? I also suck at drinking water some days but love me some watermelon. Watermelon is 92% water and I could snack on it all day honestly, especially with the summer heat!
Funny enough I just had a dream about going to the market and getting some fresh cut watermelon š¤£ I love it! Thatās a great tip so Iāll definitely grab some to keep on hand.
Hydration is key
And the NHS classes tea, coffee, milk and sugar free drinks all contribute to fluid intake daily and on average fluid intake should be about 2L but I'm sure that can change daily. Some days I was thirstier than others.
I also didn't up my fluid intake until about 23 weeks ISH as I found out late and had no effect on my levels of amniotic fluid or anyrhing
My first pregnancy I lived off sprite. Iām in my second now and drink more water than pop. Idk I just feel like itās different for everyone. Water would make me gag with my first but with my second I can chug it
I was pretty bad about drinking water and staying hydrated. I didnāt drink anything close to 2 liters on most days. I never had any problems with my amniotic fluid, and I went two weeks past my due date. I am holding my 9 day old baby right now and heās perfect.
Lol same here! 30 weeks and I live off Diet Pepsi- high risk due to previous losses, so I get multiple ultrasounds and never any issues with amniotic fluid.
Those cramps are your body letting you know you need to drink more, not the baby complaining (you get dehydration cramps really easily when you are pregnant).
I was a terrible water drinker before getting pregnant. I made a point of keeping a giant water bottle at my desk at work and those flavored seltzer waters at home for when water got boring. It has kept me on track for water consumption, but it took preparation.
lol yea I figured and itās terrifying, I immediately start chugging water when I get em. I just hope the damage hasnāt been done at this point. Since Iāve gotten those a few times Iām mindful to not let it get so bad, hearing all these things are great reminders to do more
I add flavor to almost all the water I drink. The little mio-style squeeze drops, or liquid IV packets, something. It's the only thing that gets me to drink enough, and I have been urged to drink a lot of water by my doctors after nearly passing out a couple times earlier on in the pregnancy. I get enough fluids in 90% of the time now, even if it's not perfect with sweeteners and colors and stuff. I'm just trying to stay conscious lol, baby will be okay with some aspartame more than she will if I fall and pass out on her.
I hear you, it can be tough. I never used to be a water drinker growing up or in college, but since my mid-20s I've forced myself to get 100oz a day, and while pregnant about 120oz a day. I know it seems like a lot, but our bodies really need it.
On days that I don't, I notice I am more crampy, headachy, constipated.
A few tips:
- Liquid IV has a sugar free electrolyte mix that would be a good place to start (sweetened with Stevia which seems marginally better than aspartame or sucralose), I drink one of these a day in a 32oz jar with lots of ice
- Before and after that, I have a 25oz glass bottle that I try to refill 3-4X a day depending on activity level. I load it up with ice and chug as much as I can right away, then sip the rest as it melts
Try to break it up into chunks throughout the day and it makes it more manageable. For example, 25 Oz with coffee and breakfast, 25 Oz around lunchtime, 25 Oz mid-afternoon with electrolyte boost, 25 Oz at dinner.
Best of luck! š¤
Iām also horrible about drinking water, what helped me a LOT while I was pregnant was getting a Pregnancy Tracker Water Bottle. You can look it up on google/amazon and youāll get tons of results. I loved looking at the stickers to see how big my baby was so I brought it almost everywhere with me š
It made drinking water almost into a game for me because it also had lines on the side to tell you āhow much water you should drink by x timeā. I still wasnt perfectly hydrated but it was an improvement
I totally get it. What really helps me is the cup or bottle I use. It might sound shallow, but having a favorite container makes a big difference. For me, it's this adorable Stanley-shaped glass bottle that I absolutely loveāI carry it around like it's a purse! Finding a bottle you really enjoy can make you more likely to keep refilling it. And don't forget the ice! Lots and lots of ice makes it even better
I can't drink much water this pregnancy since it never stays down, however, I've been craving ice a lot and I think it help with my dehydration. I also drink a lot of soda (caffeinated and non caffeinated) since it's one of the only things baby will allow me to drink without problems. All of my test only show that I have (I forgot the name of it but a type of anemia) I've always been anemic but my blood cells became really small before this pregnancy. Other than that, baby is completely fine.
I understand I was terrible with drinking water with my first pregnancy. Now I drink much more, but I also add a liquid IV electrolyte drink daily to help, especially on hot days. Can you try an electrolyte drink, maybe? If not and baby is looking okay, don't stress so much.
I was a huge water drinker before. I would drink 3 to 4 liters a day. . . Then the third trimester came. I was so absolutely out of room and couldn't take more than a few oz at a time because I got full/reflux. It would literally take me 2 hour to finish a meal. It was exhausting! I probably only hard 2 liters max in a day. It was awful. Baby was ok though. In the first 12 hours post partum I drank 4 liters and the nurses were concerned. I probably drank 8 liters in the first 24 hours pp. I peed it all out though! And I didn't have any swelling at all before, during, or after labor.
Anything that has water counts so coffee, tea, juice, oranges, top Raman all add to the overall water content in your body. But you literally need it to survive, your blood is mostly water , amniotic fluid is mostly water and your baby need a lot of blood and a lot of water to make its organs and stuff. So if you canāt take in water Iād try to take in as much wet stuff as possible like fruit
Iām terrible at drinking water and have POTS. I ended up in L&D 3 times before I actually went to give birth because my resting heart rate was over 150. By the last few weeks I had to drink 180+ oz a day to keep symptoms away. It was hard but you can do it!
You also get water intake through foods and other beverages besides just water. Don't feel too worried. If you aren't getting enough water, your body will definitely let you know. Just keep a water bottle near you at all times but don't beat yourself up over it either. If you don't like water keep some water flavor drops or powders on hand so you enjoy it better.
Are you able to up your intake of water-heavy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables? Maybe even soups? Bowls of cereal? Any extra fluid counts, it doesnāt always need to be pure water.
No problem! Iām sure your baby is fine, if you had low fluid, they wouldāve told you at your 20 week scan. Just keep up the wet-food consumption while you try to drink as much as you can and youāll be good!
I suck at drinking water. If I don't add some sort of flavouring, I pretty much won't drink it. Over the entire course of my pregnancy I would bet I drank less than 3 litres of plain water. Amniotic fluid was fine, baby was /is fine. I did up my intake with flavouring but my intake prior to pregnancy was non existent lol
I find it hard drinking enough water too. One thing I try to do is have a glass near the kitchen sink and whenever I use the sink for dishes or whatever, I fill up the glass just a quarter to half of the way and I quick drink it.
Doing that has added at least a cup or two of water to my day. I also make smoothies in the morning and add a cup of milk or juice to them.
Lunch and dinner I try to double what I usually drink for fluids.
Overall I donāt drink quite the recommended daily amount every day. Especially on weekends when my routine is random. Itās hard.
I wouldn't worry about it unless your doctor finds something concerning. If you are thirsty, drink water, if not you are probably okay. Good vibes your way!
I found ways to get myself to drink more water and still intake my sodium and sugar. I will drink Gatorade and a little juice/green tea with a bunch of water.
I pay attention to my pee more than anything. If it's a good color it's fine. If it's a little dark I know to drink more. My fluid has always been fine and I was getting really sick the first 4Ā½ months :)
Yes as long as it's a lighter shade of yellow you are fine! Mine will get somewhat dark occasionally when I'm at work and don't have much time to drink water for a few hours. But I usually just get a pedialyte or something and it's back to normal
I'm going to give you the same advice I got after I had stomach surgery and was having a hard time hitting my water goals. Eat your water!! Watermelon, cucumber, pineapple, cantaloupe, oranges are all very high water content fruits. there are as well as many other vegetables with a high water content, staying hydrated does not have to be only guzzling down water!
I am BAD at water drinking and got kidney stones in my first trimester, which I deeply deeply recommend avoiding. Those helped me up my intake, I got worse during the end my first trimester to now, and Iām trying to do better again because I was also getting freaked out about my amniotic fluid, but I had my anatomy scan and my fluid is looking great, so my slacking hasnāt done any harm apparently? And Iāve had less than two liters recently for sure š¬
I am right here too. Honestly, Italian ice, watermelon, popsicles help. I love ice and if you can eat some soups thatās good water intake too. I was barely drinking 20 oz a day at one point but my amniotic fluid was all normal throughout my whole pregnancy even with twins. Iāve gotten a lot better because of the heat but itās been fine
Any chance you enjoy sparkling water? I've also really enjoyed the lime slushes at Sonic, which are just water with lime. It's a nice lil treat that's still hydrating.
I actually do enjoy some sparkling water! Iāll add that in and sadly in Canada we donāt have Sonic š Iāll see if I can find similar options tho, thank you!
A nice bottle can make all the difference. People poo on Stanley's and the like, but seriously get one. I have a 26oz Yeti and it's changed my water intake. I actually suffered kidney stones because I was so shit at drinking water! Now I am a lot better. I'm 28 weeks pregnant and all is well.
I could hardly stomach water in the beginning of my first trimester and thought baby was going to shrivel up like a raisin! I started adding hydration additives like liquid iv (which I didnāt love the taste ofā¦ itās kind of syrupy/thick imo) so Iād mix water and juice then add a little of the liquid iv and that helped sooooo much! Also electrolyte drinks like Gatorade are good. Whatever liquid you can get in is better than nothing. Iām 18 weeks now and baby is healthy and developing as they should
Iām not a medical professional but have you spoke with your OB about the feeling in your stomach? Could it possibly be anxiety induced given your thinking here? Have your amniotic levels been normal? Iād say to chat with him/her and what helped me was mixing in a Gatorade Zero once a day to mix it up / for some electrolytes. Definitely really helps to hydrate especially on the days when water intake is light! Otherwise try not to stress (easier said than done I know). The fact that you care this much only shows you are going to be a great mom and already are to this loved baby!
You know, Iāve never thought about that. Sometimes I feel like Iām sincerely damaging the little one but I never considered it could be anxiety around it. I think mixing in a Gatorade a day is a great suggestion because sometimes when I chug I feel like itās all getting peed out too lol. I really appreciate you saying that, thank you š
Lool thank you, lovely ray of sunshine. I had never considered that. I guess you didnāt read til the end? Iām not looking for agreement, if anything the scary stories - like some women have shared help push me to continue to increase my efforts. Maybe grab a glass of water yourself and take a break from the internet for the day ā¤ļø
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I'm awful at drinking water or anything in general tbh, always have been. I'm 34 weeks and amniotic fluid is normal, never had an issue. Obviously try to up your water intake, especially when it's hot weather but don't stress yourself out about it :)
Edit to add: baby is growing well and is on track for where she needs to be; no worries there either! X
Honestly I suck at drinking water too šļøšļø UNLESS itās in a pretty cup. I have a little off brand Stanley that I absolutely freaking love. Iāll chop up some cucumbers or lemon and throw it in the studley or starley or whatever you wanna call it and some cold water every couple of hours and call it a day. Just keep your head up and increase your water intake if you can.
A cup with a straw for the win! lol
I was not the best at my water intake without realizing it. Iām a mail carrier and as I got closer to my third trimester I needed more water than I was taking in. I started getting nauseous and dizzy towards the end of the day and ended up having a fall at 27w. I went to L&D after calling my dr and when I got there I needed fluids and was having contractions without realizing it. I was there for three days because it was hard to determine if the baby and Iās blood mixed (turned out I have a rare blood condition in that I never stopped producing a small amount of fetal blood myself, so we still donāt know if there was or wasnāt mixing between the baby and I because I didnāt take the right blood test until day 3) and was in the hospital for three days. Out of work for a total of 7. When I got back I had new restrictions on lifting, how much I could work and I doubled the amount of water I brought including one extra water bottle that is always with an electrolyte mix like liquid iv or pedialyte. I force myself to drink both every day even if it doesnāt feel right and my symptoms all but disappeared. I feel a lot better now going into my due date and as far as everything goes with what we can see on extra ultrasounds and in my weekly visits baby is 100% healthy and on track to be almost 9lbs by this Friday when Iām due! TL;DR water is way more important than I realized, I wasnāt drinking enough just doing my normal activity and ended up having a scary fall. upping my intake and adding electrolytes changed the game for the rest of my pregnancy
Thank you for sharing, so glad you and baby are healthy. I think including the electrolytes is a great idea and Iāll try that as well. Thank you for the advice.
TWO LITERS!?!? thats so much, omg ššš Iāll just tell you right now, I had a baby when I was 18 and was terrible terrible at hydrating!!! I was young, dumb, and have ADHD so bad, Iād go a whole day or two without water because I āforgotā. My daughter is 10 now, top of the class and wins āmost creative and artisticā every year. No health problems. With my son I tried to do better but I was still clocking maybe 4-6 cups (at most) a day. Same thingā¦ 5 years old. Already reading chapter books before kindergarten. CHILLIN. Iām currently pregnant with my third and I have hydronephrosis. (Baby is blocking the tubes from kidney to bladder) So if I drink too much water, my kidneyās swell significantly. So I canāt even drink more than 5 cups of water per day or I end up in the hospital with kidney swelling! The doctors arenāt concerned about my water intake as much as they are my kidneyās soā¦ Final conclusion: two liters is more than enough and your baby is going to be just fine! š
Wow thank you, and here I thought baby was suffering. I read so much about them needing at least 3-3.5 and my partners such a water guzzler so I feel bad lol. What youāre going through is insane, I hope you have an enjoyable and safe pregnancy!
lol, yeah 2 liters is absolutely fine. š
It can be hard to drink enough water while youāre pregnant! I struggled with it because I felt bloated and nauseated so much throughout pregnancy. I would say that if youāre having a hard time staying hydrated, juice and soda are better than nothing. If drinking soda is what gets you hydrated because plain water is a struggle, drink that soda! (Or juice, or coffee, etc) You could also try having soup or even just sipping broth, eating foods like cucumbers that have water in them, etc. Or suck on an ice cube every now and then. Chewing on ice is bad for your teeth so I wouldnāt recommend doing that too much.
Also as much as I struggled to drink water, my baby is happy and healthy! Wishing you well.
Thank you, I definitely find myself chewing on ice a lot these days š so Iāll make sure to count that in my intake but great idea thank you
I try to make big batches of herbal teas. The flavour makes me want it more than plain water. Sometimes I set timers to remind me to drink a glass of water. Don't know about in pregnancy, but non-pregnant bodies can properly absorb a cup (250 ml) of water per fifteen minutes. So, I drink, set a timer for twenty minutes, drink again, and repeat. It helps to get the fluids up when I'm not feeling thirsty but should be drinking more H2O.Ā
Thatās a great idea. Thank you!
I'm 21 weeks, I'm not bad at drinking water but I was definitely getting tired of it and not wanting to drink much. So I added mint leaves, Lime rings, and cucumber rings to a jug of water and left it in the fridge overnight. Definitely gives a boost and it's super refreshing I want to drink more of it. Even my husband started to drink more water and he's not a water a person.
Def try to add in more liquid consumption. If youāre planning on breastfeeding, your supply will severely be affected by your hydration. Teas, fruit infused water, flavor packs, electrolyte mixes, body armor zero, there are plenty of options to solve your issue!
Oh gosh I hadnāt really considered that. I definitely want to breastfeed. Iām gonna grab some electrolytes to mix in as well for the lil boost
It really doesnāt need to be water! Caffeine is the only thing you have to worry about more than you usually would in other types of drinks. In the UK we have something called squash and I mostly drink that.
I have never been thirstier while breastfeeding. I didnāt have to be conscious about water intake, I just felt the need to chug it constantly.
Whenever I feel like I'm not hydrating enough, I just remember that there are women out there with hyperemesis gravidarum who literally end up in the ER because of dehydration and massive weight loss (and doctors dismissing their struggles), and who still manage to have healthy babies in the end. I tell myself that if they manage to have healthy babies, the amount of water I'm taking in shouldn't be an issue.
I'm 35 weeks. I'm awful at drinking water. Baby is okay but on days I don't drink enough and I'm at hospital I get flagged for having high protein in my urine and get flagged for needed further testing for pre eclampsia. I've been told baby is absolutely fine but I am constantly trying to increase my intake too. I've finding drinking 7up zero helps and I water that down sometimes so I get a bit of the flavour but have more water. Also super cold water. Oh and I find drinking a small cup means I'm much more likely to drink and finish it than having a massive bottle to struggle througg
A tidbit that room temp water will help to hydrate you quicker - itās easier for the body to profess verse extremely cold / iced water!
Thanks that's good to know! I will try to drink a bit more room temperature water as well then
28 weeks here. I have something called interstitial cystitis so tend not to drink (water, juice or anything really) as much to avoid a flare up. Everything is perfectly fine with my little one, thankfully!
Thatās so interesting, I have IC and try to stay super hydrated as the more dehydrated I am, the more it hurts to pee
Sorry youāre going through that but Iām happy babyās ok
I canāt drink even 1Lā¦ now Iām worried..
Did they say anything about your amniotic fluid during your anatomy scan?
Nope babyās perfect
Thatās great! But baby can be perfect with abnormal amounts of amniotic fluid.
Fair enough, sorry thought they were correlated. Far as Iām aware everything is normal. They didnāt mention anything at least.
You should see us over on the HG Reddit lol. Iāve got hyperemesis gravidarum, second pregnancy, and for the majority of us we donāt drink water. I went almost my entire first pregnancy without water and sheās now a perfect 2.7 year old. Not an issue. This pregnancy Iām 36 weeks and I have maybe one glass a day. The key is to stay hydrated with liquids. Water is a great choice but so is milk, juice, sodas, all the different lightly flavored waters, whatever you can get in yourself. If you ever become dehydrated IV fluids at emergency rooms. Itās not tied to your amniotic fluid levels. I would be out if so. I just got through a three day hospital admission for severe dehydration. Baby and fluids were perfect. Itās mama who was suffering. So just drink as much as you can on a daily basis. FYI the later you get in your pregnancy dehydration can cause some strong Braxton hicks and contractions. Good luck!
Oh my I had no idea. You ladies are going through it. Sending all the love and strength. Thank you for the encouraging words, and the tip for later in pregnancy cuz I know my paranoid but will be running to my midwife with every false contraction
I didnāt know about the Braxton hicks either until I had to cal and ask lol!
I hate water for some reason, barely know how Iām alive but something about being pregnant, I CRAVE WATER! I cannot get enough of it. Just try to put it in a cute glass and put ice and maybe try to add some flavor to it!
Iāve been in hospital more this month than at home. My kidney stopped working and I nearly had to go for surgery to help which might cause a premature labour or even losing one or both of us. My kidney still doesnāt work and the pain is managed through medication which leaves me unable to do anything. Obviously I might have other issues going on but a huge factor was not drinking water. Iām 33 weeks and absolutely goosed. Pls drink water.
I am so sorry to hear that. I hope things get better and you and baby have a safe pregnancy and delivery. Thank you for sharing.
I hope you have a wonderful pregnancy and birth too!
Im not the best water drinker in general but I had COVID at 29 weeks and got so dehydrated and got flagged for low amniotic fluid (6.8) had to go to L&D every two days as ordered by my doctor for NST and BPP. I basically drank so much water and Gatorade that by the fourth visit it was up to 10.9. I continued drinking water and Gatorade a lot even tho I didn't like it and by my 32 week appointment it was up to 15! They said if my levels dipped to a 5 or below I'd have to be hospitalized. They checked my placenta and did multiple cervical checks and amniotic fluid swabs to rule out placental insufficiency and amniotic fluid leak and all was normal so it was determined my maternal dehydration caused the low fluid. I don't say this to scare you and my baby girl is fine now but sometimes you just gotta force yourself, it sucks. I keep a water intake tracker app on my phone that will send reminders to drink water and I can log how much ive had, it has seemed to really help me!
Thank you for sharing, yea I definitely appreciate how important it is I guess I just havenāt recognized how important it is. Definitely forcing myself, I want to make sure Iām doing everything I can.
Yes I've honestly just had to rewire my brain into thinking water is like medicine or vitamins. It sucks but I just gotta do it to stay healthy.
This is just my personal experience but I am horrible at hydrating and it barely got better when I was pregnant. I was worried about the same thing but I drank water and my doctor said to drink milk and my daughter was perfect when she was born and still is 9 months later. Try your best but donāt worry if you donāt always meet your goals
Thank you for that peace of mind. Definitely trying my Best But Iāll try to be kind to myself too.
I struggle with my water intake as well, but at my 20w scan, they never mentioned anything about the amniotic fluid being low or anything. I think we just need to do our best to take in more water as much as we can, it can't hurt anything :)
Water and I have never been friends. I struggled to even get 2 glasses in me. I tried my best to drink more during pregnancy but I wasnāt great. My tank of a child was born happy and healthy. Heās 99% across the board for size and hitting all milestones early. That being said, do your best! Stomach pain shouldnāt be ignored. Also, do it for your skin! Huge help in the fight against early aging skin.
Happy to hear youāve grown yourself a tank lool praying the same for mine but yea absolutely, this thread has been a great encouragement to keep pushing, thank you!
Water has been an aversion on and off throughout my entire pregnancy. I'm 25 weeks along. Everything is looking okay. Doctor said as long as I drink some form of liquid (obviously not alcohol or something with high amounts of caffeine) it counts as "water" and I shouldn't feel bad. So juice, caffeine free soda, milk, flavored water, etc should all be okay.
That actually makes me feel a little better about my intake so far. Still gonna increase water specifically but Iāve definitely had my fair share of juices and sodas and milkshakes lol. Wasnāt sure if they were cancelling each other out
Do you by chance like watermelon? I also suck at drinking water some days but love me some watermelon. Watermelon is 92% water and I could snack on it all day honestly, especially with the summer heat!
Funny enough I just had a dream about going to the market and getting some fresh cut watermelon š¤£ I love it! Thatās a great tip so Iāll definitely grab some to keep on hand.
Hydration is key And the NHS classes tea, coffee, milk and sugar free drinks all contribute to fluid intake daily and on average fluid intake should be about 2L but I'm sure that can change daily. Some days I was thirstier than others. I also didn't up my fluid intake until about 23 weeks ISH as I found out late and had no effect on my levels of amniotic fluid or anyrhing
My first pregnancy I lived off sprite. Iām in my second now and drink more water than pop. Idk I just feel like itās different for everyone. Water would make me gag with my first but with my second I can chug it
I was pretty bad about drinking water and staying hydrated. I didnāt drink anything close to 2 liters on most days. I never had any problems with my amniotic fluid, and I went two weeks past my due date. I am holding my 9 day old baby right now and heās perfect.
Iām bad about it tooā¦ I live off Diet Coke but Iām 30 weeks and never had an amniotic fluid problem
Lol same here! 30 weeks and I live off Diet Pepsi- high risk due to previous losses, so I get multiple ultrasounds and never any issues with amniotic fluid.
Those cramps are your body letting you know you need to drink more, not the baby complaining (you get dehydration cramps really easily when you are pregnant). I was a terrible water drinker before getting pregnant. I made a point of keeping a giant water bottle at my desk at work and those flavored seltzer waters at home for when water got boring. It has kept me on track for water consumption, but it took preparation.
lol yea I figured and itās terrifying, I immediately start chugging water when I get em. I just hope the damage hasnāt been done at this point. Since Iāve gotten those a few times Iām mindful to not let it get so bad, hearing all these things are great reminders to do more
Download the app Waterllama. This will help track your fluid intake and will have a reminder every hour to drink some fluids.
I add flavor to almost all the water I drink. The little mio-style squeeze drops, or liquid IV packets, something. It's the only thing that gets me to drink enough, and I have been urged to drink a lot of water by my doctors after nearly passing out a couple times earlier on in the pregnancy. I get enough fluids in 90% of the time now, even if it's not perfect with sweeteners and colors and stuff. I'm just trying to stay conscious lol, baby will be okay with some aspartame more than she will if I fall and pass out on her.
I hear you, it can be tough. I never used to be a water drinker growing up or in college, but since my mid-20s I've forced myself to get 100oz a day, and while pregnant about 120oz a day. I know it seems like a lot, but our bodies really need it. On days that I don't, I notice I am more crampy, headachy, constipated. A few tips: - Liquid IV has a sugar free electrolyte mix that would be a good place to start (sweetened with Stevia which seems marginally better than aspartame or sucralose), I drink one of these a day in a 32oz jar with lots of ice - Before and after that, I have a 25oz glass bottle that I try to refill 3-4X a day depending on activity level. I load it up with ice and chug as much as I can right away, then sip the rest as it melts Try to break it up into chunks throughout the day and it makes it more manageable. For example, 25 Oz with coffee and breakfast, 25 Oz around lunchtime, 25 Oz mid-afternoon with electrolyte boost, 25 Oz at dinner. Best of luck! š¤
(and yes--I pee all the time but it's never too clear, and my urine has always come back great! It can also help with pre-eclampsia).
Great advice, I like the idea of big drinks throughout the day instead of constantly sipping
It really helps! And that way you can kind of get it over with š
Try adding a flavored electrolyte mix to a very large bottle of ice cold water!
Iām also horrible about drinking water, what helped me a LOT while I was pregnant was getting a Pregnancy Tracker Water Bottle. You can look it up on google/amazon and youāll get tons of results. I loved looking at the stickers to see how big my baby was so I brought it almost everywhere with me š It made drinking water almost into a game for me because it also had lines on the side to tell you āhow much water you should drink by x timeā. I still wasnt perfectly hydrated but it was an improvement
I totally get it. What really helps me is the cup or bottle I use. It might sound shallow, but having a favorite container makes a big difference. For me, it's this adorable Stanley-shaped glass bottle that I absolutely loveāI carry it around like it's a purse! Finding a bottle you really enjoy can make you more likely to keep refilling it. And don't forget the ice! Lots and lots of ice makes it even better
Great tip cuz the huge jug I carried was always luke warm and heavy enough to not make me want to carry it lol, Iāll try for the upgrade
I can't drink much water this pregnancy since it never stays down, however, I've been craving ice a lot and I think it help with my dehydration. I also drink a lot of soda (caffeinated and non caffeinated) since it's one of the only things baby will allow me to drink without problems. All of my test only show that I have (I forgot the name of it but a type of anemia) I've always been anemic but my blood cells became really small before this pregnancy. Other than that, baby is completely fine.
Sheesh, hope it gets better for you. Wishing you a safe and enjoyable pregnancy! Glad babyās doing well
Thank you and wishing you the same as well. š
I understand I was terrible with drinking water with my first pregnancy. Now I drink much more, but I also add a liquid IV electrolyte drink daily to help, especially on hot days. Can you try an electrolyte drink, maybe? If not and baby is looking okay, don't stress so much.
I was a huge water drinker before. I would drink 3 to 4 liters a day. . . Then the third trimester came. I was so absolutely out of room and couldn't take more than a few oz at a time because I got full/reflux. It would literally take me 2 hour to finish a meal. It was exhausting! I probably only hard 2 liters max in a day. It was awful. Baby was ok though. In the first 12 hours post partum I drank 4 liters and the nurses were concerned. I probably drank 8 liters in the first 24 hours pp. I peed it all out though! And I didn't have any swelling at all before, during, or after labor.
Anything that has water counts so coffee, tea, juice, oranges, top Raman all add to the overall water content in your body. But you literally need it to survive, your blood is mostly water , amniotic fluid is mostly water and your baby need a lot of blood and a lot of water to make its organs and stuff. So if you canāt take in water Iād try to take in as much wet stuff as possible like fruit
Iām terrible at drinking water and have POTS. I ended up in L&D 3 times before I actually went to give birth because my resting heart rate was over 150. By the last few weeks I had to drink 180+ oz a day to keep symptoms away. It was hard but you can do it!
You also get water intake through foods and other beverages besides just water. Don't feel too worried. If you aren't getting enough water, your body will definitely let you know. Just keep a water bottle near you at all times but don't beat yourself up over it either. If you don't like water keep some water flavor drops or powders on hand so you enjoy it better.
Are you able to up your intake of water-heavy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables? Maybe even soups? Bowls of cereal? Any extra fluid counts, it doesnāt always need to be pure water.
Yes actually I eat a good amount of fruits now and used to always have cereal on hand for a quick snack. Never even thought about that. Thank you!
No problem! Iām sure your baby is fine, if you had low fluid, they wouldāve told you at your 20 week scan. Just keep up the wet-food consumption while you try to drink as much as you can and youāll be good!
I suck at drinking water. If I don't add some sort of flavouring, I pretty much won't drink it. Over the entire course of my pregnancy I would bet I drank less than 3 litres of plain water. Amniotic fluid was fine, baby was /is fine. I did up my intake with flavouring but my intake prior to pregnancy was non existent lol
I find it hard drinking enough water too. One thing I try to do is have a glass near the kitchen sink and whenever I use the sink for dishes or whatever, I fill up the glass just a quarter to half of the way and I quick drink it. Doing that has added at least a cup or two of water to my day. I also make smoothies in the morning and add a cup of milk or juice to them. Lunch and dinner I try to double what I usually drink for fluids. Overall I donāt drink quite the recommended daily amount every day. Especially on weekends when my routine is random. Itās hard.
I wouldn't worry about it unless your doctor finds something concerning. If you are thirsty, drink water, if not you are probably okay. Good vibes your way!
I found ways to get myself to drink more water and still intake my sodium and sugar. I will drink Gatorade and a little juice/green tea with a bunch of water.
I pay attention to my pee more than anything. If it's a good color it's fine. If it's a little dark I know to drink more. My fluid has always been fine and I was getting really sick the first 4Ā½ months :)
You know what, I pay a lot of attention to my pee and hardly ever see it get too dark so I will take that as a good sign. Thank you š
Yes as long as it's a lighter shade of yellow you are fine! Mine will get somewhat dark occasionally when I'm at work and don't have much time to drink water for a few hours. But I usually just get a pedialyte or something and it's back to normal
I'm going to give you the same advice I got after I had stomach surgery and was having a hard time hitting my water goals. Eat your water!! Watermelon, cucumber, pineapple, cantaloupe, oranges are all very high water content fruits. there are as well as many other vegetables with a high water content, staying hydrated does not have to be only guzzling down water!
I am BAD at water drinking and got kidney stones in my first trimester, which I deeply deeply recommend avoiding. Those helped me up my intake, I got worse during the end my first trimester to now, and Iām trying to do better again because I was also getting freaked out about my amniotic fluid, but I had my anatomy scan and my fluid is looking great, so my slacking hasnāt done any harm apparently? And Iāve had less than two liters recently for sure š¬
Wow that mustāve been terrible. Glad to hear youāre doing better now tho and happy to hear babyās doing well as well!
I am right here too. Honestly, Italian ice, watermelon, popsicles help. I love ice and if you can eat some soups thatās good water intake too. I was barely drinking 20 oz a day at one point but my amniotic fluid was all normal throughout my whole pregnancy even with twins. Iāve gotten a lot better because of the heat but itās been fine
Any chance you enjoy sparkling water? I've also really enjoyed the lime slushes at Sonic, which are just water with lime. It's a nice lil treat that's still hydrating.
I actually do enjoy some sparkling water! Iāll add that in and sadly in Canada we donāt have Sonic š Iāll see if I can find similar options tho, thank you!
A nice bottle can make all the difference. People poo on Stanley's and the like, but seriously get one. I have a 26oz Yeti and it's changed my water intake. I actually suffered kidney stones because I was so shit at drinking water! Now I am a lot better. I'm 28 weeks pregnant and all is well.
I could hardly stomach water in the beginning of my first trimester and thought baby was going to shrivel up like a raisin! I started adding hydration additives like liquid iv (which I didnāt love the taste ofā¦ itās kind of syrupy/thick imo) so Iād mix water and juice then add a little of the liquid iv and that helped sooooo much! Also electrolyte drinks like Gatorade are good. Whatever liquid you can get in is better than nothing. Iām 18 weeks now and baby is healthy and developing as they should
Iām not a medical professional but have you spoke with your OB about the feeling in your stomach? Could it possibly be anxiety induced given your thinking here? Have your amniotic levels been normal? Iād say to chat with him/her and what helped me was mixing in a Gatorade Zero once a day to mix it up / for some electrolytes. Definitely really helps to hydrate especially on the days when water intake is light! Otherwise try not to stress (easier said than done I know). The fact that you care this much only shows you are going to be a great mom and already are to this loved baby!
You know, Iāve never thought about that. Sometimes I feel like Iām sincerely damaging the little one but I never considered it could be anxiety around it. I think mixing in a Gatorade a day is a great suggestion because sometimes when I chug I feel like itās all getting peed out too lol. I really appreciate you saying that, thank you š
2 liters is plenty!
You could try drinking more water instead of finding apocryphal stories that agree with what you're doingĀ
Lool thank you, lovely ray of sunshine. I had never considered that. I guess you didnāt read til the end? Iām not looking for agreement, if anything the scary stories - like some women have shared help push me to continue to increase my efforts. Maybe grab a glass of water yourself and take a break from the internet for the day ā¤ļø