What Else Can I Drink During Pregnancy to Stay Hydrated?

Staying hydrated during pregnancy is very important! One of the main culprits of dehydration during pregnancy is due to morning sickness which starts happening during the 5th or 6th week of pregnancy.

Morning sickness is caused by the change in hormone levels during the first trimester. In some, morning sickness can last till the second trimester or even the third trimester, ranging from mild to severe symptoms.

When nausea and vomiting is not managed, mothers are at higher risk of being dehydrated, dizzy, constipated, and having a urinary tract infection. At times, if dehydration is severe, it can cause lower levels of amniotic fluid and it can influence your baby’s development and may lead to preterm labour.

Other possible causes of dehydration is persistent sweating especially in our tropical humid weather in Singapore can also cause you to be dehydrated. 

There is no strict particular advice on how much you should be drinking when you are pregnant, but drinking slightly more than your recommended before pregnancy is a good guide. Responding to your thirst as well will help! The colour of your urine should be pale straw yellow to indicate that you are adequately hydrated. 

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Milk

Milk is highly encouraged by mothers to have during pregnancy as it is a good source of calcium. A cup of regular fresh milk has about 330mg of calcium per serving.

If you choose a high calcium dairy milk option, the calcium content would be 500mg per serving. Then taking just two cups of milk daily will achieve 100% of a mother’s recommendation during pregnancy.

If a mother does not take sufficient calcium from her diet, her body will continue taking more and more from her calcium stores which are stored in her own bone to help her baby grow stronger and bigger bones. If these are not continuously replaced, mothers can start feeling aches here and there especially during their later trimesters. 

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Bone broth soups

Bone broth soups are high in amino acids glycine! Glycine, proline and lysine are the building blocks of collagen. During pregnancy, we do need collagen to support the rapid cell turnover and growth of the baby as well as your uterus.

Bone broth soups definitely give a more savoury note for mothers who may be craving something more savoury during pregnancy. Something that mothers can enjoy often without worrying about excessive calories as compared to cream soups.

To keep it interesting, you can always throw in squash, corn or even spinach just to keep it interesting. The options are endless.

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Fruits and vegetables

Most common fruits and vegetables are high in water content as well. For instance, watermelon, melon, coconut, papaya, orange, mango, cucumber, celery and tomato. These fruits and vegetables are the ones that can be commonly found in our local supermarkets.

These fruits and vegetables not only provide some hydration, it is also filled with minerals, vitamins and electrolytes. These are especially important for those who may struggle with nausea, frequent vomiting from morning sickness. They are not only at higher risk of being dehydrated, but electrolytes loss from vomiting.

When too much electrolytes are lost without any replenishment, it can cause muscle cramps and spasm which can be very uncomfortable. It can disrupt your mobility and your daily activities. 

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Infused water

If you are having food aversion to water and plain water doesn’t taste appealing to you, something sour and cold always helps. One of the common and a favourite to many is to make ice cold infused lemon or lime with cucumber water. It can be both sour yet refreshing!

Besides that some people get creative with strawberries too. This can help curb the nausea and allow you to drink your fluids adequately unlike fruit juices that may lead to excessive sugar intake which can lead to increased risk of gestational diabetes during pregnancy. 

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Taking care of your diet goes beyond your pregnancy. At Tian Wei Signature, we specialize in providing nutritious confinement meal package for mothers. Our menu offers a wide variety of fusion and traditional dishes that support new mother’s postpartum recovery and breastfeeding needs.

In terms of hydration, we keep it interesting for mothers during confinement besides water. Our confinement meal package always includes red date tea confinement drinks and herbal soups. Longan drink benefits are traditionally believed to be calming for mothers while nutritionally it is a good source of Vitamin C which will help to promote collagen production and wound healing.

Learn more about our confinement meal packages by clicking the “Book Now” button on the top right corner now!

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