by Nedra

Five Ways to Increase Your Water Intake

It’s important for all of us to stay hydrated, but it’s especially so for pregnant people, who have even greater hydration needs to support the critical work of building a healthy placenta and baby, and maintaining a healthy blood volume.

In our practice, we recommend a daily water intake of 3 liters. Drinking an adequate amount of water each day not only helps you grow a baby, but it has other great benefits, including:

  • reducing incidence of constipation and hemorrhoids
  • helps to reduce irritable uterus contractions
  • helps to reduce swelling
  • increases energy
  • reduces risk of urinary tracts infections
  • reduces headaches

But despite the fact that we know how important it is to stay hydrated, it can be surprisingly difficult to remember to drink enough water. Here are a few ideas to help you get those 3 liters in every day:

Flavor Your Water with Fruits

It might help to prepare a pitcher of water in the morning, and infuse it with flavor by adding lemon, lime or orange slices, berries, and cucumbers – you will look forward to refilling your glass with this delicious water, and you’ll get extra nutrients!

use your water bottle to help measure your water intake

For myself, it helps to use a one-liter water bottle, and set goals for when to refill it during the day so that I can make sure to get enough water in. This can work with any size bottle – just calculate out how often you’ll need to refill it to reach your goal.

Try sparkling water

If you are having trouble drinking water because you are feeling sick to your stomach, a good solution may be to drink sparkling water, especially if it’s infused with fruit – the bubbles may be easier on the tummy.

eat water-rich foods

You can help with your hydration by eating foods that have a lot of water content, like cucumbers, zucchinis, watermelon, and many other fruits and vegetables.

keep a water bottle near you all the time

It’s really easy to walk out of the house without your water, and then go for hours without drinking anything. Make sure to have a water bottle ready to go any time you go out (you might leave one by your keys or in another place that will remind you). If you are doing yard work, bring your water. If you are exercising, bring your water – if you make it a habit, the water bottle becomes something that you truly miss if you forget it.