Tips for drinking water during pregnancy – Keeping yourself hydrated all the time is crucial when you are expecting. Learn the benefits of hydration during pregnancy.

Pregnancy is a critical and important phase in a woman’s life. It is necessary to maintain health and hygiene during this phase. Having a proper diet and sleep along with a good mood for the mother, play a vital role in initial developments of the baby. Proper knowledge of the food and liquid intakes of a mother during pregnancy is essential for both the parent-to-be as well as other members of the family. Having an adequate amount of water during the entire period of pregnancy to hydrate the body is crucial.

DEHYDRATION AND PREGNANCY

Dehydration occurs when our body loses water at a rate faster than the water intake. This is a serious health issue for all but is more critical in case of a pregnant woman. During pregnancy, the water intake of the expecting mother must be significantly high for the healthy development of the baby. Also, lots of complications for the mother may occur if her body is not getting a proper intake of water. These include – defects in the neural tube, inadequate breast milk production, low amniotic fluid, and even premature labour. These complications may further give rise to birth defects in the baby.

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Symptoms of Dehydration

The symptoms of dehydration during pregnancy often relates to maternal overheating. Moreover, with less intake of water, there are chances that your urine color may turn dark yellow, as opposed to normal urine color. In both the cases, having adequate water intake helps.

FURTHER BENEFITS OF WATER INTAKE DURING PREGNANCY

Besides controlling dehydration, proper water intake during pregnancy has some more health benefits.

Oxygen Supply

Water is responsible for carrying oxygen and other nutrients to our cells and tissues. This is why staying hydrated ensures that these nutrients reach the baby womb and contributes to its overall development. It is a known fact that dehydration is highly responsible for headaches, cramps, and dizziness of the mother. Staying hydrated hence helps in getting rid of these complexities during pregnancy. Moreover, having enough water alleviates morning sickness and indigestion.

Prevent Urinary Tract Infections

One annoying problem that most mothers face during pregnancy is the urinary tract infections which can also be kept at bay by having a proper and adequate amount of water throughout the period of pregnancy. Water intake is also essential for flushing out the toxins from the mother’s body. These toxins are believed to have an influence on the health of the baby.

Reminding yourself for Drinking Water during Pregnancy

Most mothers struggle to stay hydrated during the period of pregnancy. It is therefore recommended for them to carry a bottle of water everywhere they go. Having a bottle handy will remind them to sip water from time to time and eventually stay hydrated along with it.

FAQ about drinking water during pregnancy

Below are some of the frequently asked questions that most mothers want to know about drinking water during pregnancy.

1. How much water should I drink during pregnancy?

Besides having other liquids like milk, juice, a mother should have a daily intake of at least 2 litres of water regularly. It should, however, be understood that the mother’s bladder is already under pressure by the growing uterus and so excessive liquid intake should be avoided. It is always recommended to take the advice of the doctor in this matter.

2. Is it safe to drink cold water during pregnancy?

If you are pregnant during the hot summer days, ice-cold water or juices definitely seem refreshing, However, it is recommended that you take cool water, at least until the baby is born. Similarly, hot liquids can be substituted with the warmer ones.

3. Can dehydration cause cramps during pregnancy?

The flow of blood to the uterus is reduced due to dehydration. This may lead to uterine cramps or contractions.

TIPS FOR DRINKING WATER DURING PREGNANCY

Drinking water for a pregnant woman is extremely important as the health of both the mother and the baby is dependent on it. But, drinking pure water is also important. This is why I recommend getting the best water purifier for your home. To help you stay hydrated, we have come up with these few tips that you might find useful during the time of your pregnancy.

1. Start your day with water: Try having 2 glasses of water every morning before you start doing anything. After a sleep of 6-8 hours, our body slightly gets dehydrated automatically. To prevent this, it is a very good idea to take 2 glasses of water every morning.
2. Few sips of water before going to Bed: Similarly, taking a few sips of water just before going to bed helps in maintaining the hydration levels while sleeping. It is recommended to take a small glass of water 10 minutes before going to bed.
3. Eating hydrating fruits: Besides taking water directly, fruits and vegetables also supply adequate water to our body. So including fruits and vegetables in your diet ensures you receive enough water for your body.

This Guest Post was brought to you by Kedy.

Author Bio:

Kedy is a digital marketer and founder of Kumaon Planners. He writes to inspire readers in life and work. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.

Having a preterm baby can be difficult on the mom. You are scared and worried about their well-being and development. Rounds of NICU, sleepless nights, worrying about brain development and milestones are inevitable. But there are way too many myths about preemies that needs to be looked at. According to WHO, every year about 15 million babies are born prematurely around the world. So it’s pretty common. Here’s busting 5 Nutrition myths about preemies.

But first who are pre-term babies?

A baby born before 37 weeks of gestation is considered a preterm baby. Premature babies are more susceptible to health complications than full-term infants. They need to be under special care to constantly monitor their breathing, feeding, and maintaining body temperature.

What are the Nutrition Myths about Preemies?

#Myth 1 – Preterm babies cannot Breastfeed Exclusively

Fact: Preterm babies can have a latching problem but there’s no reason why you can’t breastfeed them exclusively. Expressed breastmilk can be fed through syringe or infant bottles until they are strong enough to latch.

#Myth 2 – Premature babies cannot start breastfeeding until they are 34 weeks gestation.

Fact: The latching action comes in babies with practise. A pre-term baby can breastfeed even by 29-30 week gestation age.

#Myth 3 – Preemies don’t eat as much as full-term babies

 Fact: A full-term new born baby’s stomach size is like a marble, so you can imagine how tiny the size of the stomach would be in case of preemies. Preterm babies take less amount of feed in one session because of this reason. But they feed more often than full-term babies. You might need to feed your preterm baby every hour or every half an hour depending on his weight and size.

#Myth 4 – Preemies are always smaller than kids of same age

Fact: Most preterm babies catch up on weight and height by the end of their first year. The first few months in the life of a preterm baby is crucial and its best not to compare them with full-term babies of same age during this time.

#Myth 5 – Preterm baby only needs formula milk till he can breastfeed

Fact: Breastmilk has prebiotics and probiotics and these good bacteria helps a preterm baby’s gut with antibodies. These antibodies help to protect intestinal inflammation and infections like NEC and sepsis. The colostrum is very important for a preterm baby too because it stimulates rapid growth of the intestinal tract and mucosal lining. There’s no reason why you should skip breastfeeding your preemie and stick to formula milk.

Breastmilk is more than just a meal. Don’t be scared to feed your preterm baby

Breastmilk is more than just a meal! Breastmilk helps to reduce many serious preterm complications and is a life-saving natural medication for preemies. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding as the optimal source of nutrition for the baby for the first six months of life.

Breastmilk is also important for brain development in an infant. 70% of your child’s brain development happens during pregnancy and 90% of the baby’s brain growth happens up to 1 year of age. Breastmilk alone contains specialized nutrients like DHA, Natural Vitamin E, Choline, Taurine and Iron that help in brain development and infant cognition.

Don’t be scared to breastfeed your preterm baby. They need your milk for its protective factors. Breastfeeding and mental stimulation together is the best FeedIQ you can give.

Deficiencies in macro-and micronutrients during pregnancy and lack of proper nutrition can hamper foetal development. An expecting mum and a lactating mum both need equally good nutrition for baby’s development. While you need to ensure you are having optimal nutrition during pregnancy, you can also supplement with specialized nutrition made for expecting and lactating moms.

SimMom IQ⁺ is a blend of brain nutrients and high quality protein containing DHA, natural vitamin E, choline and taurine that helps foetal development and pass good nutrients while breastfeeding. Just two servings of SimMom IQ+ everyday will help meet 100% RDA requirements of key nutrients during pregnancy and lactation.

Did You Know, most neo-natal deaths are preventable?

India contributes over 40% of the global low birth weight babies who are highly vulnerable towards morbidity and mortality. But most neo-natal deaths are preventable. With proper resources and training saving lives of infants, mostly pre-term babies get easier.

Abbot has joined hands with Laerdal Medical India Pvt. Ltd. Which is the Indian subsidiary of Laerdal Medical AS (Headquartered in Norway) to train Nurses on Essential care for every baby and Essential care for small baby. This specialized training designed by Laerdal consists of –  small baby care, exclusive breast feeding, manual expression of breast milk & nasogastric tube feeding, Kangaroo Mother Care, Family centric care etc.

Laerdal goal is to save 500,000 more lives per year by 2020. They aim at helping save lives of new-borns and mothers in low-resource countries. Let’s wish them success in making India a better equipped country for handling preemies.