Coach Zoe Drinking enough water is an important part of everyone’s nutrition. When you are an expecting mom, it is top priority. If you are a busy mom, don’t miss out on these simple hacks for hydration during pregnancy.
Why focus on hydration for pregnancy
Drinking enough water has so many benefits to your health that it only makes sense it can help you through your prenatal days. It is important to know the “why’s” so you stay motivated to make it a priority!
Let’s start with the benefits for your growing peanut. They may be tiny but they need so much water! Ever wonder why we gain 20+ pounds in pregnancy but the baby comes out at less than 10 (hopefully! LOL). A lot of that weight gain is important fluids. The amniotic sac is growing and protecting your baby while also hydrating them! As your baby grows, they practice swallowing and drink the amniotic fluid. So it is important that there is plenty in there for little one. Also, your blood volume increases, improving circulation of important nutrients to mom as well as the placenta, and eventually your baby. And some of that water goes towards your breasts to prepare your milk supply, which is more motivation to drink up if you plan on breastfeeding.
Drink water for prenatal comfort
The benefits for mom are health related but can change the game of how you FEEL during pregnancy. Personally, I feel that drinking cool water helps keep the heartburn away, or at least at bay. Which is great because heartburn ruins my appetite and will to live haha.
On a serious note, water helps with digestion. Which may not be too much of an issue in the first trimester, but once baby gets a little bigger and all of your organs start to get smooshed, being regular can be much more of a challenge. And of course, our bellies are growing so bloat feels ongoing, but I think it is safe to say that nobody likes feeling bloated and blocked up.
Hydration is also a major helper when it comes to your fitness. It is easy to get overheated, especially during and after workouts. Drinking enough water can help you to stay cool and regulate your temperature. While also helping to minimize fatigue, making you feel more energized.
Doing what you can to stay motivated for workouts is huge for minimizing bloat and all around discomfort.
How do I know if I’m hydrating enough
Coach Zoe’s GENERAL (and non-medical professional) advice on how much water to drink is as close to a gallon of water as you can a day. That tends to be plenty for most people, including those that are fairly active. However, always speak with your physician on what is the right amount for you. Now, if you do not care to track your water, because honestly, who wants one more thing to keep track of? My simple advice for you is to drink enough water throughout the day that you are regularly peeing and the urine is pale yellow to clear. You will be surprised that you will very easily come close to that gallon mark, especially while focusing on hydration for pregnancy.
Like I said everyone is different. The smaller you are, the less water you will need. How much you sweat is also a factor. But when you are pregnant, keep in mind that you will need more water than normal.
How to hydrate when you don’t like water
Oh man, you’re killing me! Just kidding, I hear that a lot unfortunately. To be truthful, it does boggle my mind just a bit. How could you not like water? It’s…tasteless. You don’t drink water for joy, you drink it to satisfy a need and to feel refreshed! I do understand where you are coming from though. There is no way around drinking water. You are going to have to suck it up buttercup! Toughen up girl, you can do it LOL. But I do have some ways to build up your taste for water and to sneak extra fluids in without drinking it straight.
Food! Fruits and vegetables are the best place to eat your water. Fresh is best or even frozen but once you cook or process those foods they will start to lose their water content, their crunch. So eat your raw fruits and veggies wherever you can either as your snacks or even in smoothies. Smoothies are also another great way to sneak water in. Not only can you stuff all kinds of produce into those but, add lots of ice so you are upping the water content as well. Soup is another good food for hydrating.
So eating your water is not the only sneaky way to add it in. I also enjoy adding fruit and/or herbs into my water bottles. They make special ones now that have a little compartment, but you can just toss some frozen berries in for a natural way to add a light taste to your water and make it more enjoyable to drink! I prefer this method because you won’t be building a taste for the artificial garbage that is marketed by those water enhancers and it helps you to build the habit of drinking water all day long.
Hydration hacks for pregnancy
I have found that staying properly hydrated can be a task or feel like a chore when you already have a million things on your plate as a busy mom. The easiest way to get enough water in is to keep water on you at all times. Water bottles everywhere! Or you can be a gym-rat and carry a gallon jug around with you. It’s a great ice breaker and will help build those biceps for when baby comes LOL. Check in with yourself halfway through the day. Have I reached _oz by lunchtime? It’s a lot easier to spread your intake out over the span of 12+ hours rather than at meal times or after work.
So start your day off with a glass or two! First thing in the morning is when you will be the thirstiest. Not after breakfast or your morning coffee. Like, roll out of bed and head straight for the water, mama. You will feel a little boost in your mood and in your bowels I garuantee!
That takes me to the point of taking advantage of your thirst. Like during and after your workouts. If you are thirsty chug some water. I have found that if I let myself drink like a maniac right after my workout while I am hot and sweaty, I drink more than after I have cooled down and taken a shower.
Although, we do want to watch out to not be too thirsty. Feeling thirsty or drymouthed is kind of your body’s way of saying, “Hey! did you forget to water me today??” You’ll be feeling the affects of dehyrdation very quickly and it will feel like an uphill battle at that point.
Hydrate for comfort
To me, the most beneficial affect of drinking lots of water is the improvement in digestion. It makes a world of a difference to my comfort level throughout the day, which really motivates me to focus on my hydration for pregnancy. To go along with these tips to help you feel better, here is a prenatal core workout! Core workouts are important for strength and stability. But core work also massages the organs and aides in digestion as well. Join me and let’s sweat, don’t forget to hydrate!
If you are looking for more nutrition tips, check out Clean Eating To Make Your Fitness Simple. Ready? Let’s sweat!
