Are you hydrating yourself enough during your pregnancy?  Dehydration in pregnancy can be a dangerous contributor to heat related illnesses, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Dehydration can significantly impact the levels of amniotic fluid surrounding your baby, which can lead to problems with the foetus and even premature labour.

You may not realise that you are dehydrated, so it is essential to know the signs to look out for:

– Thirst

– Abdominal cramps

– Feeling lightheaded

– Headaches, including migraine

– Reduced urination

– Dry mouth, nose and lips

– Muscular weakness

– Nausea and vomiting

– Very dry skin

If you are suffering with any of these symptoms, talk to your midwife for some advice.

In the meantime, follow these simple pointers below:

Some drinks are dehydrating, so make good choices with beverages.

Drinks to avoid:

Coffee

Tea

Fizzy drinks

Fruit juice made from concentrate

Hydrating alternatives:

Fresh water

Herbal teas

Freshly juiced fruit (bulk it out with hydrating cucumber)

Water infusions

Remember, you are hydrating you AND your baby, so make sure you try to get through at least two litre bottles of fluid per day.

Clever tip: if you struggle to get lots of water in you, throw a sachet of rehydration salts into a bottle of plain water for more effective hydration.

Ensure you take enough water into labour with you!  Giving birth is thirsty work and dehydration can slow labour down.  Drink, drink, drink!

You can read more about dehydration in chapter 3 of The FitMama Method book.

Photo: Bigstock

References:

The FitMama Method, Souvenir Press 2012