Staying hydrated is essential to help ease pregnancy
problems such as constipation, fluid retention and
hemorrhoids. Make it a point to drink large cups or
glasses of fluids and to keep a water bottle handy.
Limit your intake of carbonated and caffeinated drinks.
Skipping alcohol altogether is high plus during your
entire pregnancy phase. Aim to drink 8 glasses of
225 ml or 8 oz of fluids daily, with water being the
main choice. Space your fluid intake throughout the
day. Since you are eating smaller, more frequent meals
you should consume larger, more frequent drinks.
Milk
A 225 ml or 8 oz glass of cow's milk contain about
one third of your daily recommended calcium requirements
- make that three glasses and you have reached 100%.
If you have lactose intolerance try rice milk or
lactose reduced milk. Try low fat or non fat milk
which may contain slightly higher amounts of calcium
if weight is an issue.
Herbal
teas
Herbal tea is okay to drink but play safe by drinking
in moderation. While the word herbal conjures a
safe image in your mind, remember that herbs are
drugs. High doses of some herbs may cause diarrhea,
heart palpitations and vomiting. Having highlighted
that, herbal preparations bought in the form of
tea bags are considered safe during pregnancy. If
herbal tea is your thing, look out for the ingredients
that you would normally make a part of your diet
such as lemon, peppermint or jasmine and stay away
from weird contents such as cohosh or mugworth,
all worth avoiding during your pregnant months.
Make your own concoctions using juices, cinnamon,
ginger or lemon rind along with boiled water or
decaf tea.
Caffeine
Go ahead and enjoy your morning cup of coffee so
long you don't overdo it. Statistics show that women
should not exceed 300 mg (less would be preferable
of course) of caffeine in a day. This is equivalent
to 3 mugs of instant coffee, 6 cups of tea or 8
cans of cola. High levels of caffeine - 400 mg a
day may affect baby's respiratory system, decreased
birth-weight and one study even linked this exposure
to SIDs. Taken in moderation, caffeine will do no
harm to you or your fetus. Many women choose to
eliminate caffeine totally from their diet and switch
to decaf beverages, mildly brewed tea and juices
instead of colas. Beware - chocolate drinks also
contain some caffeine and those high energy drinks
contain quite a bit of it.
Water
Your organs cannot function well without water and
your body uses water even more during pregnancy. Water
is important for the formation of plasma which is
vital for your increased blood volume and for the
formation of the amniotic fluid. Water helps to flush
out waste, prevent bladder infections - your urine
stays diluted and you will urinate more which lessens
the chance of bacteria multiplying in your bladder.
Drinking lots of water keeps constipation at bay and
helps in the prevention of hemorrhoids. Finally the
more water you drink, the less fluid retention you
will experience. Edema is a common complaint where
a woman goes through swollen feet and hands as pregnancy
grows. So you don't like the taste of water…
try adding a lemon wedge or a splash of juice for
flavor. Sparkling water both flavored and unflavored
are safe bets.
Artificial
Sweeteners
Aspartame found in many diet drinks is considered
safe for drinking during pregnancy but once again
practice caution on the amounts you can have. It
is recommended that adults should not exceed 2800
mg per day or 14 cans. Saccharin another form of
sweetener found in foods is also considered safe
but again moderation is the key. Pregnant women
who are overly concerned about their weight or simply
detest the taste of water get hooked to these diet
drinks; they tend to replace healthy drinks such
as milk, water and juices with these diet colas.
In the long run, baby and mother will lose out.
Alcohol
The truth is where to draw the line when it comes
to safe levels. Further, every woman metabolizes
alcohol differently because of individual body makeup.
Alcohol effect intensifies if the diet is inadequate,
intake of caffeine is high and smoking pregnant
ladies. Many health experts recommend that pregnant
women stay clear of alcohol altogether since it
can be difficult to stick to one drink once a week.
Bear in mind the occasional drink that you consume
will pass to your baby through your bloodstream.
If you do decide to indulge, drink one drink once
or twice a week with a meal. No one type of alcohol
is better than another: a small can of beer, a small
glass of wine or one measure of spirits all contain
roughly the same amounts of alcohol.
