Pregnancy Essentials: How to make yourself drink more water during the day

Pregnancy Essentials: How to make yourself drink more water during the day

Depositphotos_1473811_l-webDrinking water is especially important during your pregnancy, but getting enough liquid can be difficult. Some women dislike unsweetened drinks such as water, but they know they shouldn’t be drinking a lot soda during their pregnancy. Events during the day (such as road trips) can also make us forget to drink enough water. Sitting in an air-conditioned office lessens thirst but you still need to drink a certain amount.

During your pregnancy, there is no arguing about the importance of drinking water. You need more fluids to support the larger volume of blood in your body. Drinking helps your circulation, which assists your immune system in fighting against illnesses and ensures your baby gets the nutrition and oxygen it needs.

If you are constantly dehydrated in the first trimester of your pregnancy, you may end up suffering from a low amount of amniotic fluid, which can cause limb deformities in your baby. It is especially important to drink plenty of water if you suffer from morning sickness, since vomiting can lead to significant liquid loss.

Dehydration during your second or third trimester can cause your body temperature to rise due to poor circulation, which in turn can cause damage to your child. You may also suffer from muscle cramping due to severe dehydration, as well as fatigue, or even preterm labor.

 

Drinking a lot of water, on the other hand, has the following benefits:

  •  Drinking a lot of water helps with the production of blood cells, which are necessary to transport nutrients and oxygen to your growing baby. Your blood volume will increase by almost 50 percent during your pregnancy, and water is needed to support this.
  •  Plenty of fluids can help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs), which are a major concern during pregnancy. Although a UTI is not dangerous as such, the infection can enter the bloodstream and from there to spread to other organs. A UTI can also cause a kidney infection, which increases your risk of low birth-weight and preterm labor. It has also been linked to a higher risk of fetal mortality.
  •  By drinking a lot of water you can prevent or minimize edema, or water retention in the tissue outside the bloodstream. You are at an increased risk of edema during the later stages of your pregnancy. Edema can be painful and might make it difficult for you to walk, especially now that you are carrying the extra weight of your baby.
  •  Dehydration can cause contractions which lead to preterm labor. By drinking water you can lower the risk of a preterm labor which could be harmful for your baby.
  • Drinking a lot of water can help prevent constipation and the hemorrhoid problems that often follow.
  • Water has a positive effect on your metabolism as well as on the appearance of the skin.

Alexia didn’t like to drink water, so most of her liquid intake came from sodas. During her pregnancy, she learned that she should no longer drink soda, for health reasons. She decided to switch to drinking water. It all went well until the final months of her pregnancy. She lived in a warm part of the country and was due in the middle of the hottest month of the year.

Although she did drink some water, she always seemed to forget to do so (possibly because the taste did not appeal to her). Her contractions came almost a month early and she was lucky to deliver a healthy child. The doctors were concerned about her state of dehydration, attributing the cause of the preterm labor to her low intake of fluids. She was horrified and began drinking water regularly, which helped her general well-being as well as her breastfeeding.

It is recommended that you drink 8 to 12 glasses of liquid every day. This amount contributes to your alertness and vitality. It is generally not recommended to drink sodas or juices, which contain lots of sugar, or regular tea and coffee, which contain caffeine.

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Following the tips below can help you drink more water during your pregnancy:

  • Carry a bottle of water with you wherever you go, together with a small pack of stickers. Every time you have a drink, put a sticker on the bottle. Now you have a fun way of tracking how much water you drink every day.
  • Put a reminder on your phone. Set it to every hour, or more often if you want. Each time the alarm goes off, have at least one glass of water.
  • Count how many stickers you have on your bottle at the end of every day. Fill in a table of your accomplishment and put it somewhere you can see it. You can use Seinfeld’s method of persistence from chapter 4 in this the book to encourage you even further.
  • When someone offers you a drink, accept it even if you are not thirsty.
  • During meetings at work or with friends, order a bottle of water and make sure to finish the whole bottle during the meeting.

Mary had always been doing a lot of exercise, and she didn’t slow down during her pregnancy. Eating healthy was never a problem for her, but she would forget that she needed to drink more water now that she was pregnant. During exercise, she would sweat a lot and lose fluids that way. Now she began to feel faint after every workout and gradually began to get weaker and weaker. Her doctor ran many different tests but found nothing wrong with her – until they both realized Mary had a simple case of dehydration. She began drinking more water and regained her energy in a matter of weeks.

Did you know?

The signs of dehydration:

  • The first sign of dehydration is − no surprise − thirst! If you are thirsty, make sure to drink a lot of water.
  • A rapid pulse not attributed to a sudden effort or exertion on your part, is also a sign of dehydration.
  • One of the easiest ways to tell if you suffer from lack of fluids is to check your urine. If the color is transparent or light yellow, you have no problems. If it is dark yellow and has a strong odor, make sure to increase your water intake.
  • A dry mouth can be a sign of dehydration.
  • Diarrhea and vomiting during your pregnancy, no matter the reason, may cause dehydration. If you suffer from these, make sure to drink plenty of water to recover your water losses.

P.S.

Looking for a good place to start reading up on healthy eating habits for you and baby?

Try Pregnancy Diet: A Practical Guide for Busy Women  for simple and easy tactics to prepare nourishing meals during your pregnancy.

The wonderful book Pregnancy Diet: A Practical Guide for Busy Women
 

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Pregnancy Health: Lets Talk Food

Pregnancy Health: Lets Talk Food

You’re pregnant! AND eating for you plus one.

So, what is a healthy amount of weight to gain while pregnant?

What should your food choices be? In this video Dr. Eddleman, the author of Pregnancy for Dummies discusses “rich calories”, cravings, and suggested weight gain.

Don’t forget your prenatal vitamins and suggested supplements! Be sure to listen to the foods he suggests you avoid.

If you enjoyed this video and want to share the knowledge, click and share your feelings.

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Positively Pregnant

Positively Pregnant

Depositphotos_1278150_lwebPregnancy, to put it lightly, is a great time of change in any woman’s life. Whether it’s your first child or your fourth, the changes your body is going through and the impact of this pending little person in your life coupled with the everyday responsibilities you’re already grappling with can make for a very stressful time. You likely already know how stress has physically or emotionally impacted you at previous times in your life – whether cramming for exams, dealing with an unpleasant work situation, or planning a wedding. The question becomes, can your developing fetus handle the weight of your pregnancy stress?

 

Good Stress, Bad Stress

If you’ve ever gone through a rough patch in a relationship or been in a financial tight spot, you’re already aware that the dread of dealing with a difficult part of your life can impact everything from how you’re sleeping and eating to more serious health issues like depression or hypertension. What many people are surprised by is the fact typically positive occurrences in our lives – like organizing a big event or getting together with family members around the holidays – can also cause anxiety and other stressful symptoms.

Pregnancy can bring on stress from both the positive and negative. On the one hand, you’re absolutely thrilled to have a child – but you may be worried about becoming a parent, going through labor, or family expectations. On the other hand, you’ve also got the downsides of pregnancy to grapple with; diminishing intimacy with your partner, extreme physical side effects, and potential issues with your employer. When you add all of these potential sources of pregnancy-related pressures to every day challenges with work, relationships, and family, it can equal one very unhealthy situation – for you and your unborn child.

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Cortisol is the hormone your body releases when it’s feeling overstressed. If you’re releasing too much of it during pregnancy, it can cause serious pregnancy problems and complications for both you and your baby. Stress has been linked to pre-term delivery, miscarriages, and birth defects. It also increases your risk for preeclampsia, a serious disorder that affects 5% of women by restricting blood vessels, resulting in high blood pressure and a decreased blood flow to major organs in your body. If too little blood is flowing to your uterus, your baby’s health will also suffer both inside and outside the womb.

Although pregnancy stress can come from sources of joy and pain alike, no stress is good stress. That being said, it’s also pretty inescapable. The trick is to find ways to relieve pressures in your life, without causing more issues down the road. For example, canceling all of your social engagements to indulge in some ‘me time’ for the next six months likely won’t net you too much happiness once you’re ready to socialize again. Finding a balance between what’s expected of you and what you need to do for yourself is critical to your pregnancy health.

Here are three options to consider to help minimize stress in your life:

Meditation & Yoga

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Many people find that meditation and yoga are great ways to clear their mind and simply get in touch with their body – which is particularly valuable when pregnant as your body goes through radical changes week-by-week. If you’re taking yoga, ensure it’s a prenatal class so you aren’t overtaxing your body. Although these are fantastic ways to unwind, they also take time. Rushing through a meditation session or yoga class won’t net you the soothing mental benefits of these activities. Before you plan to take a weekly yoga class or set aside a daily meditation hour, keep in mind that life (and your pregnancy) may get in the way and consider additional stress outlets.

 

Massage

Pamper-yourself_21438319_s_postIndulging in a prenatal massage slays two problems at once: relieving you of both physical pain and emotional stress. Spending a day at the spa can be a great way to give back to yourself without alienating others. Before you go for a massage, make sure the therapist you’re working with is experienced in providing prenatal massages and is using oils that are suitable for pregnancy; your skin absorbs whatever is put onto it, and some ingredients can be harmful for babies. If you’re planning to make spas part of your relaxation routine, be sure to budget accordingly. With a new arrival on the way, now is the time to plan your spending carefully.

 

Use Daily Affirmations

aff04Although stress is in theory caused by outside sources, it’s ultimately your body and mind that chooses how to respond to it. The good news is, you’re also in control of releasing anxieties of your own accord, through the power of positive thinking. A completely free way of managing pressure that doesn’t chew up a lot of free time is practicing daily affirmations. Start each day (or week) by writing or finding a positive affirmation and keeping it somewhere handy. Whenever stress starts to creep up on, simply repeating the affirmation and focusing on its meaning can help you get through challenges big and small.

 

Pregnancy Must-Do’s

Now that you know how critical it is to remain a zen mom-to-be, here are some ideas to get youstarted on the path to inner bliss:

  • Focus on what’s stressing you out the most in your life today, and try and anticipate what you may be dealing with a week, month, or three months from now. Look at each item on your list and jot down a couple of ideas for how you can minimize their impact on your mental health.
  • Using your list as a guide, sit down with the people in your life that may influence your anxiety levels and have an open conversation about your need to lower your stress. See if you can come to compromises on certain fronts. For example, perhaps your employer can reduce your responsibilities on major projects with short timelines, or your spouse can take over meal prep duties to give you a bit of extra space after a long work day.
  • Investigate activities and affirmations to help minimize your stress levels throughout your pregnancy. Can you buy a casual pass to visit a local yoga studio instead of committing to a class (and another item on your calendar)? Is there a particularly inspiring book you can draw affirmations from? Do you have a friend with a home massage practice to cut back on costs? Look for ways to make relaxation a part of your pregnancy, without negative impacts.

P.S.

Want to learn more about how positive affirmations can give you and your baby a happy, healthy glow inside and out?

Check out this great book: “How to Reduce Pregnancy Stress Using the Positive Affirmations Technique”

 

The wonderful book How to Reduce Pregnancy Stress Using the Positive Affirmations Technique

How to Reduce Pregnancy Stress Using the Positive Affirmations Technique

Yoga for relaxation: Postures for Pregnancy

Yoga for relaxation: Postures for Pregnancy

Exercise and good health during pregnancy is important.

We’re confident your doctor/midwife reminds you of that at each visit.

But, what about relaxation?

You could read a book, take a bath, or even go for a stroll.

However, I suggest Yoga. In this video there is a complete routine made just for pregnant women to find ultimate relaxation for themselves and the baby.

Light stretching, breathing techniques, and perhaps a nap. All of the postures introduced are beneficial in preparing for your baby’s grand entrance into the world.

Don’t forget to Share the knowledge with your friends.

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Click here to read more about practicing Yoga

 

The Best Tips to Manage Morning Sickness

The Best Tips to Manage Morning Sickness

Hormonal changes and the development of the baby cause a variety of undesired symptoms.

Morning sickness during the first trimester is one of the symptoms most moms-to-be could do without.

No fear though – there are many ways to ease the bouts of morning sickness and make your first trimester more enjoyable.

In this video you will learn how to combat morning sickness by eating well balanced meals; learn about breathing exercises, and gain insight on tips that have proven to help make morning sickness manageable.

Please leave your comments below and let us know what you thought about this video.

You can also share the knowledge with your friends.

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You Are What You Eat

You Are What You Eat

You-Are-What-You-Eat--Depositphotos_1329573_lBeing pregnant is one of the most exciting times in any woman’s life, but it’s not without its side effects. The first three months of pregnancy are a roller coaster ride for your body, which can lead to major food aversions and nausea – plus the dreaded morning sickness that affects up 75% of women. But eating healthy is one of the most important aspects of your pregnancy, for both you and your unborn child.

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