Keep Yourself Hydrated In Summer During Your Pregnancy Days

Hydration is crucial for summer days, but you need to take hydration more seriously if you are pregnant. When you are expecting, your body goes through massive changes, including building new tissues, forming amniotic fluid, producing additional blood volume and washing out toxins. To manage the extra workload, your body needs proper hydration when you are expecting. 

The Importance of Hydration During Pregnancy

Consuming plenty of fluids can do you all kinds of good. It can ease constipation and haemorrhoids, reduces oedema and the risk of urinary tract infections. You will experience fatigue, and this sensation will increase in your third trimester. Sufficient fluids will give you alertness and reduce the risk of getting heatstroke.

Proper hydration ensures that your baby is getting its nutrients without any hiccup. It will also decrease swelling during pregnancy and soften your skin.

Ways to Keep Yourself Hydrated

Generally, about ten cups of fluids per day are recommended for pregnant women. But if it is summer or you are exercising, you need even more fluids for yourself and your little one. 

It is true, water is best for keeping yourself hydrated, but you don’t have to stick with the same ol’ plain water; there are other ways to do that:

• Give Your Water a Little Boost: Always carry a water bottle with yourself, and whenever you are thirsty, take a sip. But add a little twist to your water. Squeeze some lemons into your water bottle, add fresh fruits and some mint leaves or basil. There you have it, water with a twist of flavour to quench your thirst and lift your mood. 
• Go Nuts with Cucumbers: With 95% water content and an abundance of nutrients, cucumber is one ‘cool’ option. You can consume it with greek salad or with your evening snacks. It goes with nearly everything, and it is practically crunchy water with nutrients. What can top this to quench your thirst?
• Watermelon: It turns out if there were ever a competition between things that keep you hydrated, it would’ve been a tough battle between watermelon and cucumber. With 92% water content, it is a treat to eat a slice of watermelon on a warm summer day. It is an excellent way of snacking and hydrating yourself with its sweetness. 
• Yoghurt: If you love yoghurt, then it can be your best buddy during your pregnancy. It is a source of non-meat protein, calcium, and with 85% water content, a healthy way to hydrate yourself. You can add a handful of fresh berries to your bowl of yoghurt for extra taste.
• Make Some Popsicles: Having Popsicles on summer days is a great way to keep yourself hydrated and reminisce about your childhood days. But, you need to make your popsicles both healthy and tasty. So, go with less sugar and whole fruits and enjoy some popsicles whenever you feel thirsty. 

Dehydration

If you experience mild to moderate dehydration, you can reverse the situation with fluid intake. Here are the symptoms for it: 

• Headache
• Dry and sticky mouth
• Dizziness
• Feeling thirsty
• Dry and flaky skin
• Declining need to urinate
• Constipation

But if you experience a heavily dry mouth, low blood pressure and very dark urine, they are the symptoms of severe dehydration. In that case, contact your doctor immediately.  

Conclusion

Scorching heat will always be there on summer days to make us appreciate water and other fluids. When you are expecting, expect to feel the thirst all the time and oblige your body’s wish accordingly. Keep yourself and your little one hydrated with these fantastic, fun ways! 

References:

https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/dehydration#What-are-signs-of-dehydration-during-pregnancy?

https://www.brit.co/summer-pregnancy-hydration/

https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-body/nutrition/foods-to-stay-hydrated-during-pregnancy/

https://drinkgt.com/blogs/news/hydration-during-pregnancy-importance

https://www.thebump.com/a/staying-hydrated-during-pregnancy