San Diego Family 12th Annual Out and About 2010 : Page 82Kim Seidel Baby Directory Water is vital for a healthy pregnancy Drink Up! W hile many pregnant women remember to attend their doctor appointments and avoid too much junk food, they may be forgetting to drink enough water. Pregnancy signifi cantly increases the importance of drinking plenty of water throughout the day for the health of expectant mothers and their babies. “The most serious danger of dehydration in pregnancy is toxemia, which is life-threatening to both mother and child,” says Shoshanna Bennett, a psychologist specializing in pregnancy and postpartum issues, and the author of Beyond the Blues: A Guide to Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression. Toxemia, or pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), is high blood pressure during pregnancy, which can lead to pre- eclampsia or eclampsia, a life-threatening complication. “Dehydration also can cause anxiety and depression, which in pregnancy can affect both mother and child,” says Bennett. Drinking enough water during pregnancy will help prevent toxemia, as well as keep the mother’s physical and mental health stable. “[A] pregnant woman has waste products from both herself and her baby being released into her system; pregnant women have a greater need for detoxifi cation,” says Bennett. “This extra demand on her kidneys produces a greater need for water.” A woman’s cardiovascular needs increase in pregnancy, which also requires pregnant women to drink plenty of water. Laura O’Flaherty, a certifi ed nurse-midwife says, “We increase the volume of our blood by about a third to accommodate the greater cardiac output in pregnancy. Basically, we need more blood to serve mom and baby.” Pregnant women who drink enough water during pregnancy will feel better overall with more energy and less headaches, says O’Flaherty. The amount of water needed for a healthy pregnancy varies from woman to woman. A good guide to know if you are drinking enough water is the appearance of your urine. “It should be pale yellow to clear throughout the day,” O’Flaherty says. Another simple guideline about water intake during pregnancy is to drink the water amount equal to half your weight in ounces. Never wait until you are thirsty to drink your water. Feeling thirsty means you’re already dehydrated. “If a pregnant woman is perspiring from exercise or just from carrying the added weight, she should drink extra water to make up for the loss,” says Bennett. Experts like Bennett believe there’s no beverage that substitutes for water. A water bottle should travel with a pregnant woman wherever she goes. “Many of my clients will set a timer or a watch that beeps to remind them it’s time to drink water,” says Bennett. ❖ Kim Seidel is a freelance writer and the mother of two daughters. 82 San Diego Family Magazine Out & About 2010 sdfmOUTandABOUT.com Baby DirectoryDrink Up! Publication List |
