An average pregnant woman needs at least 2 liters of water every day. This number may vary as per the geographical location, environmental conditions, body weight, job requirement and directions given by the doctor. Water has been known as the most effective remedy for the management of morning sickness and nausea, which are perhaps the most disabling and common symptoms of first trimester of pregnancy. A woman must talk to her attending doctor about a proper diet chart, for her to follow during the course of pregnancy. Read on to learn what drinks to have and to avoid when you are pregnant.

What to Drink When Pregnant

There is a wide variety of drinks that can be taken during pregnancy, but one must consult a physician. With the exception of a few drinks, most natural juices and water are an important part of a pregnant woman’s diet, and should be inculcates from the earliest. Below is the list of best drinks for pregnancy:

1. Water

During pregnancy, water may easily be one of the best choices for a drink. It does not contain any artificial flavors or colors; it does not have any extra calories and is the choice for re-hydration. One can vary their choices of flavors with natural additives such as cucumber or lemon wedge.

2. Milk

Milk is an excellent choice of drinks since it not only satisfies the thirst whilst providing nutrition, it also delivers the much needed supply of vitamin D and Calcium for the healthy growth of the unborn child. It also helps in strengthening the mother for the energy consuming phase of pregnancy. In addition, it also helps in reducing the risk of osteoporosis and other bone disorders that a pregnant mommy is prone to. If you are planning to breastfeed the baby, you should maintain a healthy intake of milk.

3. Fruit and Vegetable Juice

When it comes to what to drink when pregnant, juices can be a good choice. Juices are a quick and refreshing supply of nutrients and hydration during pregnancy. Fruit and vegetables juices can help with the nausea, morning sickness and bodily nutritional requirements if taken properly. It must be made sure that organic and fresh juices should be incorporated in diet, to avoid any artificial flavoring and coloring that might prove harmful or allergic to the mother.

• Fruit Juice

Fruits juice is not only tasty but also provides you with essential vitamins and minerals. You just have to watch the sugar content in those drinks. The following video shows a healthy recipe for making juice with wiki and apple:

• Vegetable Juice

Vegetable juices may not be a very popular choice, but it certainly can prove to be the best. They boost the immunity, prevent and treat disease at the same time and nourish the body of their necessary daily supplements of vitamins and minerals.

One quick and easy recipe is carrot juice. Blitz one lb. of peeled and washed carrots with a few squirts of lemon. Next add an apple for sweetness, and have it every morning. This drink is enriched with vitamin A, B, E and minerals such as calcium.

The following video can provide instructions on making healthy vegetable juice:

Notes and Precautions

What to drink when pregnant is an essential to pregnant women. Some notes and precautions can help you with a smooth pregnancy. It is highly recommended in pregnancy to consume high quality, nutritious and organic ingredients for the preparation of fruits and vegetable juices. Fresh fruits are those that are in-season (and are not canned/ frozen); whereas organic refers to fruits and vegetables that are grown in healthy environment (with no pesticides or other chemicals).

Juice fasting should be avoided during pregnancy; it may result in deprivation of the much needed essential nutrients from the health of mother and child. Using natural ingredients like ginger and honey in diet can prove useful for nausea and vomiting on everyday basis.

Tips on Better Enjoy Drinks During Pregnancy

It is hard to refrain yourself from some “not –so-healthy” beverages in social gatherings where everyone else seems to be drinking. Here are some helpful tips (that definitely requires a bit of your imagination well).

• Champagne glasses are not only for liquor; you can drink your apple or cranberry juice in fancy glasses without feeling odd in the party.
• You can change the flavor of your fruit juice/ beverage by mixing up flavors and making your own margarita (some great fruits juices that can be mixed for special flavor are apple juice, cranberry juice, pineapple, coconut water and other juices).
• You can also add a twist of lime/ orange juice in your cranberry juice. To reduce the intensity of flavor, dilute your fruit juices with sparkling water (as too much sugar via fruit juices is definitely not healthy).

Drinks to Avoid During Pregnancy

Although women are mostly conscious about their dietary intake during pregnancy, there are some types of drinks that are a part of our daily routine and society, which we do not consider harmful. But in fact they are a potential harm during the gestational period. These include the following:

1. Some Herbal Teas

One might not associate the word harmful with herbal teas, but the fact is that most products marketed are unregulated and have multiple stimulatory effects; therefore it is best to avoid them during pregnancy. Click here to learn the whole list of safe and unsafe herbal teas during pregnancy. 

2. Alcohol

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is hazardous not only to the mother but can also prove fatal to the fetus. Alcohol intake has been associated with ‘fetal alcoholic syndrome’, where the baby is born with symptoms that usually occur due to alcohol over consumption. Besides this, chances of miscarriage and still births also increase considerably.

3. Energy Drinks

Energy drinks provide an instant source of sugar, caffeine and high amount of energy. Since they have not been tested on pregnant women extensively, use of energy drinks should be avoided. Energy drinks are mostly synthetic and contain excessive sugar and caffeine, it is not an ideal source of nutrition (or even energy) in pregnant mommies.

4. Caffeine

Intake of 200 mg of caffeine per day (that is equivalent to approximately 12 ounces of coffee) is hazardous for pregnancy. Caffeine cam induce premature uterine contractions, dyspepsia, insomnia, palpitations, arrhythmia, stomach ulcer and gastric regurgitations.

Make sure to account for caffeine in other beverages (such as energy drinks, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, and even coffee ice cream)