Staying well hydrated is important whatever your age. From childhood to adulthood, hitting those daily recommended intake goals will ensure you keep your body and mind in good shape.

There are a variety of factors that impact how much water you should drink on a daily basis. Your size, age and environment are all defining factors, as is your body type. A body going through pregnancy requires much more hydration. Great hydration is critical to your health and the health of the little bundle of joy you’re carrying.

In this blog post, we take a closer look at how your water intake needs change throughout pregnancy, so you can avoid the nasty effects of dehydration and keep your body functioning well during this very important time.

What are the benefits of drinking water in pregnancy?

Water plays a vital role in every body. It flushes out toxins, aids digestion, and ensures the absorption of each of your vital vitamins and minerals. During pregnancy these processes become even more important as your body evolves to cater to the demands of your growing baby.

In addition, water is a primary component of breast milk. Your water intake could dictate just how successful you’re able to lactate during the latter stages of pregnancy and after your baby is born.

Hydration is key at every stage of pregnancy. It restores and revitalises, and can even relieve troublesome pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness, indigestion, heartburn, and urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Are you drinking enough water during your pregnancy?

Dehydration can cause numerous issues during pregnancy. Severe dehydration has even been linked to miscarriages and preterm labour. If you’re having trouble urinating, aren’t producing as much urine as usual, or your urine is dark in colour or has a strong smell, you may be dehydrated. Click here to discover more symptoms of dehydration during pregnancy.

Your water intake needs will change throughout your pregnancy. Make sure you’re drinking enough water for you and baby from trimester to trimester.

Dietitian Sasha Watkins, a.k.a The Food Coach, answers the very important question about how much water is enough during pregnancy:

“Until about 27 weeks, you should ideally be drinking about 1.5 litres (2.6 pints) of fluids a day. That’s roughly eight standard 200ml glasses. In the third trimester, you should be drinking slightly more than this to support your baby’s growth. You should also up your fluid intake if the weather’s very hot, or you’re very active.”

How can you drink more water as part of your diet?

There are many ways in which you can boost the amount of water you drink every day. Make water taste better through filtering and infusion. Filtering your water is easy and something you can do at home by investing in a water filter.

Taking sips of water at regular intervals throughout the day is another must for boosting hydration. Getting water from other sources such as other healthy beverages and water-rich foods will also help to boost intake no-end.

Tracking how much water you’re drinking throughout the day will ensure you’re hitting those targets and the dangers of dehydration can be avoided completely. Here are the best apps for tracking water intake to get you started.