Trouble Drinking Water During Pregnancy? Try These 13 Tips

Oh pregnancy, you can be so cruel. I mean, the number ONE most important thing to put into our bodies during pregnancy is WATER. But what happens when you have trouble drinking water during pregnancy?

What if the mere thought of drinking water makes you nauseous? Luckily, I’ve scoured the Internet and compiled all of the tips that I could find in one place. You are bound to find one tip here that will help you.

How Much Water To Drink While Pregnant

When pregnant, you should be drinking more water than you typically would, around 8-10 eight-ounce glasses per day.

Luckily, every liquid that you take into your body contains water (yay!), so if your body is rejecting water, there are other liquids that you can drink to help stay hydrated.

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What To Do When You Have Trouble Drinking Water During Pregnancy

Drink whatever your body will allow you to drink. If it contains sugar, then so be it, just try to limit the sugar intake as much as possible. A little extra sugar in your diet is still better than dehydration! If you are in the first trimester, this issue with water will probably (hopefully!) disappear as you enter the second trimester.

Here’s what you can try:

1.Try drinking water with a TON of ice

Many expectant moms say that they absolutely cannot drink water unless it is super, SUPER cold. Fill up your cup with ice and then add a little water.

2. Try hot tea

If ice-cold isn’t working for you, try the other extreme. Some hot tea might do the trick to settle your stomach. A morning sickness tea would be the best bet to help you out. I recommend this tea.

3. Drink other liquids

As I said before, while water is best, getting hydration in whatever way possible is sometimes necessary. I also recommend cutting any of these drinks with water in order to cut down the sugar content. You could try:

• juice
• iced tea
• lemonade
• milk (8 ounces of milk is 7 ounces of water)
• gatorade
• sparkling water or ginger ale

4. Get hydration from food

About 20 percent of our water intake comes from the food that we eat. Try to eat more of the following to increase your water intake without having to drink it:

• eat extra watery fruit- watermelon and cantaloupe are the fruits that contain the most water. Pears, strawberries and oranges are also high in hydration.
• eat soup
• consume some low sugar popsicles

5. Add lemon to your water

I like adding lemon juice to my water, but I never seem to have fresh lemons on hand. I love True Lemon during pregnancy because it’s 100% natural crystalized lemon. It helps make your water much more palatable, as the flavor of lemon can calm nausea. It’s also much more inexpensive than buying lemons each week.

6. Half Water, Half Gatorade

I know I mentioned this above, but I wanted to mention it again in case you’re skimming the subtitles.

This one is great for those mamas who can’t stomach sugar either. Mixing Gatorade with water and lots of ice will taste like a really lite popsicle, and could be very appealing.

7. Suck on ice

Many pregnant women crave ice (which could actually be caused by a mineral deficiency), and this could easily be the solution to your problems.

Sucking on ice could also alleviate morning sickness, so be sure to give this one a try.

8. Take small, frequent sips

For some reason, our stomaches simply can’t handle a lot at once when we are pregnant. Think about how you need to eat now that you’re pregnant. You can’t eat a huge meal like you used to, you likely eat very small, frequent meals.

When it comes to drinking, it’s the same thing. Small, frequent sips are the best.

9. Drink through a straw

Drinking your water through a straw might also help. The reason? Because then you can’t smell the water. Weird, but true.

10. Fruit-Infused Water

Throwing some fruit into your water can help flavor it just enough to calm your stomach.

11. Make a slushy

Blending your water with a ton of ice until it’s slushy consistency is another option that might work for pregnant moms unable to drink water during pregnancy. You could also add a splash of juice for some flavor.

12. Alkaline Water

Many expectant mothers also find that drinking alkaline water (a water with a higher pH level) allows them to drink water without issue. There are also many other benefits to alkaline water that have been shown in studies, such as:

• a lower risk for pre-eclampsia
• stabilizing blood pressure
• reducing water retention and swelling

13. Add mint

Mint is known to lessen the effects of nausea. While pregnant, try adding a peppermint candy to your water or chewing mint gum while you drink water.

Dehydration During Pregnancy- When To Go To The Hospital

If you are still having trouble staying hydrated, make sure to monitor how you feel very closely, and to go to the hospital if you feel that you are dehydrated. Signs of dehydration include:

• changes in the movement of your baby
• leaking fluid
• vomiting or diarrhea for more than 12 hours
• not sweating
• producing little urine
• light-headedness

Related: What To Eat With Morning Sickness

Having trouble drinking water during pregnancy? What works for you?