The entire dietary lifestyle gets transformed 100% when one realizes that one is pregnant (Pregnancy). Some of the favourite food items might have to be avoided and a few disliked ones have to be included. However, all these changes are for the growth and development of the foetus.
Our fluid needs rise when one is pregnant. This is because our blood volume increases during pregnancy and the body’s water compartments grow significantly. On top of all these, the growing foetus needs a rich supply of fluid to grow, develop and live comfortably in its prenatal environment.
It is therefore important to drink plenty of fluids when one is pregnant, especially in hot weather.
A few drinks must be avoided during pregnancy and while some drinks are very much beneficial. Fluid needs vary from environment-to-environment and person-to-person. However, it is advised to drink around 1 – 2 litres of fluid each day.
Keeping the fluids appropriate will help one to remain healthy and also good for the foetus. Fluids also play an important role in keeping the digestive system healthy, when a high fibre diet is being followed. Irregular bowel movements, although not dangerous, but would be the cause of inconvenience.
Drinks To Avoid During Pregnancy
In order to be clear of the beverages which are harmful, are highlighted below.
Health Tip 1 Unpasteurised Milk or Juices
During pregnancy, it is advised to drink good amounts of milk and have fruit juices, but there is a lot of variation in milk and juices, especially the non-pasteurised one. Pasteurisation is a process that takes care of various bacteria and microbes present in the substance. If the milk that one buys or the juice box one purchase is not pasteurised, the bacteria present in it could be harmful. And since they enter inside the body, they could easily find their way to the baby via the placenta and cause permanent damage.
Health Tip 2 Wheatgrass Juice
The benefits of wheatgrass are tremendous and the same is believed by a pregnant woman. However, very few people are clear of the concept that in wheatgrass there is a presence of various microbes and moulds. The conditions in which wheatgrass is harvested are usually damp and moist, making it a good breeding ground for various microbes to flourish. Since wheatgrass juice is made from raw wheatgrass, these germs very easily get into the juice which, when consumed, cause a massive imbalance in the nutrients present in the body of the mother and indirectly to the baby.
Health Tips 3 Aerated Drinks
These wonderful concealed packages might say that this is healthy to consume and is a safe drink but one of the key ingredients present in these drinks is caffeine. It is also accompanied by artificial sweeteners, primary of which is saccharine. Saccharine is the most powerful chemical to find its way through the placenta, reaching the baby easily. When consumed in excess, it can start affecting the baby’s growth and causing defects.
Health Tips 4 Coffees
Most women are in the habit of consuming tea or coffee as a morning routine. Completely ban coffee for self to escape from the indirect intake of caffeine; while one is pregnant, this is the most ideal practice one should make it. However, since it can be difficult for many, for this one can start by restricting the consumption to no more than two cups in a day. Try to keep the consumption as minimum as possible, especially in the first trimester, since the risk of caffeine causing a miscarriage is quite high around that time.
Health Tips 5 Iced Tea
During summers women who are pregnant, have the craving of refreshing and cool drinks, and the best they find is iced tea, thinking they do not contain sugars, seems harmless and are cold as well. But what many fail to observe is the tea part of it. The concentrated tea used in the drink contains a large amount of caffeine, which can cause real harm to the foetus developing inside.
Health Tips 6 Alcohols
This might be ridiculous for those who believe that a little consumption will not harm the child. What could be little for one might be a lot for the developing baby. Alcohol causes severe defects in the child, right from bodily deformations, hindered brain development, and many more. And if one thinks that a single drink is fine, it is a myth. Consuming one drink a day can still bring about a number of abnormalities in the baby.
Health Tips 7 Green Tea
Green tea is deemed as a healthy drink since ages, knowing that it is harmful to pregnant women is unbelievable. Multiple websites and even nutritionist recommend green tea to pregnant women for its benefits and its advantages over having coffee or usual tea. One should be clear of the fact that green tea does have some amount of caffeine as well. And moreover, it elevates the metabolism of the body which is already at its peak during pregnancy. This leads to reduced folic acid absorption, which can spell a multitude of problems in the foetus.
Keeping away from certain items is the best bet for one’s health as well as the baby’s development. Looking for healthy alternatives and developing a taste for them can ensure one to have a trouble-free relaxed pregnancy throughout.
Drinks To Prefer During Pregnancy
Our body’s weight consists of around 50-60% of water. Water is needed for every cell and organ in our body to function properly. It is constantly being removed from our body through excretions, in the form of sweat, urine and breathing. Therefore, it is really important to replace it on a regular basis.
Health Tips 8 Water
Water is well absorbed by the body and it is a real thirst quencher. The taste of tap water can be purified in alkaline-based water purifiers and make it fit for human consumption.
It is important to try and drink 1-2 litres a day. Can also drink more than this; during this period one often needs more to keep well hydrated, especially in hot weather. And try not reducing the fluid intake just because one needs to urinate more often.
Health Tips 9 Milk
Milk is a highly recommended drink for mothers because it is rich in calcium and protein. Skim milk is rich in calcium and protein equivalent to full cream variety, but less in fat and kilojoules. If one cannot tolerate milk, try a calcium-enriched soy drink, coconut milk or sesame milk. Aim to drink around 1-2 cups of milk or calcium-enriched soy drink each day to boost the calcium and fluid intake.
Health Tips 10 Fresh fruit juice
One should drink fresh fruit juice, as it is rich in vitamins but it can also contain more sugar than one needs. Dilute the fresh fruit juice 50:50 with cold water or mineral water. It is advisable to prepare at home. One should not get confused the fresh fruit juices with ‘fruit-flavoured drinks’ or drinks containing concentrated fruit juice. These latter types are usually low in vitamins and have high sugar content.
Health Tips 11 Soups and broths
Soups and broths count as fluids. However, as most commercial (i.e. canned and packet) soups and broths have reasonable sodium (salt) content, it is not the best idea to rely on having too much soup to meet your fluid goals, so one should consume the homemade preparations.
“Healthy Foetus Resides In the Healthy Body”
