
Pregnancy Nutrition by the American Dietetic Association
What's to Drink?
Pregnancy requires at least 64 ounces (eight 8-ounce cups) of fluid each day. Water is the most obvious fluid source, and often the most desirable, because it is rapidly absorbed by the body.
What's to Drink?
Water is the forgotten nutrient, yet it's the most indispensable of all. Without water, you'd survive just a few days, and your pregnancy would be in peril. Water helps your body cool off; transports nutrients and waste products; moistens the digestive tract and tissues; and cushions and protects your developing baby.
Fluids for Two
Fluid needs increase when pregnant, in part to keep up with an expanding blood supply, the bulk of which is water. Pregnancy requires at least 64 ounces (eight 8-ounce cups) of fluid each day. Water is the most obvious fluid source, and often the most desirable, because it is rapidly absorbed by the body. Milk, juice, and noncaffeinated soft drinks also count toward satisfying fluid needs because they contain water. So do certain solid foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Take it easy on juice, however. Juice is healthy, but it has almost as many calories as regular soft drinks.
Fluid Foods
As you may have guessed, fruits and vegetables contain the most water; fatty foods have the least.
Food Percent Water by Weight
Lettuce 95
Tomato 94
Broccoli, cooked 91
Orange 86
Apricot 86
Apple 85
Banana 76
Bread, white 36
Cookie 5
Vegetable oil 0
Water with a Twist
Sip on these variations of a glass of water:
Add lemon, lime or orange slices to a pitcher of water, and keep in refrigerator.
Mix 6 ounces club soda or seltzer with a splash of orange juice or lemonade.
Make iced tea with you favourite herbal tea bags.
Lead: A Heavy Metal
If you live in a house built before 1986, there's a chance that your home plumbing contain lead, which can leach into your drinking water. Even the newer copper pipes that carry water into homes may have lead solder at their joints.
Lead builds up in your body over time, posing a serious health threat. Unborn babies are especially vulnerable to their mother's long-term lead exposure, which can increase the risk of miscarriage and stillbirths, and may result in long-term development problems, including brain damage and learning disability.
Lead sneaks into your life in other ways, too, some which you may not realize. For example, fluids allowed to sit in leaded crystal decanters become high in lead. Hot fluids, such as tea and coffee, can leach lead from lead-glazed mugs. Ceramic pottery with lead-containing glaze, usually imported, can add lead to your foods. And dwellings with chipping lead paint are high-risk places to live. Pregnant women should not be exposed to lead paint removal.
If You're Concerned About Lead
Get your drinking water tested. Contact your local public health department to see if they can test it.
If you suspect lead in your pipes, let the cold water run for a least a minute before using the tap water for drinking or cooking purposes. Running the water flushes out the water that's been sitting in the pipes, which may have a large lead concentration.
Opt for bottled water, which is typically lead-free.
Avoid dwellings with chipping lead paint or where lead paint removal is taking place.
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