How Much Water to Drink When Pregnant?

Drinking enough water is one of the most important (and easiest) ways to keep your body healthy when you’re expecting.

But knowing how much water to drink while pregnant can be tricky.

Should you stick to your normal amount?

What if you’re so nauseous you can’t keep water down?

Or if you’re retaining water, should you cut back?

We’ve compiled a complete guide to keeping hydrated throughout your pregnancy, making sure that every cell in your body, as well as your growing baby, has the right hydration to function and develop smoothly.

Let’s dive in. 💦

In this article: 📝

Why is drinking water while pregnant important?

There’s no doubt about it: drinking water while pregnant is vital for you and your growing babe.

Not only is your body made up mostly of water, but so is your baby’s. [1]

Plus, by the end of your pregnancy, you will be producing at least 50% more blood (again, mostly water) to keep baby nourished as they grow.

And, according to embryologist Navya Muralidhar, that’s not the only reason: “you also need hydration to form amniotic fluid, which is the liquid that surrounds your baby.”.

Drinking enough water also helps ease a lot of the pregnancy symptoms which can really get us down: fatigue, constipation, cramps, and even bloating and excess swelling can all be eased with hydration.

But, how do you know if you’re drinking enough?

How much water should you drink a day if pregnant?

The standard advice for pregnant women is to drink around 8-12 glasses of water a day — or 64-96 oz. [2]

You’ve probably come across the 8x8 rule: that every adult should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (that comes out to 64 oz, or about 2 liters), and that's the minimum recommended amount if you're pregnant, too.

Navya explains why, “That’s because water needs slowly increase, as your pregnancy progresses. Also, in case your morning sickness leads to those vomiting episodes, it’s best to avoid any chance of dehydration and monitor your fluid intake.”.

But do all pregnant women really need to drink 8-12 glasses?

Well, scientists have recently questioned the scientific basis of such a strict approach and now say that a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t actually appropriate. [3,4]

Instead, how much water to drink a day, when pregnant or not, isn’t a fixed rule at all.

It’s different for each person, and depends on a whole range of factors, from your weight and diet to your exercise regime, and even the weather where you live.

When to drink more water while pregnant

So how do you know if you need more hydration?

Here are the signs to look out for:

• Feeling thirsty. A no-brainer. You don’t need to keep getting up for endless glasses of water though. Keep a bottle nearby and just keep sipping throughout the day.
• Dark, infrequent pee. Healthy pee will be pale yellow and come fairly frequently.
• Extra sweating. This can be from exercise or just a hot day.
• Excess swelling. Ha! A curveball! In one of those odd counterintuitive things our bodies do, retaining fluid can be a sign it’s actually not getting enough. Drink a bit extra if you notice swelling, and see if it goes down.
• Dry skin, mouth, and eyes. If your skin is getting drier and wrinklier than a desert lizard’s, it might be moisture on the inside that’s causing the issue.
• Vomiting. Sometimes in the first trimester, keeping anything down feels impossible. But if you can, try your best to get as much water whenever you can manage it. Vomiting is a one-way ticket to dehydration, so anything you can do to give your body that little bit of extra fluid at this tricky time is a plus. [5]
• Dizziness and fatigue. A pregnancy staple, we know, but it is often worsened by not enough fluids. Treat your body to some extra water and see how it reacts.

And remember, you don’t only get fluids from drinking water.

The fluids in any beverage—milk, sugar-free juices, brothy soup, tea and coffee, and water-rich fruits and vegetables—all count towards the daily replenishment of fluids your body needs.

Another helpful tidbit from embryologist Navya Muralidhar: “I recommend going for fruit or herbal teas, fresh fruit juice or plant-based milk or skimmed milk if you’re looking for healthy drink choices.”.

Just remember that while pregnant, excess caffeine isn’t ideal.

“And try to avoid fizzy drinks as well, as they’re high in sugar”, Navya suggests.

So there you have it. If you pay attention to these signs, you should be able to stay on track with the amount of water you’re drinking throughout your pregnancy, whatever trimester you’re in.

Bottoms up!