Hydration for pregnant women
Because of the particular importance and responsibility of the pregnancy and lactation phases, it is often a time when mothers modify their nutritional habits and lifestyles to ensure the best and healthiest start in life for their new child.
Most pregnant and lactating women are likely to pay attention to living healthily and eating healthily– it is important that healthcare practitioners ensure that hydration is not overlooked.
Indeed, weight increases about 12 kg during pregnancy, and most of this added weight, 6 to 9 L, is water¹, because:
- The plasma volume (which is mainly water) increases
- 85% of the placenta is water²
- The fetus itself is 70-90% of water
To ensure adequate water intakes during pregnancy, the EFSA recommends an increase of 300 mL per day compared to the normal intake for non-pregnant women, taking total adequate water intake (from food and fluids) to 2,300 mL, or approximately 1,850 mL/ day from fluids³.
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