- What is it to Experience Summer in the Philippines?
- The Importance of Drinking Plenty of Water During Pregnancy
- How much water should pregnant women consume?
- Dehydration in Pregnancy: Its Causes
- Symptoms of Dehydration to Watch Out For
- Dehydration complications in pregnancy
- Foods to Eat to Avoid Dehydration
- Conclusion
With its sunny beaches and pure blue skies, summer in the Philippines can be a lovely and enjoyable season. But this time of year may also present some difficulties for expectant women. Your body requires more water when you’re pregnant than usual to support the growth and development of your unborn child.
Keep yourself hydrated all day long because dehydration during pregnancy can result in major consequences for both mother and child.
We will discuss how much water to drink when pregnant, what causes dehydration, signs to watch out for, foods that prevent dehydration, and why hydration is crucial, especially during the warmer months.
What is it to Experience Summer in the Philippines?
The Philippines’ tropical climate is recognized for being extremely hot and muggy throughout the summer. Anyone can experience pain from the high temperatures and humidity, but pregnant women may experience the heat more severely.
Keeping cool is essential during this season to avoid dehydration, which can cause issues in pregnancy and conception.
Thankfully, there are methods for avoiding the Philippines’ oppressive heat. One choice is to travel to one of the many stunning beaches or waterfalls in the nation, where you can cool yourself in the cool water. Having some halo-halo or other cold Filipino food delicacies is another way to remain cool!
Pregnant women who live in hotter areas of the country, like Metro Manila or Cebu City, need to dress appropriately with loose-fitting clothing made of breathable fabrics like cotton so that their skin can breathe more easily in high-temperature environments.
There are many methods for pregnant mothers to still have fun while remaining safe and comfortable throughout their pregnancy, even though the hot weather in the Philippines may present some obstacles for them.
The Importance of Drinking Plenty of Water During Pregnancy
For both the mother’s and the unborn child’s health and well-being during pregnancy, it is imperative to stay hydrated. Water is essential for supporting healthy bodily processes, such as controlling body temperature, delivering nutrients to cells, and eliminating waste.
To promote fetal growth and development, a woman’s blood volume dramatically increases during pregnancy. The kidneys are under higher stress due to the increased blood volume, which makes it harder for them to eliminate waste effectively.
Pregnant women, therefore, have a higher risk of dehydration than non-pregnant people.
Dehydration during pregnancy can result in several issues, such as preterm labor, low amounts of amniotic fluid, neural tube problems in the fetus, and even miscarriage.
Furthermore, extreme dehydration might lead to contractions, resulting in an early birth (preterm birth) or distressed fetuses.
Pregnant women should make an effort to drink at least 8 to 12 glasses of water each day in order to avoid these issues and guarantee a safe pregnancy outcome for both mother and child.
However, individual water needs may differ based on activity intensity and weather conditions. Some who highly engage in physical activities and exercises should drink an extra amount of water and when under hot and humid conditions.
How much water should pregnant women consume?
Everyone needs to stay hydrated, but pregnant women need to do it even more. Eight glasses, or around 2 liters or half a gallon, of water, should be consumed by pregnant women each day. However, this can change based on several variables, including the surroundings and degree of activity.
Pregnant women need to drink significantly more water in hotter places like the Philippines, where summers may be brutally hot. This is because sweating in hot weather makes dehydrating easier than usual, making it crucial to rehydrate.
Additionally, getting enough water supports maintaining amniotic fluid levels and avoiding preterm labor. Further, it promotes digestion and avoids constipation, two frequent problems many pregnant women have.
Dehydration in Pregnancy: Its Causes
There are several different causes of dehydration during pregnancy.
1. The Baby Needs Water Too!
First, because the body works harder to sustain a developing kid, pregnant women frequently experience greater fluid loss than usual. Therefore, they need to drink more water than people who aren’t pregnant. Some women, meanwhile, might not be aware of this and wind up drinking less water.
2. Morning Sickness
Morning sickness, also known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), may contribute to pregnancy-related dehydration. These symptoms may make it difficult for pregnant women to keep meals and liquids down, which can result in dehydration. Furthermore, dehydration during pregnancy can be considerably caused by hot conditions.
Other causes frequently contributing to the body’s fluid levels being depleted and leading to dehydration in pregnancy include diarrhea, vomiting, or excessive perspiration. Expectant mothers must constantly monitor their hydration levels and make sure they get adequate fluids throughout the day.
3. Consuming Less Water
Lack of water consumption is one of the main reasons of dehydration during pregnancy. Given that they are exchanging fluids with their unborn child, pregnant women must increase the water they consume daily.
Other beverages, such as juice or soda, do not contribute to hydration and can cause additional dehydration due to their high sugar content.
As thirst is frequently a symptom that you may already be dehydrated, paying attention to your body and taking a drink when you feel thirsty is crucial.
Additionally, keeping a reusable water bottle on you all day long will help you remember to stay hydrated and make keeping track of your daily fluid intake simpler. Keep in mind that the best way to prevent dehydration during pregnancy is through prevention!
4. Absorbing Less Water
Not only should you drink enough water while pregnant, but you should also make sure that your body is absorbing the liquids properly. Due to certain medical conditions or medications they are taking, some women may have generally decreased absorption.
Medication used to treat nausea or vomiting, which can lead to significant fluid loss through vomiting, is another potential cause of poor absorption.
It’s crucial to contact your healthcare physician when you feel you’re not absorbing enough water. They might advise changing any prescriptions already being taken or offer different methods of staying hydrated that won’t interfere with the efficiency of the drug.
Symptoms of Dehydration to Watch Out For
Staying hydrated is crucial throughout pregnancy since dehydration can cause a number of issues. However, occasionally we might not even be aware of our dehydration until it is severe.
Knowing the signs of dehydration is essential for pregnant women so they can respond quickly.
1. Feeling Thirsty
Being thirsty is one of the most typical signs of dehydration. If you always feel thirsty, your body may be in need of more water than usual. Dark yellow urine or passing less urine than usual are other symptoms. You might also exhibit these symptoms if you are dehydrated.
- a dry mouth,
- fatigue, dark-colored,
- dark urine,
- and less frequent urination than normal
2. Headache and Dizziness
Dehydration can also result in headaches and vertigo, which are symptoms frequently disregarded during pregnancy owing to other factors like hormonal changes or exhaustion. However, you may need to drink extra water if any of these additional symptoms are also accompanied by persistent headaches or vertigo.
3. Muscle Cramps
Another indication that you may be dehydrated in late pregnancy is cramps and muscle contractions. Dehydration during pregnancy can result in an electrolyte imbalance, such as sodium and potassium, which causes muscle cramps and spasms.
Other symptoms include daylong fatigue, general weakness, and dry mouth, lips, throat, and throat.
Dehydration complications in pregnancy
Dehydration during pregnancy can have dangerous side effects that could endanger the mother and the unborn child. A reduction in amniotic fluid, which can result in birth abnormalities or preterm labor, is one of the most frequent consequences.
Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary tract infections are more prevalent during pregnancy due to hormonal changes that influence bladder function, which can also be brought on by dehydration. If this type of infection is not treated, kidney damage may result.
Preeclampsia
Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), a serious medical condition that can arise during pregnancy, is another name for pre-eclampsia. High blood pressure, damage to organs including the liver and kidneys, and in extreme cases, seizures, can all result from it. Typically, it is discovered 20 weeks into the pregnancy.
Although it is typically asymptomatic, high blood pressure is one pre-eclampsia indicator that is frequently present and can be identified when examined.
Headaches might also occur along with vision anomalies like seeing spots or flashing lights.
If you have these vision changes and additional symptoms like a headache or swelling in your hands or feet, you must consult your doctor immediately.
Gestational Diabetes
Diagnosed as impaired glucose metabolism following pregnancy, gestational diabetes. A condition known as inappropriate glucose metabolism occurs when the blood sugar level is frequently high and challenging to control.
Typically, gestational diabetes develops in the middle of pregnancy. It is most frequently detected between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy by doctors.
Gestational diabetes is frequently controllable with a good diet and regular exercise. A woman with gestational diabetes may occasionally need to take insulin as well.
Preterm Labor
Your blood volume may drop if you become dehydrated. The amount of oxytocin that is already in your bloodstream is enhanced as a result of this drop. The subsequent increase in oxytocin may cause contractions.
The nerve impulses from this stimulation travel to your brain and trigger your pituitary gland to release oxytocin into your bloodstream during labor when the fetus’s body (often the head) pushes against your cervix.
Your uterus experiences oxytocin’s passage where it triggers contractions. This is why it is frequently used as a medication to facilitate childbirth.
Additionally, depending on how far along in your pregnancy, severe dehydration may trigger contractions that precede premature labor and raise your chance of miscarriage or stillbirth.
Pregnant women must always stay hydrated to ensure their bodies can function normally without any difficulties from low water levels.
Foods to Eat to Avoid Dehydration
Pregnant women can avoid dehydration in addition to drinking water by ingesting meals that are high in water. Fruits and vegetables are among the best sources of hydration because they are not only high in vitamins and minerals but also have high water content.
Cucumber is one example, which contains 96% water. It is cool and ideal for salads or as a standalone snack. Another excellent choice is watermelon, a perfect fruit for summer because it contains roughly 92% water.
Tomatoes (94% water), strawberries (91%), lettuce (95%), celery (95%), oranges (88%), and grapefruit (90%), among others, are meals that are hydrating. To assist pregnant women in staying hydrated, these fruits and vegetables can be included in smoothies or eaten raw as snacks throughout the day.
Pregnant women can stay healthy and avoid dehydration throughout pregnancy by including these hydrated items in their diet, especially during the hot summer months.
Conclusion
Being severely dehydrated when pregnant can have substantial negative effects on both the mother and the fetus. Pregnant women must drink plenty of fluids to keep healthy, especially in the Philippines’ humid climate. Eight to ten glasses of water per day, or more if necessary, are the recommended daily intake.
In addition to getting enough water, it’s critical to eat meals like fruits and vegetables that are high in fluids. Don’t hesitate to get help right away if you start to feel any signs of dehydration.
Always remember that staying hydrated promotes both your health and the health of your developing baby during pregnancy. Therefore, stay hydrated the entire time you are pregnant!
