What are the symptoms of dehydration in pregnant women? Frequent thirst

Pregnant women have weaker immunity and need to pay more attention to their diet. So, what are the symptoms of dehydration in pregnant women?

What are the symptoms of dehydration in pregnant women?

The most common symptoms of dehydration in pregnant women include frequent thirst, decreased urine volume, darker urine, or dry and itchy skin.

In addition, lack of water can also cause dizziness in pregnant women. Because more than 60% of the blood is water, if the body lacks water and causes the blood to become thick, the blood flow to the brain will be insufficient, which will cause dizziness.

Tips for pregnant women to drink water

Drinking more water has many benefits to the human body, but lack of water has a huge impact on pregnant mothers and fetuses. Doctors suggest the following 4 water drinking tips so that pregnant mothers don’t have to worry about lack of water.

1. Small amounts and multiple times

Carry a water bottle with you and place it where it is easily accessible. Develop a habit of drinking water by drinking small amounts and frequently at regular intervals. Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink.

2. Warm water

Choosing room temperature or warm boiled water can help gastrointestinal absorption and peristalsis.

3. Drink less ice water

During the entire pregnancy process, affected by hormones, the contraction function of the gastrointestinal smooth muscle is reduced, which prolongs the time it takes to empty food. Pregnant mothers are prone to stomach discomfort, and drinking ice water can easily increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract, so it is recommended to avoid it as much as possible.

4. Reduce water intake before bed

Reduce your water intake after 9pm to reduce the urge to urinate and interrupt your sleep.

What are the dangers of dehydration in pregnant women

Poor heat regulation

Dehydration can cause your body to overheat. Water is important for heat regulation in all people, but it is especially important during pregnancy. It is very easy to overheat during pregnancy because your body cannot easily get rid of the heat.

To compensate, your body may sweat a lot, which means you may lose excess water. If your body temperature rises to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, your fetus may also have a high temperature. If this happens early in pregnancy, it can cause neural tube defects in the fetus.

Low amniotic fluid

While there are a variety of potential causes for oligohydramnios in pregnancy, dehydration in the mother may be a major cause. Amniotic fluid is a support system for your growing baby. It provides protection for your unborn baby and assists in the development of many of his body systems.

If oligohydramnios occurs in early pregnancy, it may lead to developmental defects or even death of the fetus. If it occurs in late pregnancy, it may lead to premature birth, impaired fetal growth or delivery complications.

Other risks

Besides the possible risks of maternal fatigue, constipation, and insufficient breast milk, dehydration may cause your baby to have other health problems. In addition, water plays a vital role in the removal of waste from the body and the health of your liver and kidneys, as well as yours and your baby's.

Dehydration can cause damage to your baby's cells and can put strain on his liver and kidneys. Dehydration late in pregnancy can trigger uterine contractions and lead to premature birth.

Five things pregnant women should not do when drinking water

(1) Pregnant women should not wait until they are thirsty to drink water.

Thirst is like watering a field after it has cracked. It is the result of water shortage, not the beginning. It is a rescue signal from the brain center requesting water replenishment. Thirst indicates that the body's water balance has been imbalanced and the cells have been dehydrated to a certain extent.

(2) Pregnant women should not drink water that has been boiled for a long time or has been boiled repeatedly.

Because after repeated boiling, the concentration of harmful substances such as silver nitrite, nitrite ions and arsenic in the water increases relatively. Drinking boiled water for a long time will cause the low iron hemoglobin in the blood to combine into high iron hemoglobin that cannot carry oxygen, thus causing blood poisoning.

(3) Pregnant women should not drink unboiled tap water.

Because the chlorine in tap water interacts with the organic matter remaining in the water, it will produce a carcinogen called "trihydroxy". Pregnant women should not drink boiled water stored in a thermos for more than 24 hours, because as the water temperature in the bottle gradually drops, the chlorine-containing organic matter in the water will continue to be decomposed into harmful nitrites, which is extremely harmful to the internal environment of the pregnant woman's body.

(4) Pregnant women should not drink tea brewed in a thermos cup.

Because tea contains a large amount of tannic acid, caffeine, essential oils and multiple vitamins, if the tea leaves are soaked in the water in a thermos cup, the multiple vitamins will be destroyed and the nutrition will be reduced. The tea will become bitter and contain more harmful substances, which will cause digestive and nervous system disorders after drinking.

(5) Pregnant women should not drink contaminated water.

Pregnant women must never drink water contaminated by wastewater, waste gas, waste residue and other pollutants from industrial production. Even after boiling at high temperature, toxic chemicals will still exist in the water.

For expectant mothers, the correct way to drink water is to drink water every two hours, 8 times a day. In the early stages of pregnancy, the daily water intake should be 1,000 to 1,500 ml, and in the late stages of pregnancy, it is best to control it within 1,000 ml.