What should I drink during pregnancy? Here’s what you can and shouldn’t drink during pregnancy [Doctor-supervised]

Staying hydrated during pregnancy is essential

During pregnancy, blood volume and fat volume increase, and basal body temperature also rises. Metabolism also becomes active, making you more likely to sweat, and if morning sickness is added to this, you will lose even more fluids through vomiting. Therefore, it is important to consciously replenish your fluids more than usual. The recommended amount is about 1.5 to 2 liters per day.

If you are not hydrated enough during pregnancy, you should be aware of the risk of complications such as urinary tract infections and dehydration due to vomiting. If you drink enough water, you will be more likely to prevent these symptoms. Also, constipation, which is common during pregnancy, will be easier to improve if you drink enough water.

However, even if you drink enough water, pregnant women can become stressed if they only drink water every day. That doesn’t mean you can drink just anything, so you should choose drinks that are safe to drink even during pregnancy and make sure to stay hydrated.

As you know, during pregnancy, the nutrients that the mother takes in are sent to the baby through the placenta. In other words, just like food, drinks also affect the baby’s development, and some drinks can cause sensitive reactions in the mother’s body, so good quality fluids are necessary.

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Good quality fluids are essential during pregnancy

Pregnant women need good quality fluids. Here we will take a closer look at the relationship between pregnant women and fluids.

Drinking water during pregnancy affects the quality of amniotic fluid

During pregnancy, when amniotic fluid is needed, blood circulation increases. Blood is made from the fluid you take in every day, so it is essential to replenish with good quality fluids.

The amniotic fluid in the uterus protects the baby from vibrations and shocks and also plays an important role in promoting the development of the baby’s lungs and digestive organs.

The quality of this important amniotic fluid is affected by the amount of fluid a pregnant woman drinks. I think many people say, “When I was hydrating, I didn’t even think about amniotic fluid.”

However, if a pregnant woman consumes a lot of water that is not good for her body, the amniotic fluid will become polluted.

Recent studies have shown that babies raised in unclean amniotic fluid are at higher risk of developing atopic dermatitis and allergies. To prevent atopic dermatitis in your baby, be sure to drink healthy, safe fluids during pregnancy.

Recommended drinks during pregnancy

Water

As explained above, it is very important to drink good quality fluids during pregnancy. Water that does not contain unnecessary substances is safe to drink. However, avoid cold water with lots of ice and try to drink at room temperature as much as possible. Pregnant women tend to sweat easily and get thirsty. Try to drink water frequently, aiming for 1.5 to 2 liters per day. Water is not a recommended drink, but sufficient hydration is essential for everyone, not just pregnant women. Some people may not drink much water normally, but make a conscious effort to drink more during pregnancy for the sake of your baby.

Barley tea

I’m sure there are many households that give barley tea to babies and young children.

Barley tea is caffeine-free and contains minerals, making it a recommended drink during pregnancy.

Chilled barley tea is delicious in the hot summer, but like water, it’s best to drink it at room temperature. It’s also delicious hot.

Milk

Calcium is an important nutrient necessary for the formation of baby’s bones and teeth. Milk is rich in calcium, so be sure to consume it. Even if you don’t usually drink much milk, try to drink more and use milk in your cooking.

Dandelion tea and dandelion coffee

Have you heard of dandelion tea or dandelion coffee, which are made from the roots of dandelions? Depending on the manufacturer, they are classified as tea or coffee depending on the method of drying and roasting the roots, and whether the leaves and stems are used in addition to the roots. Although it is coffee, it is caffeine-free, so you can drink it safely even during pregnancy without worrying too much about the amount. It is a natural herbal tea that has a fragrant coffee flavor. It is best to avoid coffee containing caffeine during pregnancy, so if you are a coffee lover, why not try dandelion coffee?

Decaffeinated coffee

Nowadays, there are more and more decaffeinated coffees that you can enjoy the taste and aroma of. Decaffeinated coffee is available from a variety of manufacturers, so try finding your favorite cup.

Carbonated water

During morning sickness, you may want something refreshing to drink. Carbonated water is fine to drink at times like this. However, you should be careful because commercially available carbonated drinks contain a lot of sugar.

Anything that doesn’t contain sugar is fine. It’s easy to drink even during the tough morning sickness period, and it tastes better with lemon.

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Drinks to avoid during pregnancy

Alcohol

The most basic rule of thumb is to avoid drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

Alcohol molecules are very small and do not remain in the placenta, but flow into the baby’s blood immediately. If a pregnant woman consumes a large amount of alcohol, it can have a significant impact on the development of the baby’s body and brain, which is unable to metabolize alcohol . It can also lead to serious disorders such as “fetal alcohol syndrome,” which is said to cause low birth weight, brain damage, and birth defects.

Avoid drinking alcohol lightly, thinking “I’ll just have one glass,” and make sure to completely abstain from drinking alcohol.

Drinks to be careful of during pregnancy

Drinking small amounts of non-alcoholic drinks is not a problem. What is problematic is excessive consumption of drinks that contain certain ingredients in large amounts on a daily basis.

Drinks containing caffeine (coffee, black tea, green tea, etc.)

Be careful with drinks that contain caffeine, such as coffee. If you feel irritable during pregnancy and drinking one cup a day helps you relax, it may be better for your mental health than refraining from drinking. However, if drinking makes you feel anxious, it is not recommended.

Caffeine is found not only in coffee, but also in black tea, green tea, oolong tea, cocoa, etc. The amount of caffeine in one cup of coffee is about 120 mg, while black tea contains about half that amount, about 60 mg.

Regarding the amount of caffeine intake during pregnancy, various organizations recommend one to two cups as a guideline, but you can avoid unnecessary worries if you basically replace it with decaffeinated coffee.

Juice and soft drinks

Juices do not have any particular effect on pregnant women’s bodies, but you should be careful not to consume too much sugar. Even fresh fruit juices should be avoided, as the fructose in the fruit can easily turn into neutral fats.

Be careful with commercial soft drinks that contain large amounts of sugar, as consuming too much sugar can lead to excessive weight gain.

Sweet sake

There are two types of amazake. Avoid drinking amazake made from sake lees during pregnancy. It is okay to drink amazake made from koji and does not contain alcohol. However, it is high in sugar, so do not drink too much. When purchasing amazake, please check the label to be sure.

Energy drinks (tonics)

Be careful when reaching for energy drinks because you think, “I need to get energized!” Some energy drinks contain alcohol and caffeine. Basically, it’s best to avoid drinks that require you to check the ingredients of the product during pregnancy.

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Summary

This time we explained what to drink during pregnancy. What did you think?

Knowing what drinks are safe to drink during pregnancy will help you stay hydrated and will have a positive effect on your baby. Armed with the right knowledge, you will be able to have a comfortable pregnancy.

Finally, I would like to explain about NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing), which is one of the things that many pregnant women are concerned about.

NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing) is the latest screening test that can check for chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome and the gender of the baby before birth . The test method only requires a blood sample, so it is gentle on the mother and has high test accuracy.

At Hiro Clinic NIPT , our partner Tokyo Medical Laboratory completes all testing domestically, making it possible to provide plans more in-depth tailored to the needs of pregnant women, such as NIPT (new prenatal testing) for chromosome 21 (Down syndrome) alone. In addition to testing for aneuploidies of all chromosomes, which tests chromosomes 1-22 and all sex chromosomes, we are now able to test for partial deletions and duplications in all autosomal regions .

Furthermore, you can expect faster and more advanced testing than ever before, with 95% of test results delivered within 8 days of blood collection (excluding some plans). In addition, all Hiro Clinic NIPT locations

, excluding affiliated facilities , offer an express delivery option (delivery in as little as 2 days after blood collection). Test results will be reported by email, as before.

NIPT (new type prenatal testing) is a blood test, but there are no restrictions on what you can eat or drink on the day of the test.
Please eat your usual meals and drink plenty of fluids when you come to the test.

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