Best Drinks for Pregnant Women
Nutritious Pregnancy Beverages
Discover the most nutritious drink options beyond water for pregnancy. Some of these beverages can help ease nausea, tone the uterus in preparation for labor, and enhance fetal health.
How Much to Drink During Pregnancy
Pregnancy often brings increased thirst. Managing food and drink can be challenging due to fluctuating hormones and a compressed stomach.
Despite nausea and a shrinking stomach, it’s essential to drink more water while pregnant. Your body is constantly gaining fluids, creating blood, and building various components of your baby’s body, most of which are made up of water.
You may feel extremely thirsty during pregnancy. Even if not, staying hydrated is crucial.
The recommended daily water intake during pregnancy is higher than usual—at least ten glasses a day.
Drinking ten glasses of water every day can become monotonous. But water is essential, and much of your fluid intake should be plain water.
However, there are ways to enhance your water to make it more beneficial for you and your baby! Additionally, there are other drinks that can help, especially when dealing with nausea.
Conversely, some popular beverages should be avoided during pregnancy. Learn which drinks to skip for a healthy pregnancy and baby—some may surprise you!
What You Drink During Pregnancy Can Benefit Baby
Your pregnancy diet has a direct impact on your baby’s health. By nourishing your body and your baby’s developing body with the right nutrients at the right times, you can prevent diseases, improve metabolism, modify genetic expression, and promote a happier, healthier baby!
How is this possible? Epigenetics teaches us that specific foods and nutrients significantly affect your baby’s cognitive and physical development in the womb. Concerned about passing on bad genes? Proper pregnancy nutrition can help ease those worries.
What you drink during pregnancy is equally important as what you eat. Many everyday beverages are high in sugar and low in nutrients.
By swapping out unhealthy drinks for tasty, nutrient-filled alternatives, you can boost fetal growth and development rather than hindering it!
How What You Drink During Pregnancy Can Benefit Mom
As previously noted, many of the beverages we consume daily are packed with sugar and calories. Such drinks dilute the vital nutrients in your meals and contribute to reduced health and increased weight gain overall.
During pregnancy your nutritional needs increase exponentially by more than tripling on some nutrients, but your caloric needs only increase by about 10%. Basically that means there’s no room in a prenatal diet for loads of empty calories.
That is in no means to say a treat here and there is bad or should be off limits. But you should be aware of them and most often replace your unhealthy cravings with delectable and healthy substitutes instead.
We often don’t think of our drinks when paying attention to our diet but it is really important when trying to gain the right amount of pregnancy weight. By knowing exactly what to drink and eat during pregnancy you will get that bump-only healthy pregnancy that you are hoping for.
Another direct benefit for mom from pregnancy drinks is that a lot of them calm morning sickness. Morning sickness is such a misnomer. It doesn’t have to come on in the morning nor does it have to be confined to the first trimester, even though that is the most typical.
Morning sickness and nausea during pregnancy can rear it’s ugly head at any time. Knowing these healthy pregnancy drinks that combat nausea can be a huge help for you!
What other beverages should you consider during pregnancy, aside from water?
Initially, if water fully meets your hydration needs during pregnancy, it’s perfectly acceptable to rely solely on water. Water is the optimal choice for your pregnancy.
However, there are numerous ways to enrich your water to enhance its nutritional benefits for both you and your baby! Additionally, there are several other beverages that provide significant advantages during pregnancy.
Carbonated Water.
Many women turn to ginger ale and sodas to ease nausea encountered in the first trimester of pregnancy. Unfortunately, these are not healthy choices and are not very effective.
Seltzer water or naturally lightly flavored carbonated water is a much better alternative. Look for flavored (or even unflavored) water without sugar or artificial sweeteners (often containing sucralose and marketed as sugar-free).
Fortunately, in recent years, this type of drink has gained popularity as people attempt to reduce their soda intake and seek healthier options.
Sipping on cool seltzer water or La Croix-style drinks is a perfect treat for pregnant mothers. They help with hydration, ease nausea, and add a touch of elegance. And who doesn’t enjoy a fancy drink when alcohol is off-limits?
Infused Water
This was my absolute secret weapon to staying hydrated throughout my third pregnancy.
Adding your water with fruits, vegetables, and herbs revitalizes this essential beverage, especially when you’re drinking 10 or more glasses a day.
Simply slice some fruits and vegetables, add them to a pitcher, and fill it with water. Let it chill in the fridge overnight.
The longer the ingredients infuse in the water, the richer the flavors become. Infusion not only enhances the taste but also boosts the nutritional value of your water!
Water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C, folate, riboflavin, and other B vitamins leach from the fruits and vegetables, enriching your water with nutrients.
If you’re trying to reduce your fruit juice intake, infused water is an excellent alternative. By sweetening infused water with a healthy option like stevia, you can gradually replace fruit juice in your diet entirely.
Chia Water
Chia seeds is one of the top foods that I recommend adding into your pregnancy diet every day.
Chia seeds are rich in fiber, omega-3’s (healthy fats that are vital to consume enough to grow a healthy baby brain), phosphorus, magnesium, and antioxidants.
Chia seeds also aid in digestion, which is vital to focus on throughout pregnancy when constipation is virtually a given!
Simply add ¼ cup of chia seeds to 4 cups of liquid. Alternately you can add 1 tablespoon to any 12 oz glass. Stir the seeds as they have a tendency to clump as they gel. Allow to sit at least 10 minutes and stir again. The chia seeds add a fun texture and a ton of nutrients to any drink!
Red Raspberry Leaf Teas.
Tea is a hugely beneficial way to enhance your water during pregnancy. With the exception of teas that contain fluoride like those explained in what not to drink during pregnancy!
One great tea for pregnancy that I highly recommend drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea, especially every day throughout the third trimester.
Be sure when shopping that you locate tea made from the leaves of the raspberry plant, as opposed to raspberry tea created from dried berries.
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea provides vitamin C, B vitamins, iron, zinc, phosphorus, and potassium and is packed with antioxidants.
But Red Raspberry Leaf Tea goes far beyond being full of vitamins and nutrients required for a healthy pregnancy. This tea actually tones the muscles in the pelvis and uterine wall. Essentially it tones the uterus and is said to improve labor, reduce bleeding after labor, and speed healing postpartum!
There is no defined amount of how much you should be drinking to get the best results for your pregnancy, but this tea should definitely be on your list of things to be drinking daily!
Pregnancy Tea.
This is a wonderfully delicious and nutritional tea blend created by a high quality but affordable tea company called Traditional Medicinals.
Traditional Medicinals Pregnancy Tea contains Red Raspberry Leaf (so it has all the benefits we just mentioned) as well as Nettle Leaf which is packed with nutrients like vitamins A, C, D and K as well as iron, potassium, and phosphorus.
In addition, Nettle tea is said to ease leg cramps, which many women suffer from in pregnancy.
In addition to these powerful herbs, Pregnancy Tea contains spearmint and lemon verbena to ease nausea and a couple more herbs that are beneficial during your pregnancy and create a delicious blend! This could easily be your choice of your Red Raspberry Leaf tea to include daily during your pregnancy as it has even more nutritional benefits!
You can find Traditional Medicinals Pregnancy Tea in any grocery store or big-box-stores like Walmart or Target.
Lemon Ginger Tea.
A staple item to keep on hand especially during the first trimester is lemon tea, ginger tea, a combination of the two, and fresh lemon and ginger so you can make your own.
Both lemon and ginger are full of healthy antioxidants that strengthen your immune system. Super important to focus on your immune system while pregnant because pregnancy compromises it.
In addition, lemon and ginger aid in all stomach discomforts but specifically in naturally easing nausea.
Peppermint Tea.
This is another tea safe for pregnancy that can help to ease stomach discomfort. Peppermint tea is also known to ease headache and migraine, sinus discomforts, and improve energy.
The aforementioned are all symptoms of pregnancy, primarily in the first trimester, so peppermint tea is another drink you may want to keep on hand at all times throughout your pregnancy.
Additionally, peppermint tea contains vitamins A, B6, C, E, K, Riboflavin, Folate, iron, potassium, magnesium, and more! This light tea is delicious when included in your infused water, or chia water as well!
Senna Tea.
Senna is the leaf of a tree known to help ease constipation. It is FDA approved for medicinal use as a laxative, which is pretty rare for an herb!
I’ve been assured by my personal OBGYN and midwives that senna is safe to use in pregnancy. Senna is only recommended if you have already tried gentler laxatives and are needing something stronger, but is an important tool to know is highly effective and safe for pregnancy.
Constipation is highly prevalent throughout all of pregnancy and can be very uncomfortable and exacerbate nausea.
Traditional Medicinals also has a delicious senna tea called Smooth Move that you may want to try.
Senna can cause uncomfortable cramping in your intestines (it does not cause contractions of the uterus though as previously feared) so I’ve found it best to take it before bed so you don’t feel it’s effects and have a bowel movement first thing in the morning.
Hydration Booster
Unfortunately, sometimes drinking enough water isn’t really enough. Your body needs to have enough electrolytes for your cells to absorb and really utilize all that water that you’re drinking. One of the easiest and most delicious ways to be sure you are getting the most out of the water you drink is by adding a scoop of Majka’s Hydration Booster.
It’s 4 ingredients, all natural, tastes light and refreshing, contains only 1 gram of sugar, and was specifically created to help women through their prenatal and postpartum breastfeeding journeys.
You can use my personal code for my readers, ALLISEN20 at checkout to save 20% off your first order too!
Protein Powder Smoothies.
Pregnancy smoothies should be a staple in your prenatal diet. A smoothie is a wonderful way to get in a whole lot of nutrients fast in a delicious way!
To grow the most healthy baby possible you need a lot of protein! About 80-100 grams a day throughout your pregnancy.
It may sound like a lot of protein, well because it is. But every cell in your and your growing baby’s body contains protein. It is absolutely essential to get enough for proper growth of your baby!
That is a lot of protein to eat, especially with an ever shrinking stomach.
One great way to get it and a whole lot of other nutrients in at once is by including one of the best protein powders for pregnancy into your daily routine!
But know that not all protein powders are suitable for pregnancy. Even a lot of protein powders that are advertised as health foods or for pregnancy are a far cry from it and there are much better options available. Learn the best protein powders for pregnancy that can vastly enhance your prenatal nutrition in an easy and yummy way.
Coconut Water.
Coconut water is exactly that, the water straight out of a coconut. Not to be confused with the thick and creamy coconut milk, or sweetened juice type coconut waters.
Pure coconut water is a wonderful natural source of electrolytes. If you have been vomiting from morning sickness, you need to replenish your electrolytes and coconut water is the perfect way to do it!
Think of coconut water as natural Pedialyte or Gatorade (which are both loaded with sugar, dyes, and chemicals so this is a much healthier option!)
Only 1 cup of coconut water actually contains 3 grams of fiber in addition to vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and sodium.
Coconut water is delicious on it’s own or can be mixed with chia seeds, lemon, ginger, or more for a stomach easing or refreshing treat.
Kefir.
During your pregnancy it is vital to consume probiotics daily. Probiotics are the “good bacteria” that help maintain a healthy gut flora and are the backbone of your immune system.
There are high quality probiotic supplements to buy but it is always best to get as much of your nutrition as possible from your food. For most nutrients, they are much better absorbed and utilized by the body when they come directly from whole food (with only a few exceptions).
The drink that contains the most concentrated amount of probiotics is known as kefir (say kuh-fear).
Kefir is fermented milk that tastes like yogurt. Merely 1 tablespoon of kefir can contain up to 150 billion CFU! Probiotic supplements typically contain about 50 to 100 billion CFU per serving.
Kefir is a delicious and affordable way to get tons of those beneficial bacteria into your gut!
Bone Broth.
Bone broth is wonderful for cooking throughout your pregnancy and even postpartum period, but you can simply drink a warm cup of lightly salted broth as well!
Bone broth is available in stores or you can make your own, but it is definitely something that you want to work into your prenatal diet. Bone broth is rich in glycine, which is an essential amino acid and is basically collagen.
There isn’t currently an RDA for glycine but your growing baby needs tons! Not to mention your growing body as well.
Drink your bone broth warmed up with a bit of sea salt and be sure to sneak it into your foods where you can for an extra boost of glycine!
Wrapping Up What to Drink While Pregnant
There are numerous delicious drink options to boost your health and your baby’s during pregnancy! Plus, there are plenty of nutritious beverages that can help alleviate nausea.
Just to recap. The most healthy drinks for pregnancy are:
- carbonated water (unsweetened)
- infused water
- chia water
- red raspberry leaf tea
- pregnancy tea
- lemon ginger tea
- peppermint tea
- senna tea
- protein powder smoothies
- coconut water
- kefir
- bone broth
Which of these is the best for you during your pregnancy? Let me know in the comments below! For me, infused water and seltzer water. I was nauseous my whole pregnancy, so those La Croixs sure got me through!
