Why Hydration & Salt Is So Important During Pregnancy

If you followed me long before I got pregnant, you know I was a big advocate of drinking LOTS of water throughout the day. When I cut out my morning coffee back in 2020, I began drinking 40oz of water first thing in the morning. Not only did my skin look better, but I FELT better. I would concentrate on drinking over a gallon of water each day and I absolutely loved it. Well fast forward to fall 2021 when I got pregnant and that all changed. Drinking water on an empty stomach while pregnant is a vomit ticking time bomb, and I had to find that out the hard way. Most of my nausea and vomiting was caused by water, not food, which made drinking water throughout the first trimester extremely difficult. I found myself drinking less and less water, and feeling like crap at night because of it. Luckily things eased a bit in the second trimester and I was able to come up with a game plan on how to get enough water (and salt) into my daily diet.

Why Water Is So Important During Pregnancy

As we all know, water is ESSENTIAL for survival. I mean, our body is made up of 60-70% water so why wouldn’t we need to replenish those sources daily, right? This water content in our body protects organs, tissues, carries oxygen to our cells, lubricates our constantly aging joints, and helps the kidneys and liver flush out waste products…that’s extra important! But when you’re pregnant, you produce extra blood in your body, you’re building new tissues (and another human!!), and forming amniotic fluid. All this to say, hydrating is HELLA IMPORTANT while pregnant. Not only are you keeping your body healthy, but you’re trying to keep another body healthy at the same time. It’s a lot of work!

Why Salt Is So Important During Pregnancy

But something that definitely shouldn’t be overlooked is salt. More often than not, we are taught to limit our salt intake and to fear salt, but salt is a must for a ton of bodily functions such as hormone production, enzyme functioning, and more! There is more and more research coming out that it is much more dangerous to under consume salt. And like I mentioned before, pregnant women have more blood in their bodies because they are growing a new organ (the placenta) along with another human. So pregnant women actually need MORE salt to ensure that the placenta is growing and functioning correctly so the baby can grow and develop optimally. Not getting enough salt in on a daily basis could even lead to an increased risk of preeclampsia and death of the fetus. Obviously that’s worst case scenario, but I definitely think it’s something to keep in mind since so many people have been told to fear salt over the years.

How To Get More Water into Your Daily Routine

Now that I’m into my second trimester and not throwing up water first thing in the morning to start my day, I’ve been concentrating way more on my hydration. When it comes to drinking water, I have a goal of 80oz per day. The problem is, water kind of grosses me out after the first trimeter. So I’ve had to get creative. I always drink water in the mornings and when I’m working out, which normally gets me 50-60oz of water throughout the day, then a turn to decaffeinated (most of the time) tea. Drinking tea has been a LIFESAVER. Here are some teas I’m loving these days:

• Sportea
• Pique Ginger Tea (code PALEOMG for discount at checkout)
• Pique Hibiscus Beauty Elixir (code PALEOMG for discount at checkout)
• Ginger Berry Citrus Tea
• Cravings Crusher Tea
• White Tropical Tea

I use this pitcher with an infuser that holds 40oz of water and I usually drink that in a day. I like to add lemon slices, ginger slices, and sometimes I add frozen sweet cherries. It’s delicious…and this is coming from a person who normally HATES tea. It has truly been a life saver with helping me get enough water in.

A few other things I’ve been drinking during pregnancy include:

• Coconut Water – Not only is coconut water super hydrating, but it’s loaded with minerals such as potassium (more than a banana), but it also has calcium, magnesium, and antioxidants. I drink normally a cup a day or more and I like to mix it into my adrenal cocktail.

How To Get More Salt into Your Daily Routine

Another MUST in my daily routine is minerals. I have to ensure I get enough potassium, magnesium, and other minerals in so I don’t experience restless legs. I never experienced restless legs before pregnancy, but every night like clockwork, I get them. BUT if I’m sticking with my salt and electrolyte consumption throughout the day, this is not an issue.

• GOODONYA Hydrate – This has become my favorite to have at night before bed. I found this product while traveling through California and bought it to bring it home with me because it was my miracle drink. It tastes like lemonade, but it’s loaded with coconut, salt, sea minerals, and vitamin c. I have it every night before bed and my restless legs instant disappear.
• LMNT Watermelon Salt – There are a lot of electrolyte salt mixes out there that have a lot of shit out there, but not LMNT. Their electrolyte packet is filled with potassium, sodium, magnesium, and no excess sugar. They have a bunch of different flavors, but watermelon is my personal favorite!
• Redmond Real Salt – This is my favorite salt to use when I cook.
• Maldon Flake Salt – I always top my food with some flake salt on top for added flavor.
• Coconut Water – Like I mentioned above, I drink at least a cup a day.
• Adrenal Cocktail – I make this daily, between 10am-2pm, when adrenal glands are working hardest.
• Ned Mëllo Magnesium – Not only will a scoop of this get you more water, but it has 3 sources of the most absorbable magnesium along with over 70 trace minerals.

Even though this post is related to pregnancy, it is SO IMPORTANT for everyone. The more we can support our bodies through optimal nutrition, the less we will be dealing with constant nagging health issues. Working from the inside-out is so incredibly important and starting with things simply as small as drinking more water and getting enough salt, could be an incredible stepping stone in your path to improved health! Hopefully this post was helpful and gets you paying more attention to your salt and water consumption!