12 Healthy Drinks For Pregnant Women

Pregnancy is unlike any other life journey, as it comes with questions for most expectant mothers. If you’re like all other women who have concerns about diets and healthy drink options during pregnancy, you’re at the right spot. This article contains a list of 12 healthy drinks for pregnant women.

Although many facts are available on what to eat while pregnant, info is still sparse on what drinks are safe and healthy for you and your little one.

Firstly, it’s important to stay hydrated during all trimesters as your fluid demand increases to meet your baby’s needs. Furthermore, drinking lots of fluids during pregnancy helps prevent urinary tract infections and preterm labor.

Consuming healthy drinks adds great nutritional value not only to the mother but to the unborn child. However, drinking water all day can be really boring.

Asides from water, there are lots of healthy drinks that are safe for consumption when you are pregnant. And we’re here to help you find them!

Here we have ten healthy drinks you can consume during pregnancy:

1. Milk

This looks really obvious and usually comes to mind while suggesting what to drink to a pregnant woman. It is always recommended to drink milk due to its calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D content, which meets the bone-building requirements for a developing baby. Milk also helps to neutralize the acid content in the digestive tract, so it prevents reflux in pregnancy.

Please note that unpasteurized or raw milk shouldn’t be consumed as it is during pregnancy because it increases the risk of several diseases like Listeriosis.

No matter what type of milk you choose, it is essential to consume the right amount to provide essential nutrients.

2. Fruit Juice

This is another great drink that should be taken while pregnant. You can make fruit juice of different varieties with different fruits or even a combination of many fruits.

A classic example is orange juice which supplies you with potassium & lowers your blood pressure.

3. Vegetable Juice

Vegetable Juice?

If you aren’t getting enough vegetables in your diet, the best way to include vegetables in your diet is by making juice!

There are numerous vegetable juice recipes to try out, you should try the carrot juice! Carrot juice is a great source of beta- carotene which is a type of vitamin A but it should be pasteurized.

4. Smoothies

Smoothies are just the best to deal with all forms of fatigue and nausea. They are easy to whip up, delicious to drink and they make pregnancy a smooth ride.

Do you know what’s amazing? Smoothies can be made with a mixture of fruits, vegetables, and even blending together with milk.

5. Soy milk

If you’re lactose intolerant, soy milk is a safer option as it is also high in protein and calcium which aids in the development of the baby. It has the same beneficial effects as animal milk which is rich in calcium and minerals.

6. Coconut water

Coconut water is naturally refreshing, it has this sweet, nutty taste and contains easily digested carbohydrates in the form of sugar and electrolytes. It’s an all-natural way to hydrate.

It’s also a good source of electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, and manganese. Americans typically don’t get enough potassium and this could be a benefit.

7. Buttermilk

The vitamins, minerals, and probiotics in buttermilk provide excellent health benefits such as boosting the immune system and keeping the eyes healthy. During pregnancy, it’s very important in restoring important body fluids and salts, it also helps in curing constipation in pregnancy.  Its commonly known as churned curd. It soothes the digestive system and alleviates the common pregnancy discomfort of heartburn.

8. Fruit mocktail

Since it’s inadvisable to drink alcohol during pregnancy, you can have a nice fruit mocktail made using different fruit juices. The mocktail should be completely made with infused fruits and shouldn’t be mixed with any kind of alcohol.

9. Lemonade

This is more refreshing during summers and it’s especially recommended during pregnancy as it provides a pregnant woman with natural vitamin C and helps in relieving nausea and bloating. Lemonade with some mint and crushed ginger is just the best for dealing with morning sickness.

Other Healthy Drink Options

10. Infused Water

Drinking plain water could be boring, you can spice up things by infusing your water with a variety of fruits and herbs to enhance its nutritional value and taste. This is free from unnecessary calories and helps rid the body of toxins. Slices of cucumber, apple, watermelon, wedges of lemon, and a few sprigs of mint can do the magic.

11. Chia Fresca

This is a very healthy alternative to caffeine or any other energy drink. Chia Fresca contains omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and essential proteins for every mom-to-be.

12. Water

Lastly, the most common fluid usually taken is water which carries nutrients from the food you eat to the baby. It helps prevent constipation, hemorrhoids, excessive swelling, and urinary tract infections. It not only prevents dehydration but also maintains hormonal balance.

The institute of medicine recommends about 10 cups (2.4 liters) of fluids a day during pregnancy.

Conclusion

Consuming all these healthy drinks while pregnant has great nutritional and medicinal value to your diet. During pregnancy, it is best to avoid alcohol, high caffeine drinks, all forms of soda, and high energy drinks. They affect not just the mother, but also the baby directly or indirectly.

A Baby’s growth is affected during pregnancy by caffeine consumption and it is advised to limit consumption of all kinds of caffeine drinks such as tea, coffee, chocolate, and many cola-type drinks as much as possible.

Also, consumption of fruit juices should be regulated as it contains calories increasing the risk of developing gestational diabetes. Preferably, fruit-infused water is taken to regulate calorie intake.

Unpasteurized milk and fruit juice should be avoided as these may contain bacteria that cause Listeriosis or Toxoplasmosis, both of which can cause neurological damage to your developing baby.

These healthy drinks for pregnant women will not only keep you hydrated but also help you stack up on those much-needed minerals and vitamins.

Healthy drinks should be part of a healthy pregnancy diet for maximum benefits!