Once you learn you are pregnant, you start worrying about how your choices will affect the baby growing inside of you. It’s important to eat healthy throughout your pregnancy, and your drinks play an important role in this. Choose the healthiest drinks during your pregnancy to keep you and your baby hydrated.
Considerations
Drinks are an important part of any diet, but when you’re pregnant, you have to take other things into consideration. High-calorie beverages may cause you to gain too much weight, which can be bad news for both you and your baby in the long run. Though it’s generally considered safe to have a bit of caffeine, you want to limit it throughout your pregnancy — a can or two of soda is fine, but you should focus on healthier drinks.
Types
Water is the gold standard when it comes to healthy drinks during pregnancy. It’s calorie-free and provides the best hydration. In moderation, fruit juices and smoothies can also be healthy drinks, providing additional vitamins, but you do need to watch the calorie count to be sure that it fits within your diet plan. Milk is also a healthy drink that can give you the additional calcium you need to support your baby. Cows in the United States are given rBST hormone to produce more milk. Though U.S. experts consider it safe for human consumption, European countries and Japan have banned it due to health concerns. If this worries you, choose organic or rBST-free milk.
The Alcohol Controversy
Though moderate drinking can improve health, the usual recommendation is that pregnant women should abstain from all alcohol. Excessive alcohol consumption can cause low birth weight and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Some recent studies have shown that light drinking — a drink or two per week — have no effect on the fetus, as reported by MSNBC. However, it may be best to err on the side of safety and avoid alcohol. At the least, alcohol is not a healthy drink while pregnant.
Healthy Drinks for Morning Sickness
When you have morning sickness, it’s difficult to keep any food down. You may have an easier time drinking your meals. Try making smoothies for one or more of your meals. You can start with a fruit juice or milk base, and then add fruits and blend. Adding protein powder can ensure that you are getting enough protein when it’s difficult to eat food. Additionally, add in some vegetables, like spinach, for an added nutritional punch.
Size
Pay attention to the size of the beverages you’re drinking, particularly if they contain calories. Some drinks at restaurants are huge and contain half a day’s worth of calories. Unfortunately, they won’t keep you full, so you’ll be eating too many calories overall.
