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Dehydration and pregnancyHow & why dehydration in pregnancy sets the stage for many problems for mother & child.
* increases morning sickness Identification, prevention and treatment of dehydration follows. Increase in dehydration during pregnancyDehydration and pregnancy are likely companions simply because the pregnacy demands an incredible amount of water. Here's why.When the father's sperm fuses with the mother's egg a one-celled life is formed. The cell divides a trillion times by the time it is born. Each cell has to be filled with water placing a great burden on mother to provide it with the necessary water. Morning sickness... ...is a sure signal to drink water, a sure sign of dehydration. At first, many mothers ride the pain. Gradually most mothers drink more fluids and morning sickness subsides. Caffeine and alcohol Mothers who consume liquids other than water set a pattern on self and child that may temporarily or permanently "lock in" dehydration. In fact, the mother is imparting "lessons" to the fetus with her behaviors, moods, thoughts and pattern of nutrition during pregnancy. Mother imparts lessons about how much water to drink to her fetus. Drinking caffeinated drinks sends a particluar lesson/message to the fetus. The messages are not as constructive as those sent by healthy drinks, especially water. Alcohol consumption also sends the wrong messages. The messages may produce future children who have difficulties coping with normal stressers. In particular, alcohol could impair brain development in the fetus. The impairment would be permanent. Moreover, problems blamed on DNA abnormalities may actually stem from dehydration due to caffeine and alcohol consumption and dehydration. It is this consumption which initially causes the DNA damage. Health effects of dehydration during pregnancy
*Dehydration could lead to early labor.*Dehydration in pregnancy could intensify Braxton Hicks contractions increasing severe pains. *Dehydration could lead to lack of amniotic fluid around the fetus. This is a risk factor for deformities of feet, legs and arms since they require the cushioning of the fluid or they could be squished by the uterus. *Dehydration could prevent easy transport of nutrients into baby. *Dehydration may cause a number of health problems in mother, like high blood pressure and heart problems, risk factors for mother and child. *Dehydration has been experimentally shown to lead to increased need for salt in future child. *The topic of dehydration and pregnancy would not be complete without a discussion of severe dehydration wherein liquids cannot be kept down. This results in a condition termed "hyperemesis gravidum" and requires immediate medical attention. Advice on avoiding dehydration in pregnancyGood nutrition during pregnancy obviously includes a sound diet. This should include a modicum of healthy drinks like fruit and vegetable juices ideally watered down 50%.Drink lots of healthy water. Mothers should drink the recommended amount, which is two thirds of mothers weight in ounces of water per day. So if mother weighs 150, she should drink 100 ounces of water per day. However, certain concessions have to be made to the discomfort that drinking 100 ounces or more of water might cause. Best pregnancy advice when it comes to water consumption? Sip water all day long. Drink water more frequently but in small amounts. Fill up the required containers and try not to stop drinking until the containers are empty.
Drink filtered water Try your very best to purchase a water filter and to drink purified water. We might be able to sidestep contaminants at other stages of our lives but we shouldn't insist that our developing child manage whatever contaminants may be in the water. In particular two contaminants have been linked to pregnancy problems. Chlorine has been linked to miscarriage. To sum up, to avoid typical problems of dehydration in pregnancy, be sure to sip lots of water during pregnancy and make sure it's healthy water.
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