Obviously hydration is important for everyone. However when you are pregnant there are a number of physiological changes that in essence equate to a fifty percent increase in all of your cardiac and metabolic functions. Your blood volume, total fluid volume, cardiac output (litres of blood pumped per minute) and renal (kidney) workload all increase by around fifty percent. This is why women are passing urine all the time and often feel slightly short of breath from early on in their pregnancies. Your insensible fluid losses (fluid lost through sweat and through breathing) also increase significantly during pregnancy. Accordingly your fluid intake needs to increase during pregnancy by around fifty percent over when you are not pregnant. Obviously if you are vomiting, exercising or are in labour your hydration demands will increase even more. Hydration is also really important when you are breastfeeding – remember you are drinking for two (or three if you have twins!)
Many women – recognising the need to keep well hydrated – find Aquamamma® easier to drink in reasonable quantities than water when they are feeling nauseated or are vomiting. This in turn reduces that “empty stomach” feeling that seems to exacerbate nausea. If vomiting is persistent, however, please consult your health care provider for advice.
Yes it does! Aquamamma® contains a small amount of folic acid to help you meet your daily needs. However, additional folic acid supplementation is recommended for pre-conception and pregnancy. Please discuss folic acid supplementation with your health care provider.
Absolutely. Some people say being in labour is like running a marathon and I’m not going to disagree. Indeed many labours last longer than the four hours or so it takes for most capable runners to get through a marathon. Aquamamma® is designed to take care of your hydration needs in labour, and is low in sugar and sodium making it easy to drink.
Yes. You can drink Aquamamma® at any time!
You should aim to drink 12 or 13 glasses each day, which is slightly more than the amount for non-pregnant women (around 11 glasses each day). Try to space out your sips to keep them coming steadily throughout the day rather than gulping a lot at once, which could leave you feeling uncomfortably full. Once you’re in established labour, you’ll probably find that you don’t want to eat much or anything at all. But labour is thirsty work, and delivery rooms can be very hot. So you will certainly want something to drink. Aquamamma® is an ideal beverage to support hydration and thus keep you hydrated during pregnancy and labour.
Nutrition is essential to maintain healthy body function, and now more than ever, nutrition is essential to assist your growing baby. Stock your home with healthy fresh foods, remember, what is stored in your pantry is what your family and future children will eat.
From as early as a few months old, your baby will be watching what you consume!
Know your produce – Choose foods which are in season and therefore good value for money, stay local! Prepare and cook the majority of foods yourself, thus knowing and controlling the ingredients.
Vitamins and minerals are needed in greater amounts in pregnancy and the easiest way to address these needs is through a balanced diet.
Folic acid is important for growth and development pre-pregnancy and in the first trimester. A daily supplement of folic acid is recommended from before conception until at least the end of the first trimester (at least 400 micrograms/day). A small number of women (including those with a family history of neural tube defects and those on certain medications) require a higher dose of folic acid (5mg /day).
Iodine is critical for your baby’s brain development and most of us have a diet deficient in iodine. Make sure that you used iodised salt when cooking and that your prenatal vitamin supplement includes iodine.
Iron needs are greatly increased in pregnancy, as the baby will be laying down its stores for the first 6 months of life. Breastfeeding places great demand upon your iron stores. Good sources of iron include red meat, poultry, fish, and leafy green vegetables. Taking your iron supplement with orange juice is a good idea because the vitamin C in the OJ assists with the absorption of iron.
Calcium is essential for the growth and development of the baby’s bones, particularly in the second trimester. Good sources of calcium include milk, cheese, yoghurt, almonds, soft bones in tinned tuna and salmon and leafy green vegetables. If you are consuming less than one glass of milk per day you should check with your health care provider whether it would be appropriate for you to take a calcium supplement.
Prior to starting any supplements discuss this with your health care provider, as some can be harmful to your baby.