I'm not a big drinker. Like most people, I live my life a little too concentrated, despite being told repeatedly that I should drink a certain number of cups per day.
Well in pregnancy water becomes even more important. I'm not saying this because millions of experts say these things, but rather because I have personally experienced the effects of dehydration in pregnancy. Yes, I was bad. I'm still not great on a daily basis, but I'm trying, and here's why: increased blood volume and amniotic fluid.
Because I am making a whole other human, when I don't drink enough water strange things happen regarding blood pressure. I don't just get the lovely headache behind the eyes, or extreme dry mouth. No, I can get white swirls in my vision. I can get down right dizzy. I can even get uterine cramps. I also get more swelling in my legs as well as leg cramps. This is on top of being incredibly cranky because whenever I'm thrown out of balance in pregnancy, I become beastly.
However, if I'm good about drinking water, my skin is happier and my heartburn is less (but only if I'm *consistently* drinking water). I feel better over all and fewer things seem to bother me.
Of course, drinking enough water means I literally have to take a sip every few minutes. I need to drink about 4 liters of water daily with the amount of activity I've been doing and the temperature outside (mid 70s). This seems excessive, but I'm telling you - if I don't drink about that much, things get uncomfortable.
So for the next few months, I won't be able to go anywhere without a water bottle (though I hear breastfeeding requires equally insane amounts of water). I guess hauling a large bottle of water everywhere is just prepping me slowly for carrying all the baby crap I'll need everywhere I go come September.
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