We all need to drink water regularly in order to maintain the fluid balance in our bodies because without water we will not be able to function at our best. Insufficient water in the body leads to dehydration which can cause dizziness, nausea, dry mouth, vomiting, heart problems, chronic disease, stroke, cancer, kidney disease and much more.
Ensuring an adequate intake of fresh drinking water is even more important when you are pregnant. Pregnant women should drink more water than normal in order for the body to be able to support foetal growth, amniotic fluid accretion, and increased blood volume. During breastfeeding, water intake must fulfil both the physiological needs of the mother as well as well as the water contained in breast milk.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says that the total water need in pregnant women is approximately 300 millilitres more per day. Lactating women need the same amount of water as the average woman plus the water content of the daily milk production during the first 6 months of lactation, which equates to an approximate additional 700 millilitres per day.
Methodological differences do exist in determining guidelines for total water intake from country to country, however:
According to the NHMRC, the guidelines for Australia and New Zealand are: 2 800 millilitres per day for the average adult woman, 3 100 millilitres per day for pregnant women, and 3 500 millilitres per day for lactating women.
The EFSA in Europe put the guidelines as being 2 000 millilitres per day for the average adult woman, 2 300 millilitres per day for pregnant women, and 2 700 millilitres per day for lactating women.
USA and Canada’s IoM on the other hand say that 2 700 millilitres per day for the average adult woman, 3 000 millilitres per day for pregnant women, and 3 800 millilitres per day for lactating women is the way to go.
Finally, the World Health Organisation (WHO), quotes figures of 2 200 millilitres per day for the average adult woman, 4 800 millilitres per day for pregnant women, and 5 500 millilitres per day for lactating women.
However much water you normally drink, increase it by between 300 – 700 millilitres per day for the duration of your pregnancy and lactation period and you should be covered no matter where you are in the world.
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