Nutritional Causes For Excessive Thirst While Pregnant

Pregnancy is a time of emotional, physical, mental and hormonal changes for you. You need to reassess your eating, lifestyle, drinking and other habits to accommodate the new baby. There are many causes of excessive thirst during these nine months, and you need to have a handle on what may be causing it. The first thing you have to determine is if you are actually excessively thirsty or if your body is just accommodating itself to an increased need for fluids so that your kidneys flush properly, keep your bowels working and replenish the fluids in the amniotic sac that supports your baby. You also need to determine if your excessive thirst is caused by something you are eating or drinking.

Pregnancy Concerns

Certain diets are higher in fat, calories and nutrients to help the development of the fetus and to keep you healthy. However, if you are experiencing a desire for more than the recommended eight glasses of fluids a day, it’s time to assess if your excessive thirst is symptomatic of an underlying condition such as gestational diabetes, dehydration or extended morning sickness that may delete necessary nutrients in you.

Fluid Consumption vs. Hemoglobin

Pregnant women generally consume 40 percent more in fluids than other women. This increased volume is in plasma rather than red or white blood cells, so the hemoglobin to plasma ratio is skewed and sets off an anemic reaction. When you don’t get enough iron in your system, through beef, fish, liver proteins or even iron supplements, you will experience increased thirst to the point of excess to try to supplement your body’s needs. Keeping these nutrients out of your diet jump-starts your excessive thirst and warns you that you may be anemic. A visit to your doctor will confirm this problem, and you may be given a new diet high in iron to alleviate the excessive thirst.

Sodium Intake

Consuming excessive amounts of salt while pregnant may also trigger hypertension, or high blood pressure, which can be very harmful during the delivery and beyond. While you need salt in your system to remain healthy, too much salt may cause you to retain water that needs to be flushed from your system. Edema, or swelling, of the ankles, thirst and other symptoms may manifest if your salt intake is too high. Your body will require additional fluids to flush out the salt and regulate your blood pressure.

Sugars, Carbohydrates and Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a temporary problem that can be mostly controlled by a strict diet that limits high-glycemic-index carbohydrates and saturated hydrogenated fats and increases the proteins and good carbohydrates. If you are consuming a diet high in sugars, starches, and fats without sufficient fiber intake, your nutritional choices may trigger excessive thirst, which is a sign that you may be experiencing gestational diabetes. While the diabetes may go away, you will have a propensity for adult-onset diabetes later in life. Assessing your food intake and excessive thirst and finding if they are slanted toward diabetes will assist you in taking control of your food consumption and fluid intake.

Avoiding Foods that Cause Dehydration

Foods that trigger dehydration and result in excessive thirst during pregnancy include caffeinated beverages, salty foods, high-sodium broths, crackers, processed foods and foods that have excessive amounts of potassium. These foods are fine to eat in moderation; however, they have a diuretic effect on a body, and you will need to replenish the fluids that have drained.
While excessive thirst may mask more serious problems, consuming the wrong foods and nutrients may produce this same type of thirst. Make certain that you balance your nutritional needs with those required in a pregnancy and understand that while you may be drinking for two or more, too much more can have negative consequences.