| Trust me I know...the last thing you want is | | | | the skin? |
| another diet right now, but what you do want to | | | | During pregnancy and lactation, you will need to |
| know what are the good foods and drinks when | | | | drink 8 to 12 eight-ounce glasses of liquids every |
| trying to conceive. It is a very important matter | | | | day. Here are a few reasons why water is so |
| that most women and couples miss out on in | | | | very important to us - it provides for |
| their ttc efforts, and it's one that could have a | | | | transmission of nutrients to cells, balancing acids, |
| drastic effect on your natural fertility and ability to | | | | holding salts and cushioning the body's organs. |
| easily conceive...or at all for that matter. | | | | Water contributes 55 - 65% of our adult body |
| This article is only part one of a many part series | | | | weight. The fetus also requires an abundant |
| so please do make sure to look through my | | | | supply of fluids to develop properly in its prenatal |
| other articles and read part 2, as there is much to | | | | environment. |
| discuss regarding food and drink during this time, | | | | The amount of water required by the body can |
| and it can't all be done in one article. | | | | vary greatly from person to person, and |
| Let's start with the most basic and important | | | | environment to environment. Pregnancy and |
| nutrient of all.... | | | | lactation, exercise, heat, dry climates and high |
| WATER! | | | | fiber diets are all factors that increase the body's |
| Need I say more about the need to drink LOTS | | | | hydration requirement. Inadequate water |
| of water every day? The startling fact is that | | | | consumption can lead to fatigue, muscle |
| most people go around slightly dehydrated much | | | | weakness, and decreased mental alertness in |
| of the time. I thought it was very strange that I | | | | pregnant women. For the fetus, it can mean |
| had to keep reminding my husband to take a | | | | inadequate transportation of nutrients, ineffective |
| drink of water when we were on long | | | | removal of waste matter, an overly-warm uterine |
| trips...otherwise, he just didn't think about it! The | | | | environment, and insufficient fluid in the amniotic |
| one good thing about the bottled water craze is | | | | sac. As you can see, the effects of dehydration |
| that it's got most of us thinking about putting | | | | can jeopardize fetal growth and development. In |
| more water into our bodies. Since evidence has | | | | some severely-dehydrated women, premature |
| recently come to light that the clear, disposable | | | | labor and delivery can occur. So...even though |
| water bottles have toxic substances that may | | | | water bottles are being banned in some |
| affect the water inside, just carry an opaque | | | | communities now, the national thirst for bottled |
| sports bottle with iced water inside. Make sure | | | | water has made us all aware of the need for |
| your loved ones have one, too. Think about it...the | | | | hydration. |
| inside of our bodies is filled with moving parts that | | | | That's the word on water... |
| all require water to work well. And what woman | | | | Next up in part two...Foods! |
| isn't aware of the effect of lack of moisture on | | | | |