Travel During Pregnancy

Since my sis is pregnant & we're going to travel next week...I find an interesting article about travel during pregnancy - just to share with my readers.

How can I avoid — and detect — dehydration while I'm pregnant and traveling?

Expert Answers
Debra Gussman, ob-gyn

You're right to be concerned. Drinking enough fluids is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your baby. Your body also needs extra liquids to meet the demands of pregnancy, such as producing additional blood to nourish your growing baby. Keeping hydrated also helps prevent urinary tract infections, constipation, and hemorrhoids, all common during pregnancy.

Dehydration can be a particular problem during travel, especially in extreme climates, like the humid tropics, the scorching desert, and high altitudes. As always, the best advice is to listen to your body. It's also important to recognize the signs that you're not getting enough fluids. The first is also the most obvious: thirst. Other signs include urine of a dark yellow or deep gold color, and a dry mouth and nose.

Over the course of each day, drink at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid (48 to 64 fluid ounces), plus one 8-ounce glass for each hour of light activity. Juices can be part of your total fluid intake, but keep in mind that they are full of sugar so keep your intake light. Stick to juice drinks that don't have added sweeteners such as corn syrup. You can make an exception in very hot weather, and drink electrolyte-replacing sports drinks. To jazz up plain water, try adding a wedge of lemon or lime or a little fruit juice.

This may surprise you, but you can also count coffee and tea (whether caffeinated or not) as part of your fluid intake. Experts used to caution that caffeinated beverages don't count because caffeine is a diuretic (makes you urinate more and lose water). But it's been found that the loss of water is minimal.

It's not always easy to find ready sources of safe drinking water while traveling. The best option may be to carry bottled water with you at all times. On airplanes, make sure to drink it throughout the flight to counteract the dehydrating effects of dry cabin air.

Source: babycenter