Hydrating for Two: How Electrolytes Can Benefit Both Mom and Baby
Did you know that in addition to electrolytes benefitting the mother’s health during pregnancy, these vital minerals also play key roles in fetal development?
How Electrolytes Benefit Your Developing Baby
Whether pregnant with your first child or with the second or third in the family, you likely already understand that while pregnant and nursing, your baby’s health relies on the nutrients you consume. Some of those nutrients are called electrolytes and have benefits for mother and baby that are very similar.
Regulating fluid balance
Electrolytes like sodium and potassium help regulate the body's fluid balance. For the mom, this helps you prevent dehydration, which is especially important in the last trimester to prevent early contractions. It can also help with swelling or fluid retention that’s common during pregnancy.
For the fetus, these electrolytes help maintain the appropriate amount of amniotic fluid in your uterus to cushion and protect the baby. A proper amount of amniotic fluid is essential to maintain a steady temperature around the baby and enough room for your baby to move around, allowing their muscles and bones to develop and preventing the umbilical cord from getting pinched or squeezed.
Supporting healthy digestion
Making sure you replenish electrolytes during pregnancy—like sodium, potassium, and magnesium—help promote your digestion and prevent constipation. Similarly, these electrolytes stimulate digestive enzymes and promote healthy digestion in the fetus. This helps your baby absorb nutrients from the food you eat to support their growth and development.
Enabling muscle and nerve function
Sodium, potassium, and magnesium are critical for muscle and nerve function in everyone. So it makes sense that the fetus needs these minerals to develop their muscles and nervous system, especially the ability of the brain to relay signals to nerves throughout the body.
A deficiency of magnesium during pregnancy can, can delay overall fetal growth and development, and can also contribute to causing premature labor and other pregnancy complications.
Building bones and teeth
Calcium and magnesium are needed for the baby to develop strong, healthy bones, and teeth, just as all adults need these minerals to maintain healthy bones and teeth. Calcium, especially, is vital in forming the fetal skeleton.
As a mother, it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough calcium each day. If the baby is not getting enough calcium during pregnancy, your body will take it from your bones and send it to the fetus. This increases your risk of osteoporosis later in life.
An Easy Way to Hydrate for Two
If you’re pregnant, you are probably already following the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) recommendations of drinking 8 to 12 cups (64 to 96 ounces) of water every day and taking prenatal vitamins as advised by your family doctor or OB/GYN. Drinking that much water a day is not always easy during pregnancy, so we have an electrolyte boost for you that makes staying hydrated easier and tastier!
We have to be clear—we’re not saying that by adding Ultima Replenisher® electrolyte mixes to your water you will ensure your developing baby gets all of the above benefits. We just want you to know the important role electrolytes play in your health and your developing baby’s growth and health. But, using Ultima Replenisher hydration mixes can be one part—a very easy and tasty part—of your overall pregnancy nutrition plan. If you have any questions about electrolytes or nutrition during pregnancy, be sure to talk to your doctor or healthcare provider.
Our zero sugar stickpacks—Variety, Tropical and Mocktini stickpacks—make it convenient to enhance your water whether you’re at home, work, at the gym, or on the go. You can use them even after the baby is born and throw some in the diaper bag so anytime you’re out with your baby, you can easily refresh by adding our electrolyte mix to water.
