If you’re pregnant, feeling ill, and are dehydrated, you may find yourself wondering, “Can you drink Pedialyte while pregnant?” When answering this question, there are several things to consider. Join us as we delve into those considerations in today’s post.
Can Pedialyte Harm Baby?
First and foremost, you’re probably wondering whether or not Pedialyte can harm your baby.
The answer?
In most cases, no.
Pedialyte is only made up of a few ingredients, most of which are naturally occurring and won’t do harm to your little one. These ingredients include:
- Water
- Dextrose (a form of sugar)
- Potassium
- Salt
- Citric Acid
- Zinc
- Coloring (in flavored varieties)
How Much Pedialyte Can You Drink While Pregnant?
According to Pedialyte, most people will need anywhere from 32 to 64 oz of Pedialyte to maintain proper hydration. However, Pedialyte does not recommend that you exceed 2 liters of Pedialyte per day. In addition, Pedialyte suggests you see a physician if you are finding that 2 liters aren’t enough to satisfy your thirst or if your symptoms related to illness don’t subside.
How Much Pedialyte While Pregnant?
Please note that the aforementioned instructions for consuming Pedialyte are meant for the general public and are not specifically directed toward pregnant women. As of yet, Pedialyte does not have specific instructions as to how much Pedialyte a pregnant woman should take in. They have, however, stated that the drink should be safe for most pregnant women in most circumstances.
As always, contact your doctor if you have additional questions.
Pedialyte For Pregnancy Nausea
You may be wondering, “Does Pedialyte help with pregnancy nausea?” The answer to this generally is no. But that is not to say it isn’t helpful at all.
Allow us to explain.
Whether pregnant or not, Pedialyte is specifically designed to help with hydrating the body. It isn’t necessarily marketed as being a cure-all for illness. Because the body loses water and nutrients when it expels waste through various means (diarrhea, vomiting, etc) you need to replace those nutrients.
The nutrients often lost include potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, and more. This is where Pedialyte and other electrolyte drinks come in.
By consuming electrolyte-containing drinks, you are replacing what is lost during the excretion of bodily fluids. Thus, while Pedialyte for pregnancy may not cure nausea, it can work well to replace nutrients lost in the process.
Can You Drink Pedialyte Everyday?
We wouldn’t recommend drinking Pedialyte every day, especially if you are pregnant. Pedialyte is not intended nor designed for daily consumption. Instead, it is meant to replenish the body with electrolytes and prevent dehydration when you are experiencing forms of sickness.
Rather than drinking Pedialyte every day, you should seek other ways to hydrate your body and pamper yourself naturally. But don’t worry–we’ll get into more about how to keep yourself hydrated while pregnant later on in this post!
Can You Drink Too Much Pedialyte While Pregnant?
Remember that Pedialyte does not recommend exceeding over 64 ounces of Pedialyte in a day, even for your average person. Thus, as a pregnant person, we would not recommend exceeding this amount.
Pedialyte also states that you should see a doctor if you find 64 ounces not being enough to rehydrate you or take care of your needs. Thus, we would recommend you follow the recommendations we mention later in this post for staying hydrated or visit your doctor for more details. Whatever you do, you should not continuously drink Pedialyte, especially on a day-to-day basis while pregnant.
Can You Drink Pedialyte If You’re Not Dehydrated
You could drink Pedialyte if you aren’t hydrated. It won’t kill you. However, the drink isn’t designed for recreational purposes. If you want something tasty to drink every day that is hydrating and contains electrolytes, you may consider reaching for coconut water. But downing Pedialyte for no particular reason isn’t recommended; especially when pregnant!
Pedialyte vs Gatorade Pregnant
When it comes to picking Gatorade or Pedialyte for hydration, your best bet is to go with Pedialyte. Pedialyte and Gatorade both boast electrolytes, however, Pedialyte has much less sugar. On the flip side, Gatorade can be sipped every day without fear of negative effects (other than excess sugar intake, of course). With Pedialyte, it isn’t recommended you drink it every day.
Thus, the choice is yours; but we definitely recommend Pedialyte for short-term use.
How to Rehydrate While Pregnant
Sure, drinking electrolytes while pregnant is plausible, but what’s even better for staying hydrated during pregnancy is to simply drink water! To do so, simply buy a pretty water bottle, fill it up and sip on it while you’re on the go. As your water bottle empties, fill it up again and keep on sippin’.
This will keep your body hydrated and will prevent unwanted side effects like contractions and headaches due to lack of water.
You may also consider drinking coconut water and eating lots of fruits and veggies (which naturally have high water content). Either way, getting your water intake from natural sources is by far your best bet!
Can You Drink Pedialyte While Pregnant? In Most Cases, Yes!
In most cases, Pedialyte is safe for pregnant women. Still, anyone who drinks Pedialyte should be careful not to drink too much of it. Pedialyte has made it clear that one should not exceed 2 liters (or 64 ounces) within one day.
The best option for pregnant women (and women who aren’t pregnant) is to simply rehydrate with water.
We hope this helps!
FAQs
Most electrolyte drinks are safe for pregnancy unless the label says otherwise. Be sure to read the labels before drinking anything while pregnant.
Your best bet is to go with plain water or coconut water for hydration while pregnant. Try to forgo additives, especially artificial sweeteners and colors, while pregnant.
Yes, drinking Pedialyte should be safe while breastfeeding in most instances. Contact your healthcare provider with specific questions.
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