Is Excessive Thirst During Pregnancy Normal?

During pregnancy, an expecting mum’s body undergoes huge transformations – few being visible while few go unnoticed only to be felt by the mum. Feeling more thirsty during pregnancy is one such change that occurs due to various physiological and biochemical changes in the body.

You need to drink six to eight medium (200 ml) glasses of water or fluid a day during pregnancy. Sometimes, you might feel thirsty even after drinking enough water, which can make you wonder if everything is fine. For most pregnant women, increased thirst during pregnancy is normal as the body simply needs more fluids to function properly.

However, excessive thirst during pregnancy, in rare cases, can be a sign of gestational diabetes. Read on to know more.

Causes of Excessive Thirst During Pregnancy

You might wonder what makes you more thirsty during pregnancy. Some of the causes are:

1. Increase in Blood Volume: Pregnancy can increase the blood volume in your body by about 40 percent and your body will need this extra amount of blood to provide your baby with nutrients and oxygen and ensure proper cell development.

In order to replenish this additional need for blood, your body will require more water, thereby, increasing thirst levels.

2. Low blood pressure: Around the time when you are 24 weeks pregnant, you might experience a dip in blood pressure.

Your heart has to work more to pump more blood and this can contribute to increased thirst. You might experience other symptoms with this dip in blood pressure, including nausea, dizziness, blurry vision, and breathing abnormalities.

3. Dehydration: During pregnancy, you might be dehydrated. You will be more likely to feel thirsty in the early stages of pregnancy since your body is encouraging you to drink extra fluids for you and your baby.

Plus, your body requires extra fluids to assist the elimination of waste generated by natural functions as well as waste generated by your baby.

Some women, particularly those who live in places with higher temperature might experience excessive thirst as a result of increased sweating.

4. Certain foods or drinks: Eating salty food or food with lots of spices, can make you more thirsty.

If you find yourself feeling excessively thirsty after eating or drinking certain things, it’s advisable to avoid them.

Consuming caffeinated beverages might also make you feel dehydrated and thirsty.

5. Frequent urination: As the baby continues to grow, your womb will expand and start to press down on your bladder and cause the urge to urinate more frequently.

As you expel more fluids, your thirst will automatically increase.

6. Diabetes insipidus: Although rare, diabetes insipidus during pregnancy leads to extra loss of fluid from the body and makes you feel thirsty.

The loss of electrolytes like calcium and sodium can also make you feel tired due to dehydration.

7. Gestational diabetes: Gestational diabetes can be one of the prime causes of dry mouth and thirst during pregnancy and can cause high blood sugar levels.

During pregnancy, a greater amount of insulin is required. When the body fails to make that extra insulin, gestational diabetes occurs. It can cause problems for both the mum and the baby.

The doctor might insist on a blood sugar test, also known as a glucose tolerance test if he/ she suspects that you have gestational diabetes.

If your numbers are higher than 140mg/DL, you might be at the risk of developing gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes can be managed with natural remedies, healthy diet, regular exercise, and with certain medication or insulin.

If you had gestational diabetes during your previous pregnancy, the chances of developing it in your current pregnancy are higher.

Symptoms of Excessive Thirst During Pregnancy

The most common symptom of excessive thirst during pregnancy is suddenly or constantly feeling dehydrated and the urge to drink water. Some other symptoms include:

• Having a feeling of dryness in the mouth
• Swollen hands, feet, or ankles
• Frequent urination

How to Deal With Extreme Thirst During Pregnancy

Here are some tips to deal with excessive thirst during your pregnancy –

• You can sip on lemon water to reduce nausea and vomiting and still get the required fluid intake.
• Try to suck on ice chips, popsicles and other frozen treats throughout the day to help increase fluid intake without getting a stomach upset.
• Reducing salt in your diet can be a good idea as it will help you to tackle excessive thirst.
• Try to eat more fruits and vegetables with a higher water content.

Excessive thirst during pregnancy is usually normal. However, you can discuss it with your doctor in case of any doubt. Plus, the doctor can regulate the amount of water that you should drink as drinking too much of water can also prove to be harmful.