How much water should you drink when pregnant? A doula explains

Most pregnant women know they’re supposed to drink more water. It’s up there with the standard advice you get almost immediately — take your folic acid, get some rest, and drink plenty of fluids. But how much is enough? And does it actually change as your pregnancy progresses? It turns out the answer is yes, quite significantly, and there’s one piece of information in particular that a lot of women have never heard before.

Emiliana Hall, accredited birth and postnatal doula, antenatal educator and founder of The Mindful Birth Group, has shared a detailed breakdown of how hydration needs shift throughout pregnancy and into breastfeeding — and it’s genuinely one of those reads that makes you wish someone had handed it to you at your booking appointment.

How much water do you actually need, trimester by trimester?

The short answer is: more than you probably think, and it increases as you go. Emiliana explains it clearly. “Your hydration needs gradually increase throughout pregnancy as the body adapts to support both parent and baby,” she says. In the first trimester, you’re looking at around 2 litres per day — only slightly more than usual. By the second trimester, as blood volume increases significantly, that rises to around 2.3–2.5 litres daily. And in the third trimester, when both blood volume and amniotic fluid are at their peak, most women will benefit from closer to 2.5–3 litres per day.

Emiliana is also quick to point out that hydration isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. “Thirst, energy levels, and urine colour are often the most reliable day-to-day indicators,” she says. So if you’re not going to track it obsessively (and honestly, who has the energy for that), keeping an eye on those basics will serve you well.

The Braxton Hicks connection nobody tells you about

This is the part that genuinely surprised us. Most of us know the classic signs of dehydration — dark urine, headaches, dry mouth, that foggy dizzy feeling. During pregnancy, though, there’s an added one that can cause real alarm: an increase in Braxton Hicks tightenings.

“Dehydration during pregnancy can trigger an increase in Braxton Hicks tightenings, which are sometimes mistaken for early contractions,” Emiliana explains. She also notes that dehydration symptoms can come on more quickly and feel more intense during pregnancy than they would otherwise. So if you’ve ever found yourself timing what felt like contractions at 30 weeks and then felt slightly foolish when they stopped after a big glass of water — you were not imagining things, and you were definitely not alone.

Nick Hird

Nick Hird, “co-founder and managing director of hydration brand Vidrate, adds that the most common mistake people make is simply waiting until they feel thirsty. “By that time, your body has already fallen behind,” he says. “Sipping consistently throughout the day, rather than trying to catch up, can help.” He also flags that if you’re considering electrolyte supplements, you should look for low-sodium, sugar-free options and always check with your midwife or GP first if you have high blood pressure, preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.

Staying hydrated when morning sickness makes it a nightmare

For anyone who has spent the first trimester unable to stomach a full glass of water — or indeed much of anything — the standard “drink 2 litres a day” advice can feel like a bit of a joke. Emiliana’s approach here is much more realistic.

“Small, frequent sips are often more manageable than large drinks,” she says. “Many find that cold fluids, or water with added flavour such as lemon or ginger, are easier to tolerate.” She also points out that hydrating foods like fruit, yoghurt and soup all count towards your fluid intake, which is genuinely useful to know when the idea of drinking a full glass of water is enough to turn your stomach.

And then there’s breastfeeding, which brings its own demands. Breast milk is approximately 87% water, so the body needs a significant amount of additional fluid to sustain milk production — somewhere between 2.5 and 3.5 litres per day, though this varies. Emiliana’s practical tip here is a simple one: keep a drink beside you during every feed. That persistent thirst many women feel during or after feeds is a real signal worth listening to, not just something to push through.

After birth, hydration still matters enormously, particularly in the early days when blood loss and sheer exhaustion can make recovery harder than expected. “Keeping fluid intake up in those early days supports recovery in ways that are easy to overlook when attention naturally shifts to the baby,” Emiliana says. That’s a gentle reminder that you matter in all of this too — and sometimes the simplest things really do make a difference.