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You’re eating all the right foods, taking all the right supplements, and accurately tracking your cycle in the hopes of getting pregnant.
But you may be overlooking one simple thing that’s key if you’re trying to conceive (TTC).
And that is drinking enough water for fertility.
Hydration during TTC and pregnancy does not get the attention it deserves, but we are here to change that.
Reduced water intake can affect your blood flow, vaginal PH, and egg health, too. All these things play a huge role in trying to conceive and pregnancy.
And low fluid intake doesn’t just affect the ladies. Dehydration can also affect men’s semen motility, blood flow, and testosterone levels.
TLDR: adequate hydration is essential for a functioning reproductive system.
What is hydration in the body?
Did you know that 55-65% of your body is made up of water? That fact puts into perspective the importance of water and staying hydrated.
Hydration is replacing water and minerals that your body loses every day via
- Urine
- Feces
- Sweat
- Breathing
Since those are things we do daily, it’s important to keep your water supply flowing in and out. If you don’t, your body won’t function properly. Dehydration can cause problems including circulation issues, a lack of oxygen and important nutrients in your organs, the inability to get rid of waste, and overall inefficiency.
How much water should I drink when trying to get pregnant?
1. Fluid support
As we mentioned earlier, when you’re pregnant, you need to increase your water intake. Your body uses this extra water to support fetal circulation, amniotic fluid, and a higher blood volume.
Without enough amniotic fluid, you put yourself at risk of oligohydramnios. This can cut off some of the oxygen and nutrient supply to the baby, which can lead to premature birth, neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and more.
2. Constipation
Many women suffer from constipation while pregnant. This is likely thanks to a decrease in gut motility and iron supplementation.
A great way to aid with this uncomfortable situation is to increase fluid intake.
3. Blood loss
The process of giving birth involves blood loss. Increase your water intake, and you ensure that your body has enough reserves to safely handle the blood loss during delivery.
4. Baby growth
Studies show that dehydrated mothers put their babies at risk of lower:
- Weight
- Height
- Head circumference
- Chest circumference
When you’re breastfeeding, it’s vital to increase your water intake. Your baby relies on your breastmilk for its hydration needs and essential nutrients.
You want to drink enough water to go beyond just quenching your thirst. Drink a glass of water whenever you’re eating and breastfeeding.
Hydration isn’t just for the ladies, though. Men also need to pay attention to their water intake.
That’s because proper hydration and male fertility are closely linked.
1. Seminal volume, thickness, and pH
Dehydration lowers your seminal volume, which can make fertilization a challenge.
And a lack of water can also make your semen thicker. This may make it tough for semen to swim.
Semen is also naturally slightly alkaline, with a pH of 7.4. If you’re dehydrated, your seminal pH may change, which can also affect fertilization.
Dehydration can lead to an electrolyte imbalance. And, studies show that this imbalance is linked to inefficiency in sperm movement and capacitation.
3. Erectile issues
Studies show that proper hydration is important for high-quality erections. A lack of H20 can cause erectile dysfunction.
This occurs because a lack of water = decreased blood flow to the penis. But it can also happen because a lack of water = decreased blood flow to the brain.
This can affect your mood and block the signals that connect the arousal in your brain to that in your body.
4. Testosterone levels
Researchers found that dehydration can increase cortisol, which causes a drop in testosterone.
Now that we know how important hydration is in fertility and pregnancy, let’s take a look at some signs of dehydration.
Signs that you aren’t drinking enough water
Being thirsty is just one sign of dehydration.
Here are other ways to know if you’re dehydrated:
- Dry mouth
- Headache or lightheadedness
- Irritability
- Dark-colored urine
- Dry skin or dry lips
- Urinating less than usual
- Sweating less than usual
How to stay hydrated?
Hydration doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s quite easy if you follow these tips.
- Carry a reusable water bottle wherever you go. You can even call it your emotional support water bottle if you’d like.
- Add fruit to your water for taste. Throw a slice of lime, lemon, orange, strawberry, or whatever fruit strikes your fancy. This makes water more fun to drink.
- Cut the sugary drinks. Swap out your sugary and artificially sweetened drinks for water, sparkling water, or unsweetened and decaffeinated tea.
- Try other hydrating liquids. Water isn’t the only way to get hydrated. You can also reach for decaf tea, seltzer, milk, and juices from fruits and vegetables.
TLDR
- Adequate hydration is one of the key factors for a healthy reproductive system.
- Hydration supports women who are TTC in many ways: blood flow, egg development, egg fertilization, vaginal environment, infection prevention, CM health, ovulation prediction, and sperm transportation.
- Hydration is also key for pregnant women in the following ways: amniotic fluid support, fetal circulation, blood volume, constipation relief, and the baby’s growth.
- When breastfeeding, you want to drink enough water to account for both your and your baby’s needs.
- Adequate hydration is not just for women but also for men.
- Dehydration can affect a man’s semen volume, thickness, pH, and motility. It can also cause erectile dysfunction and lower testosterone levels.
- Signs of dehydration include thirst, dry mouth, headache, dark urine, and less urination/sweating.
- Try to drink 1-1.5 mL of water per calorie consumed.
- Easy ways to stay hydrated include consuming water, sparkling water, unsweetened tea, decaf coffee and tea, milk, and juices from fruits and vegetables.
FAQs
Yes, hydration can affect fertility in both men and women.
Being dehydrated can affect women’s blood flow, vaginal environment, and egg health.
Dehydration can affect men’s semen motility, blood flow, and testosterone levels.
The recommended daily water intake is 1-1.5 mL of water per calorie you eat every day.
Yes, it does.
For women, drinking sufficient water helps increase CM, which is key in implantation.
For men, water helps keep the semen thickness low enough that they can swim.
If you’re TTC, you want to stay properly hydrated by drinking things such as:
- Water
- Sparkling water
- Decaf tea
- Seltzer
- Milk
- Fruit and vegetable juices
Yes. If you don’t have sufficient water to support your reproductive health, you cannot get pregnant.
Water is key for blood flow, vaginal PH, and egg health as well as semen health.
Absolutely! Your cervical fluid is mostly water, so adequate hydration means sufficient CM production.
Yes. Hydration ensures there is enough blood circulation to your ovaries and ovarian follicles. Blood flow to the follicle helps the egg get enough oxygen to mature. This ultimately results in higher-quality embryos.
No. If your sperm is watery or thin, you have a low sperm count or low semen volume.
It can happen because of conditions like –
- Varicocele
- Infections
- Ejaculation problems
- Lifestyle factors
- Genetic disorders
Dehydration, on the other hand, can lower your seminal volume, which makes your semen thicker. This presents a challenge for swimming semen.
Was this article helpful?
- Nutrition Column An Update on Water Needs during Pregnancy and Beyond | NIH
- Hydration – June 2020 | MaineDOT
- Does Perifollicular Vascularity on the Day of Oocyte Retrieval Affect Pregnancy Outcome in an In Vitro Fertilization Cycle? | NIH
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- Effects of lifestyle factors on fertility: practical recommendations for modification | NIH
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- How To Confirm Whether Sperm Went Inside? | Inito
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