What to drink when water is off the table?

[Tropicaliyes]

I’m 6 weeks pregnant and keeping my fluids up is not going well at all! I’m usually a water drinker but this year for some reason I have been struggling with my usual water.

I started drinking tea a few months ago and went from black, to white, to green then to decaf green I liked the taste of however as soon as I got pregnant I knew I would have to watch the caffeine in the tea so I intended to cut down but suddenly they started tasting horrible! I was drinking them with plant based milk as I didn’t like the strong taste of tea to start with and the milk made it somewhat palatable however I went off the taste of that so started drinking them plain with a little date syrup. Ultimately I went off that too so now I don’t drink any tea full stop.

I have been totally off chocolate since I have been pregnant so that also excluded drinking chocolate.

I thought maybe I will try some flavoured fizzy water so bought dash water and I hate it, even tried mixing it with orange juice and hated that more!

I don’t like coconut water as it made my stomach upset even before pregnancy so haven’t bothered during.

I don’t drink squash as I grew up with a Vomiting disorder and that’s what I would drink when sick so I could bring something other than acid up when being sick so obviously now the thought turns my stomach as it reminds me of being sick!

I have never been a fan of sodas but have found very few like sparkling fruit juices to be okay but haven’t found any lately.

I have been trying to eat things like watermelon or cucumber or things with a high water content but I know it’s not doing much!

I will take some folic acid with a swig of water when I wake up, will maybe take some sips throughout the day and a little before bed but all in all its most certainly under 500mls of fluids (most likely 200-300mls)!

I was going to go to one of those IV hydration places that have popped up around the place however when I inquired recently they said they won’t treat me as I’m pregnant!

I really don’t know what to try now.. tried boiling some fruits in water and then letting it cool and refrigerated and it tasted too much like a dilute juice it wasn’t for me (my gf drank it). When I was looking for herbal teas that I haven’t tried they say to stay away from most during pregnancy also!

I bought some pure orange juice which I am fine with drinking however it’s really sweet and I’m not a sweet person (been off sugar also) so I can only drink small amounts so not the answer to my fluid needs.

Has anyone else had a issue drinking water and if so what did you find to keep yourself hydrated?

I don’t think it helps that I was left dehydrated from years of sickness before this anyway so now I’m dealing with the repercussions.

Whatever the reason for your feeding tube, it's obvious to me that it needs to go back in, so your can appropriately manage your fluids.

Your situation is quite worrying - pulling out a feeding tube, without discussion or a plan with medical professionals, trying to get iv fluids instead of drinking, and your relaxed attitude towards possibly having a UTI whilst pregnant.

I have a child who until had a feeding tube for a time, eventually just for extra fluids. Weaning her off that was gradual.

If you don't mind me asking, did you have the tune because of a physical issue which makes it difficult for you to eat/drink enough, or because of an eating/drinking disorder? Either way though, you need some support, because you level of hydration doesn't sound sustainable for one person -let alone two sharing a body.

Redbush tea, it's caffeine free

I could only stomach San pelligrino lemonade and lemon water

"Grown up" cordials - I just had a nice lime and mint one, or maybe elderflower ? I've got my eye on a rhubarb one in my local deli.

Or dilute ordinary fruit juice - orange, cranberry etc heavily with water so it's still sweet but not too sickly or acidic. Apple juice watered down half and half is like nectar when you're thirsty.,

I lived on ice lollies when pregnant when I couldn't keep anything else down.

For ones that was asking why I had a feeding tube, I have Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome, Gastroparesis and some other stuff.. so I have been dealing with this vomiting illness for 20 years (since I was 11). My feeding tube was in place from 2017 as I was underweight and vomiting more than I was able to eat.

The reason I took it out was because it was no longer serving it’s purpose, They placed the wrong tube so I was unable to use it and I required a new tube (a GJ tube for those that know about it) however multiple complications means it didn’t work out and I needed a whole new placement that never happened. The hospital wasn’t monitoring me and my health and when I ended up with an infection that made just using the whole thing painful and really and truthfully I needed to get it removed and a new one placed anyway (just not sure if or how I will go about that now).

I don’t really care for the one person that has said that I would be a bad role model and whatnot because really and truthfully I never said I don’t drink water because of the taste, nor did I say I never drink water ever.. I said I have recently been struggling with water and water was all I would drink before this point. Gastroparesis means you cannot absorb things correctly so anything that goes in my stomach will be staying there for over 12 - 24 hrs. My child won’t be having issues with drinking or eating as it’s not something that others would notice (and that’s also saying if I don’t eat because I’m on my tube then my child won’t pick up healthy eating habits which is nonsense and I’m not a single mum to be).

Anyway everyone has given me some good suggestions and some items I will have to look out for in the store when I go there next, I haven’t tried cucumber water and am not sure how to go about it? Just infuse cucumbers in water?

I didn’t know redbush was caffeine free? Is there more than one redbush? Or I can take a look at them all?

also I liked jasmine tea however the one I have from dragonfly said it also has chamomile which I saw we shouldn’t have also? But I feel better knowing some of these things I can indeed have.

I use to like jubbly ice lolly’s but haven’t found the strawberry ones for a long time. But I’m going to try some new ice lollies and see how it goes.. I’m guessing however I will need to eat a fair few just to meet daily fluid needs?

I bought some Biona 100% cranberry juice with no added anything to add to my water which I’m still to give a go as I need to use it in a short space of time so don’t want to waste it by not drinking it but will likely use it for other things if I don’t manage it.

I really appreciate the comments I have gotten that have been quite helpful! I will individually reply to some of you that I didn’t address here because I have some further questions but I just want to thank you guys for the help and advice.

Could you make your own ice lollies or flavoured ice cubes?
the moulds are quite cheap. Perhaps try pure juice diluted with water, or as someone else suggested the posh cordial/squash which hopefully won’t have the same associations for you as traditional squash?

Mint tea,
elderflower cordial (not as sweet or acidic as squash)
Or go savoury:
marigold stock (made with hot water).
Bovril

There's an aqua Libra which I love that tastes of 'green' more than one specific thing. It has cucumber and lime in it but again isn't too sweet.

I think you're first priority here, rather than trying every liquid combination on the planet, should be to get your tube put back in, so you can get a basic level of nutrition and hydration. If you are barely eating and only managing 200-300mls a day, then I'd have thought it would put your life and that of your baby at risk.

I understand that you must want to be free of it, but pregnancy comes with such increased demands on your body including the bed to drink more, that it may be the safest way.

Have you spoken to a midwife to get a plan in place for you?

Waitrose grapefruit squash mixed with still or sparkling water is really refreshing and not sweet. Personally I would avoid anything that contains artificial sweeteners.

@SignOnTheWindow yes ice cold water is the only water I can drink, it for sure is the only way I can drink it and am looking into getting a flask or something similar to keep it cold as once it stars going tepid my desire to drink drastically goes down.

@OrcaBlondie yeah I tried both when I was sick growing up but I couldn’t take that weird taste! I started drinking the blue Powerade but eventually it started making me feel sick and my nurse recommended I didn’t drink it as it was full of sugars which wasn’t ideal when I had an empty stomach. I got Dioralyte but those have more of a weird salty taste that is just horrible. I wish we could get the American Pedialyte and similar as they are much better!

@TellMeWhere yes I have got some 100% unsweetened cranberry juice that I just opened and mixed with apple juice which doesn’t taste too bad, I bought a pomegranate juice once and it must have had sweetners or sugar in it because it wasn’t great, I might try POM as I think that also might be 100% but yes I’m now experimenting with them (I’m allergic to pineapple so avoid that).

@Verbena87 yes I think I’m driving myself crazy with the herbal tea list and what we cannot have because it almost lists everything. I don’t know which ones I can actually drink and which I cannot and like you, this pregnancy is a fertility clinic success so it isn’t as simple to just “get pregnant again” should you drink or eat the wrong thing which I would immediately blame myself for any loss in that case!

@Westfacing this is literally what o have been doing when I make decaf green tea! Don’t let it sit too long and almost take it out as soon as I put it in just to get that taste… but am wondering if I can get pure Jasmine instead of it being mixed with green teas or chamomile? Because I would feel better about drinking that if I can stomach it.

@PurpleBrocadePeacock yeah that’s what I was saying in my original post, I have been trying to have watermelon or things with high water content like cucumber and lettuce but I can’t get enough before I start feeling sick. I need to find some ideal broths I can have because that’s something I can at least drink and is salty so ideal. I mostly eat dry foods but will start to add more wet foods like soups, porridges and such, just hope it will be okay though.

@mydudero i have actually had the same thing, I would want something and then as soon as I get it I no longer want it so it will just sit there until I want it but I am yet to be fully repulsed by anything I bought as I never ate much anyway but I have found I will start to feel sick to my stomach if I eat the same dinner for a few days (like if we make big portions to feed us for a few days) so now I have to either mix it up or cook smaller meals!

quite a few have mentioned apple juice mixed with soda water or appletizer or just mixing juices with sparkling water which I use to be okay with but have found some with a weird (Andrews) taste almost like bicarb… I wonder if there are certain brands that are better over others?

@magma32 honestly the thought of getting pregnant in the past terrified me as I was non stop in hospital and the same comment would always come up which was “are you pregnant?!” I was only young so didn’t appreciate that but I have tried almost EVERY antiemetic out there and none worked for my illness so the thought of having morning sickness and having only those meds to rely on knowing they never helped me was worrying! Thing is I would much rather be medicated like you during pregnancy than not be able to live a normal life while pregnant as I’m sure that would be more damaging. I’m drinking ice cold Highland Spring as we get the 10L boxes and I think i need to add something to it.. be it a bit of salt or just flavour I’m not sure but I’m not managing as it is. I wish you the best for the rest of your pregnancy and I’m sure your little one is alright. Be kind to yourself hun.

for those recommending Cordials which would you recommend? Are there any that are sugar and sweetener free? I don’t mind naturally occurring sugars or even fruits added for sweetness but I’m only finding sugar or sweetener ones?

Have you tied lime and soda? With britvic lime cordial like you would get in a pub. Other than that I recommend peppermint or green tea.

Try fruit tea rather than herbal tea. Hibiscus tea is a nice slightly sour fruity taste and gets stronger the longer you brew it for. Can be drunk hot or cold.

I'm finding it hard to drink water (parosmia through covid, not pregnant), and mint tea is really great. Hot or cold. Redbush too, also cardamom in hot water. I live in quite a hard water area so it has a really strong metallic taste to me. I can get it down, it just means I don't think to drink enough as its not very pleasant.

I always found water with lots of ice and slices of lemon and oranges easy to drink when I was pregnant.

Ice pops!!!!

I drank that sometimes with a dash of lime. My friend could only drink lucozade.

I ate a lot of sarsumas and strawberries. Ice lollies helped.

@onepieceoflollipop yes i can for sure make my own ice lollies.. I will use some of the suggestions in this thread to make up the juices before freezing. Is posh cordial an actual brand name I can look for?

@ODFOx can you just drink straight up stock? I’m Vegan and know marigold is a go to vegan brand but didn’t know I could just drink it straight up?

@Somuchgoo No I am yet to speak to a midwife as my first booking appointment is in about 2 weeks at the end of the month and I will speak to them about it then. Unless I get a whole new consultant I can’t see getting a change in tube feeding. Even my supply team wasn’t supplying my items and I didn’t mind so much as I couldn’t even use my feeds and so didn’t use their supplies. Also I am now able to fully eat again as my vomiting illness has gone into remission now so I have the ability to eat everything now, but my Gastropareis is still very much there and that causes a lot of issues with things not leaving my stomach such as fluids (that’s why I needed a tube straight to my intestines instead of my stomach to bypass the problem). Lastly I don’t know about getting another surgical tube when pregnant as it requires some kind of sedative or anaesthetic which I don’t think you can have in pregnancy.. so I will have to figure out the fluids things alone.

@Dartmoorcheffy yes I avoid sweeteners at all cost and much rather natural fruit sugars but I don’t like squashes and they are usually made with sweeteners or sugar so wouldn’t be great anyway.

I’ve not really any suggestions for you OP although best of luck finding a drink that works for you. However I saw someone suggested Hibiscus tea, don’t try that as hibiscus really isn’t recommended in pregnancy.

Yes, marigold stock is a lovely drink.

Definitely get a Chili's bottle, put ice cubes in there and keep your water ice cold all day !! Will make you more likely to keep sipping on it theough the day. I also have a metal water bottle that has a straw in, that I take round tje house everywhere.. I love water bottles. One Green Bottle and Klean Kanteen are great too. Look on babipur, they always have sales

Redbush is called Roobois sometimes, but redbush is redbush so lidl has their own brand etc, tescos sell own brand and Roobois brand. It's kinda earthy. I have it with barista oat milk or no milk, tastes nice

What about tonic water? You can get fancy flavoured ones that aren't just for gin, ophir i think i see. I also see Nexba range of sparkling flavoured waters in my Tesco, looks really interesting

What about a nice tart blueberry juice? Diluted with some water and ice. Or experiment with some diy smoothies or yogurt drinks like Mango Lassi, can be sweet though!

I heard hibiscus is a big no no in pregnancy?

I will get to slicing some lemons and limes and add them to my water.. I hate their taste but it’s worth a shot regardless as it might not be as bad.

Im ordering some redbush now I know it’s caffeine free and I live in London and it is a hard water area here too so I can understand what you mean, I don’t drink tap though so don’t have to worry about that horrible taste.

But I will be making up some ice lollies, finding some different teas and slicing up some fruits to infuse for a difference!

Thank you everyone for some inspiration!

Watered down fresh orange juice. About 50:50 really reduces the sweetness but it tastes nothing like squash.

I'm not surprised you went off those green tea concoctions!!