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.

Have you tried bottled water vs tap water, there might be one that doesn’t have such a notable taste to you. Also, leaving water in a jug for 24hours will let the chlorine dissipate.

I like to use apple juice (not from concentrate) as my diluting squash, it’s more water than apple and not so sweet. I hate watermelon, but like it as a drink, albeit a mixer 🤣

"Im going to make some homemade ice lollies but was wondering If anyone knows if there is such a thing as a plastic free mould? Not silicone either?"

Oh come on now

Have you tried infusing water with herbs etc? Mint is an obvious one but a sprig of rosemary and some lemon in bottle of water in the fridge overnight is lovely. Basil can work well too. I like lavender too but that’s probably a love or hate one!

Yep, what is wine with normal moulds?

Unless your we drinking codka it something, I don't think you should worry too much she whether something is 'allowed' in pregnancy.

Being dehydrated on a long term basis, not eating, and giving yourself UTI's because you are so dehydrated, puts your pregnancy at a much higher risk than using sweeteners or caffeine.

Given how little you are drinking, it's just about getting almost any fluid into you right now.

Wrong, not wine.

Don't make wine popsicles 😜

Why have you given up sugar?

You're an underweight vegan who doesn't have added sugar, no caffeine and worried about plastic contamination.... also pregnant.... something seems off to me

You can use shot glasses, a teacup, anyone that holds liquid to make a lolly, just need to buy some sticks

I ate cupful after cupfuls of ice chips.
I mean kilos of the stuff.
Not great for the teeth but I was hydrated.

I don’t like water much so drink 1 part apple juice mixed with 5 parts of cold water (sometimes even less of juice) Any stronger and it’s too much. Or dilute a bit of cordial with cold water
www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/belvoir-fruit-farms-natural-blackcurrant-cordial-750ml
^ this one is really nice.
apologies if it’s mentioned already, no energy to read tft.

I've been struggling with water, I've found very diluted fruit juice or weirdly San Pellegrino much better, still have to sip it but it's staying down more. Good luck!x

Quite a few people have mentioned the “taste” of water but o haven’t said I have a issue with any kind of “taste” water has, I just said I have a issue with getting water down because of not absorbing correctly and it making me feel nauseous if I just tank it down..

I was also explaining why I had a feeding tube in the first place as some people had wanted to know and that’s when I mentioned being underweight, vomiting and not being able to keep anything down.. that was when I was sick.. I also said my illness went into remission so I’m no longer vomiting and no longer in the same position as I was when I stated all those things such as being underweight.

Im a healthy weight now, so my diet has nothing to do with being underweight, or anything “off”.

I also said I do drink caffeine however I know you can only have 200mls in pregnancy so knew I needed to find another fluid besides just tea. However I said I have recently been off teas and so I don’t need to worry about the caffeine as much but if I find an alternative I know there is a limit.

I also cut down on sugar.. didn’t fully stop consuming sugar, I switched it to natural sugars as much as possible so I use date syrup or fruit sugars as much as I can. I have diabetes in my family and so I know I would like to keep an eye out (that doesn’t mean I won’t have the odd treat every so often) but im totally off sweet during this pregnancy so far.

as for the moulds, as someone else previously mentioned about watching out for plastic leaching which is something I have been conscious about from very early.. however I have found some stainless steel moulds on Amazon that I have ordered and I really like the idea of the shot glasses and just needing to use some sticks!

Hey, @Tropicaliyes Chilis bottles are 100% stainless steel and the other steel branded ones are One Green Bottle or Klean Kanteen ! Amazon stock them all.

www.chillys.com/uk

www.amazon.co.uk/Chillys-Water-Bottle-Stainless-Reusable/dp/B07RXLG9RF

Have a look here, too, for other natural glass/metal water bottles and baby bottles/cups/weaning bits!
www.naturalbabyshower.co.uk/collections/drinking-bottles-flasks

Ice lollies sound a great idea 😁

@Keroppi thank you for that, when I done a random search I found something unrelated to the link you provided so I’m so glad you also added that!

Can I ask the inside of the lid kind of looks a bit plastic or something.. is that all steel or is there some kind of plastic also? You can just about see it on the website in accessories. So far though they seem to be the best I have seen!

the bottles for the kiddo are so adorable! I was hoping to see the whole thing taken apart also but you just see an outside view and I’m guessing you don’t get to return it if there is no fault.

I’ve got chillys and sho bottles (sho are on sale at the Mo) - both are stainless with a small silicone ring on the lid so they seal.

I’m similar in that I try to avoid plastic (after reading “It all starts with an egg”, following 3 early miscarriages and struggling to conceive…. I’m now 17 weeks!), artificial sweeteners and sugar (to a certain extent!) but I don’t panic if there’s some involved. I think it would be easy to drive yourself crazy otherwise!

We have stainless steel bottles but don’t panic if there is a bit of plastic or silicon in the lid, as that’s not where the contents sit in general (if you keep it upright for most of the time!). We’ve got a glass jug to filter water.

Do what you can but try not to stress about everything, as that’s really not good for you and the baby either.

Drinks wise… I find rhubarb, lime, elderflower, lemon and mint are flavours that don’t tend to be too sweet. I personally love rhubarb!!

Fever Tree seem to stay away from artificial sweeteners and sugar. Their Sicilian Lemonade is very refreshing and lovely and their normal lemonade is very nice too. I don’t like tonic water but like some of their flavoured ones! (They also come in glass bottles or cans). It’s expensive but if it’s what you fancy and can keep down, then it’s worth it.

I generally search for cordials, rather than squashes, as they tend to not have artificial sweeteners in and tend to come in glass bottles.

Again though, I don’t think these things need complete avoidance, just do want you can.

Have you spoken with your GP recently? Please by pushy for some help, if you can’t manage fluids very well. They should take dehydration and UTIs in pregnancy very seriously, I’d be amazed if they didn’t. You may well need to go to hospital for a drip, to get your fluid levels up.
Could your GF go with you to the GP, to help explain to them how you’ve been feeling? She can help to make sure you get the medical support you need.

Yeah Chilys have a plastic top with a silicone seal, which isn't an issue as the water doesn't ever come into contact. My Klean Kanteen doesnt even have a silicone seal, I think, the top is metal and wood and its stiff to screw back on - I'll have to check and see if it does have a seal, I assume so, but that's the only non-natural material in it. Its soooo heavy tho!! Definitely a potential self defence weapon lol

As far as the kids bottles go I'd just search the brand on YouTube and see if anyone has done a review and unboxing video.

If you feel more anxious than usual definitely go to your GP as a small amount of plastic etc shouldn't put you off drinking and nourishing your baby and body. You and your partner will want to be alert for postpartum anxiety etc too, it's no joke! But good support and counselling etc can really help x

Korean Kanteen seems like the best one.. I was wondering what that lid was made of but you said it’s actually is steel and I would rather the little silicone seal than a fully plastic lid. I know it’s not the end of the world for there to be plastic in the lid because my water is still in a plastic bag however I went and bought a thermos in a hope to put hot items in there also and when it arrived the lid was in fact plastic and it never mentioned BPA free or similar!

As much as I would try to keep it upright as possible I know there are times it won’t be kept away from the plastic, like going out means there will always be a chance it will topple over in a bag and bike riding will always move it around.

I never read “it starts with an egg” but I hear a lot in the lesbian community speak about it so it must be a decent read!

Im not any more anxious now than I was before I got pregnant, but before I got pregnant I started worrying about a lot of things as I was only just learning of the dangers of for example plastic leaching and antibiotics in meats and chemicals in our products causing really high cancer and endocrine issues.. I tried my best to eliminate those things as best as possible from personal care products, then plastics and then meats and dairy.. I remember not really caring about any of these things before even though I knew something was off but at the same time I also started having allergic reactions to things, like my skin would come up with EVERY soap I use (even ones I used for years before), I started having allergic reactions to food items and then my pets were triggering immune responses so as much as I can play it down, I know I have had to be on high alert to avoid anaphylaxis. One thing I have realised though is that I have been on antihistamines for the majority of my life due to my illness which stopped Nausea and Vomiting and at the end of last year and the beginning of this year I cut out all medications… This was around the time my reactions started.

pregnancy has been great! My immune system has been going crazy!

i bought quite a few different drinks to come today in our shop all of which have only natural sugars and no sweetener. I got some of the brands mentioned and those linked me into other similar suggestions.. I found Nix and Kix, some kefir (which said all the natural sugar was eaten in the process) and some biona bitter grape and more cranberry (turns out we drank the last one). There are others I cannot remember lol.

My gf goes to all appointments with me and comes in if I ask her to, so I’m grateful for that, she is also keeping an eye out for any kind of negative changes like depression or anxiety but so far I have been okay and and pretty much the same as before but if I do have issues I will come straight to her.

Thank you everyone for your help! The majority of this shop is expensive from drinks so I’m hoping I can find something that’s ideal and I can just stick to that instead of buying many different drinks.

Try chopping in some fruit to flavour it (leave it in the fridge to infuse), but really squash is only alternative so if you don’t like that you just have to suck it up, it’s good for you. Try just sipping and experiment with different temperatures.

Awww. Sounds like you have a great support system. I try and be as plastic & cruelty free as possible too it's so hard in todays world! Pregnancy can really change your immuen system too, my friend is allergic to dairy and nuts but in pregnancy she can eat those things!! Crazy x

www.babipur.co.uk/klean-kanteen-range/klean-kanteen-entire-range/klean-kanteen-reflect-insulated-20oz.html

This is my bottle and babipur always does new customer discounts. You can buy off their website directly, too :D And maybe look if amazon has it on black friday.

For the whole of my first pregnancy all I could drink was roses lime cordial with sparking water. Gave me shocking heartburn but it was the only thing I could stomach.